Forspoken

Forspoken shines as a fun and frenetic action-adventure, tailouring its fast load times to fit its superb magical parkour (arguably my favourite traversal mechanics I've experienced in any game as of now). Combat is flexible and rich with magic, but, despite some strategy, doesn't scale much. The story works but lacks inspiration and its characters solid performances can't quite hold it up. That said, the negative social media reaction I saw for the game is, for me, completely overblown. It might not be Game of the Year, but Forspoken is an enjoyable fantasy experience with sparks of real potential.

You know how you get your hopes up so high that you can only be disappointed well this is where forspoken left me feeling.

It starts out with a seriously disappointing intro level that barely passes for a game from 10 years ago. Not only visually but gameplay wise as well. For first impressions this part nearly made me quit altogether. After about 30 or 40 minutes you reach a new zone that starts to explain the steep system requirements but still doesn't really give that wow factor.

Then there's the character. This probably finished it for me. Her attitude may fit the intro where she's down on her luck but it soon grows tiresome and never really let's up. And that's the part the doesn't fit the game. Plus she adapts to her new skills far too easily for this seasoned gamer. Give this one a pass for now especially at the ridiculous price they launched it at, $93 CAD.

I don't know what everyone is complaining about. The graphics and colours are extremely impressive, highly visual and explosive.

The combat, although different to other games, is immersive, unique, captivating and requires quick thinking. The map traversal is engaging.

The array of skills is also impressive. I'm about 30 hours in and clear every zone I'm in.

The main city is a bit lack lustre but in all honesty, I don't really want to spend much time there beyond what is necessary. The point of the game is to be out and about not confined to a city.

The interaction between the main character and 'cuff' could be improved and is somewhat limited and repetitive.

PS5. 120Hz. Ray tracing enabled.

The controls are so clunky its almost unplayable.

The characters are flat even the main, Frey Holland. Its obvious they tried to make her witty and funny. But she is not. The enemies are worse and npcs could just have been without voices. Just slap a textline for what they would say.

The graphics are ok at most.

I cannot finish this stinking pile of dung.

Ok.

I need to fluff the review up a bit.

They put cutscenes everywhere. Walk 10 steps, theres a cutscene. Walk ten more. And what do we have... A cutscene.

I got this free on PS+ and had hopes that it would not be so bad as its said to be. But it was worse.

If you get a chance to try it. Dont. Its a waste of space on your drive.

Forspoken is the definition of a mediocre game. Far better than the previous live service hot garbage Square Enix has been pushing lately, such as Marvel's Avengers, but that's not saying much. $70 is laughably overpriced for a mostly bland and wasteful experience that offers little beyond whatever your definition of a mediocre game is.

The main character, Frey Holland, is poorly written and just really irritating. Her personality is essentially what you'd expect from a real life whiny teenage girl. Whiny, rude, stuck-up, and immature, it's especially repugnant if you know what she's dealing with in her hometown, New York. She literally mocks her companion Cuff for zero reason. But she constantly tries to crack these really unfunny jokes while swearing, during both the cutscenes and gameplay. It's as if the writers couldn't figure out how to make a character funny and likable that isn't Eric Cartman or Deadpool. For a 21 year old, she acts like a 12 year old. She looks like one, too. Some people have said she's why silent protagonists in games are better, I personally have to disagree with that. I prefer protagonists in games that talk, it gives them personality. Making them mute makes them self inserts and bland characters. I would just make Frey actually act like a 21 year old.

It's not the voice actresses fault, it's the horrendous writing. I'm all in for a witty and less serious story, but here, it just doesn't work. Also, the game loves to have it so you activate a cutscene after walking every so thirty feet, and it's especially irritating when they've could've just cut the gameplay and made clumped the cutscenes together for one large cutscene. I mainly play most games for the story, but I don't want a cutscene to be interrupted by gameplay and vice versa.

This is a game that could've been delayed for another year or so. It desperately could use some rework. The combat is fine, gameplay is also pretty solid, but man, the story and writing kills the entire experience. This game is wasted potential. Because the gameplay is sadly the only saving grace here, and I feel most of the development time went into that.

I feel critics were a bit too nice on this game, this game is definitely a 4/10. I wouldn't recommend this to a gamer even if it was only a dollar.