Forspoken Reviews
Forspoken is neither black nor white, it's a mottled gray of spectacular combat and magical parkour to be experienced within a dated open world.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Forspoken it's not the next gen game that we're waiting for, but it's not as bad as some found in the demo. It has its share of elements to improve, starting with the script, but it makes combat and traverse very fresh and enjoyable, in a world full of things to do, that invites to keep playing even after watching the ending credits.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Forspoken was once one of the big reveals for the PS5 in 2020, but aside from using the SSD for open world magical parkour and the ultra quick fast travel, it is difficult to really see how it takes advantage of the latest console generation. The world of Athia looks good, and the combat full of flashy magic, but there's no major side quests to divert from repetitive activities and a predictable main story.
“Forspoken” doesn’t do anything new for the open-world genre of games, but it does offer just enough to distinguish itself, mostly thanks to Frey and her magic spells, and a story that’s able to stick the landing.
Forspoken's magical parkour system has a lot of potential and can be fun. It offers a novel means of traversal, if nothing else. However, the combat and the vast world aren't enough for me to overlook many of Forspoken's other issues, which mainly start with Frey Holland herself.
Forspoken takes too long to get started due to a poorly paced story, but its dazzling spellcasting and parkour traversal will reward patient players.
In all the ways “open world” could be used as a pejorative, Forspoken excels.
Forspoken represented a huge risk taken by newcomer Luminous Productions. While the story may feel a bit contrived at times, the Flow method of traversal and combat more than makes up for it. Frey may annoy some people as the protagonist, but stringing together a chain of magical commands within just a few seconds while deftly avoiding incoming fireballs is rewarding, and ultimately, I came away from Forspoken having enjoyed my time helping the people of Athia.
Forspoken fails to impress in several ways. Almost every good aspect of the game has a negative flip side. Though Forspoken isn't a bad game, the problems it does have hold it back from being great. All in all, Forspoken is just okay.
Forspoken is vibrant, experimental, and undercooked all at once. It feels like a throwback to the Xbox 360-era of Square Enix games that were weird and experimental, like The Last Remnant and Infinite Undiscovery, only with a much bigger budget and flashier visuals. Its traversal and combat mechanics shine, but they’re trapped underneath a story and setting that feels painfully average and completely unwilling to engage with more challenging themes.
This could have been a great fish-out-of-water experience, but it's let down by patronising explanations and clunky gameplay.
World exploration in Forspoken can bring you some real joy, and same could be said about the combat system. And yet the writing, weird visual presentation, and overall direction can really bring the whole experience down.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Forspoken is a solid action RPG that sadly falls short due to some of its design. The world is just not that interesting to explore and the weird dialogue can detract from an otherwise interesting narrative. I enjoyed my time with the game and if you do dive in, I recommend simply mainlining the core story as it keeps the repetition to a minimum. If you are a sucker for tons of mindless side content though this game has it in spades. I truly wish it was just more interesting though.
Forspoken lacks the kind of refinement expected of a AAA title. If the concepts had received more attention, then the entire package would have been more cohesive. Still, despite its issues, there's definitely something here to enjoy if you can focus in on what the game does well: narrative, accessibility, and writing.
Forspoken is a game that has great potential, expressed in a precise, fast and fun combat system. Sadly, everything else in the game lacks novelty or interest in exploration.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Forspoken should and could have been a better game than it actually is. Its strengths lie in its core gameplay, which is fast, fluid, and great fun at its best. However, unnecessary open world clutter hampers exploration, and the combat system only begins to hit its stride hours into the adventure. If you can push through a poorly paced story, packed with desperately dull characters, then you might find enjoyment in Frey's fantastical abilities, which undoubtedly steal the show both in and out of battle. It's not quite the disaster that the memes would have you believe, but it's certainly not the PS5 showpiece that was once promised, either.
Forspoken is a fun action game that shines best when you're taking advantage of the great magic parkour to soar through the fantasy world of Athia and blast enemies with overwhelmingly cool spells. However, its content is underwhelming, its RPG systems are weak, and its visuals are less advanced than advertised. As such, Forspoken's potential is largely unrealized in its current state. It's still a decent romp for genre fans to go through, though waiting until it gets a discount or is added to one of the many subscription services is recommended.
Forspoken is sprawling, awing in its scale, and a treat to look at, and while the gameplay is snappy and engaging, it's not necessarily impressive enough to completely distract from haphazard discussions with NPCs and a narrative that should have been given more space.
Forspoken is ambitious, and there are hints of a winning formula.