Video games like Wolf Among Us and Devil May Cry 5 are great examples of urban fantasy. These games mix fantasy elements with modern settings. It seems like Bioware’s Shadow Realms would also have worked well in this genre. That’s what got me interested in Forspoken. Unfortunately, I left with mixed feelings after playing the game.
Tricks of the Trade
In the demo, the demo did not give much information about how to play the game. However, once you unlock the other spell types, the combat is really fun. Playing the demo taught me how to play rather than reading Reddit comments. You start with Frey’s magic. It feels like you’re playing a third-person shooter with this spell set. Scatter Shot and Burst Shot deliver rapid SMG gunfire. Combined with the excellent magic parkour, you will be a mix of Doctor Strange and The Flash. Zooming through a forest quickly and killing a group of enemies within a minute feels so satisfying.
New abilities with Forspoken’s cosmetics
Frey can also gain abilities and bonuses by using different cosmetic items. Necklaces, cloaks, and nail polish patterns can be found throughout the game. It’s possible to become an unstoppable force by combining the right gear. There’s not much point in experimenting, since I found the best cloak less than ten hours into my playthrough. The same can be said about necklaces and nails. It doesn’t seem that the gear you find is scaled properly with your current upgraded gear.
Forspoken’s story is another highlight, well at least some of it. Without spoiling the story, I’ll just say it’s a pretty good one. During your journey to Athia, you play as Frey Holland, a young woman with a criminal record. She becomes bonded to a gauntlet called Cuff and gains magical abilities from it. Afterward, the two set off to save Athia. People seem to think the dialogue is terrible, but it really isn’t and is basically nonexistent outside of story missions if you adjust it in the game settings. The orchestral score became boring as I explored the open world over and over again, so I turned it on again.
Forspoken comes very close to being an excellent urban fantasy game thanks to its story. Frey’s journey from the streets of New York to the land of Athia is filled with tragedy and triumph. Some questionable writing left me feeling disappointed, as did other parts of the story I won’t spoil. But the bond she forms early in the game with one character is very touching and cute.
Overall Review
I really enjoyed parts of Forspoken but overall? It’s a mixed bag. I enjoyed parts of the combat and story but the game is held back by awkward game design, poor story writing, and performance issues. After selling less than Hi-Fi Rush, which was released the same day as Forspoken, many called it a flop. It’s a shame that this game isn’t getting a sequel. There is so much potential here, but ultimately it’s squandered. Maybe Luminous Productions can have another Cyberpunk 2077-like comeback but that seems unlikely.
