Forspoken’s explosive gameplay gets tons of new footage as certain outlets get hands-on experience with the title.
Forspoken Demo Sparks Tons of New Gameplay Info
Ah, Forspoken. This upcoming open-world Action RPG has had a bit of a rough time in recent months. While there was an excellentdeep-dive back in August, Square Enix’s new IP has suffered multipledelays, evenpushed into 2023. At least it has been confirmed that the game is in its final stages of polish.
And if the newfound footage is to be believed, the polish is looking quite good at this time.
Forspoken Deeper Dive
Senior Specialist of Content Communications Gillen McAllister took to the PlayStation Blog to detail a lot of moment-to-moment gameplay that Forspoken will offer to players. A ton of other outlets were also able to sit down with the team at Luminous Productions in London and get their hands on a short demo that showcased the game’s strengths: parkour and combat.
First off, there were approximately 22 abilities available in the demo. This consisted of 2 “Surge” Abilities (or ultimates), 6 spammable main attacks, and 14 Sub or Support Spells that are more powerful but incur cooldowns when used. Overall, the main game should have a lot more available, so there should be even more to choose from. Magic was divided into two primary categories: Frey’s Magic which is defensive, and Silla’s Magic which is offensive.
Let’s take a look at some examples of each below:
Frey’s Magic
Silla’s Magic
The Colour of Magic
Of the two categories, Silla’s magic definitely seems like the more explosive and fun option. But support will always have its place. Thankfully, categories can be swapped easily using the D-Pad buttons.
Players will also not need to worry about getting overwhelmed in combat. The radial spell selector allows players to customize what entering this HUD menu does. you’re able to choose to pause the game, have time slowed down, or go full Soulslike and keep the game running at full speed.
S-s-s-tylish Forspoken!!
Another promising game system that was previously announced was the game’s Combat Rating. Just like the upcomingFlintlock: the Siege of Dawn, Forspoken will track and grade the player’s combat prowess. It looks like the implementation here will truly challenge players to bring out the best in their destruction.
Obtaining high combat scores will reward Frey with more XP (and possibly currency), which should be enough incentive to target the coveted S rating. The more over-the-top Frey defeats her opponents, the better. Juggling tons of powerful spells, mastering movement, and predicting enemy patterns will be key to obtaining the best ratings.
To help out a bit, Cuff can examine enemies at a glance before you even engage in combat. Doing so identifies an enemy’s potential elemental weakness. This knowledge can help Frey better prepare for the upcoming onslaught of magic.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman
Parkour is a very large part of Forspoken’s overall gameplay loop. This includes both exploration and combat scenarios.
Frey can shoot out molten tendrils that latch onto surfaces, propelling her toward her intended destinations. This system can also be used in combat to either dodge enemy hits or to fling herself towards foes instead. Think of this gameplay element asMonster Hunter Rise’sWirebug, but this time on fire and a lot more spammable.
Parkour tricks will also give some of Frey’s spells alternative effects when she’s in the air.
To give our heroine a much-needed breather, impromptu camps can also be created out in the wilderness. Here, she may craft items and such. This is different from the existing Pilgrim’s Refuges, which are small buildings that Frey may take shelter in. refuges are where Frey can allocate acquired Mana to upgrade her spells, or to enhance her gear pieces.
Gotta Collect ‘em All!
Equipment in Forspoken will consist of three main pieces: Cloaks, Necklaces, and Nails. Yes, the color of Frey’s nails will determine any special effects that get added to her spells. Buffs can range from simply enhancing overall damage, to adding new effects altogether to existing spells. Both Cloaks and Necklaces have Defensive and Offensive stats, but the former leans more towards protection and the latter tends to be more damage-oriented.
As a last tidbit, there seems to be a lot of Fish-eye effects in Forspoken’s in-game menus. While the effect is quite unique, it can be a tad disorienting for people who do not appreciate this style of viewing and want to see more things at a glance. The fish-eye effect is incorporated both in the Equipment and Spells screens.
Speaking to the Forspoken
Forspokenwill release early next year, on June 23, 2025. Prices range from $69.99 to $94.99. This is one of the few upcoming titles that will exclusively be released on the current-gen systems, and PC.
For more news, check out theWeekly RPG News Roundup,Atomic Heart Finds a Publisher But Potentially Slides into 2023 Release Date, andAssassin’s Creed Franchise Gets Tons of Reveals During the Ubisoft Forward 2022 Showcase.
