This game deserves a second chance.
One Year Anniversary
With everything that has happened so far with Forspoken, it is hard to believe that the game is now a year old. Recently, I have seen more people give this game a fair shot. More importantly, the game has been receiving more positive reviews. At least, the some of the recent reviews about the game have more constructive and mature.
It is refreshing to see this. After playing the game for myself last year. I never thought for a second that this game deserved the hatred it received. Forspoken was long hated thanks to the trolling side of Twitter and the internet. And this was before its eventual release.
Premature Hatred
Why was this hatred born prematurely? Because a lot of trolls saw a trailer with an awkward piece of dialogue. The trailer allow these trolls to immediately think that Forspoken was going to be a terrible game.
Unfortunately, even trolls have a voice. And having a voice comes with influence. So, the trolls used their voices to install their premature hate for Forspoken. And some people who didn’t know otherwise follow suit.
The demo when it first launched didn’t help either. While the demo wasn’t bad, it influenced the trolls’ hateful narrative on Forspoken. In turn, the premature hatred of Forspoken fester even more.
Forspoken’s Launch
It finally came time for Forspoken’s launch. And the game was met with mixed to positive reviews by critics. Of course, the game was subjected to review bombing on Metacritic. A practice that I hate with every fiber of my being. Trolls gleefully review bombed the game with negative comments.
So why did I give this game a shot? Overall, it was pure intrigue. First, I was interested in Forspoken ever since it was first announced as Project Athia. Second, the game was being developed by Luminous Productions. A studio once was directed under Hajime Tabata.
Luminous Productions
The developers of Luminous Productions managed to turn the hot mess that was Final Fantasy XV into a beautiful one. FFXV, once known as Versus XIII, was stuck in development hell for some time. Eventually, Versus XIII was rebranded into FFXV.
Tabata took over as director for FFXV after Square Enix wanted Nomura to begin development on Kingdom Hearts 3. Tabata and his staff managed to turn FFXV into a good and epic Final Fantasy. Having a talented staff made me more intrigued on how Luminous Productions would produce a brand-new IP.
Despite Tabata leaving Square Enix. My interest on Luminous Productions and Forspoken didn’t waver. I still had hope that this game would turn out well.
My Experience
Gameplay
While Forspoken didn’t blow me away. I still came away with mostly positive things to say about the game. Combat and traversal was fun and exhilarating. Despite its broken state, Athia is a playful sandbox which you can fight and travel however you please.
It helps that Athia is full of ruins and encounters. They test your skills. And they help you grow into a more badass mage. Furthermore, these ruins helps you uncover lore and treasures about the world of Athia.
Story
The story was mostly good. The narrative didn’t blow me. But it did regale me while evoking my emotions. Forspoken’s beginning and end is great. But the middle of the game is similar to a standard Isekai story.
However, what sets Forspoken apart form the standard isekai as a whole is Frey. Frey’s personality and growth is what make Forspoken’s story powerful. And her interactions with the Cuff, the Tantas and supporting characters of Athia are what shape her and the story.
Frey Holland
Frey’s story had me rooting for her. She’s a young woman who was dealt a bad hand in life. It’s because of that upbringing that she feels she is not suited to be Athia’s savior. Frey’s background led to a lack of confidence in herself. And this gave birth to a desire to go back home.
Frey’s background and her character allowed me to relate to her. Since I was able to relate to Frey. In turn, I was able to relate and care about Athia too. The conclusion of the story was very satisfying for me.
Dialogue
Forspoken’s dialogue isn’t as bad as most trolls prematurely claimed. In fact, I found the dialogue to be even a mix of natural, funny, and awkward. There were times when the dialogue made me laugh. Other times I found it natural because Frey is a New Yorker. A New Yorker now gifted with magical powers.
And now she must save a world which is completely new to her. This leads to some awkward conversations. Naturally, there is going to be some awkward moments. But there awkward moments lead to some funny and relatable dialogue.
And I can’t forget her dialogue with Cuff either. Frey and Cuff will critique, insult, and chastise each other. And some of the exchanges are hilarious. However, there are times when Frey and Cuff are civil and nice to each other. They have a relationship similar to siblings.
My only critique about the dialogue was the repeated battle banter. Thankfully, you can tone them down in the settings. And Forspoken isn’t the only one game with this problem. In essence, there is nothing uniquely bad about Forspoken’s dialogue.
Fall of Luminous Productions
Unfortunately, the positive reception of Forspoken was not enough. The game was a flop. This flop was thanks to the festering unwarranted malice for Forspoken. Furthermore, the PC’s port launch was a mess.
The game’s PC performance demanded high specs. Furthermore, the game’s performance was initially bad on PC. The bad performance and the negative, toxic hate were the main reasons for Forspoken’s downfall. This was confirmed by Yosuke Matsuda, the previous CEO of Square Enix. In a financial report, Matsuda confirmed that the game was a flop.
And Forspoken’s flop eventually led to the dissolution of Luminous Productions. Thankfully, the talented staff of Luminous Productions were absorbed back into Square Enix. From there, the staff was integrated into Square Enix’s Creative Business Units and secondary studios.
The dissolution did not occur until the first of May. It was long after Forspoken’s DLC dropped. Forspoken’s DLC, In Tanta We Trust was released on May 26th, 2024.
In Tanta We Trust
Forspoken’s DLC was met with positive reviews. Thanks to some much-needed performance patches and the DLC, Forspoken was starting to be viewed in a better light. The positive reviews were also helped by DLC’s condensed map and abilities. And the story of the DLC was well received.
The ending of DLC has left the series on a cliffhanger. Prior to the flop and the breakup of Lumionous Productions, Forspoken had more plans. These plans included a potential sequel of Forspoken. However, thanks to the ire of the trolling internet, these plans may never come to fruition.
However, there are recent positive reviews on Steam. There may be hope. Currently, Forspoken sits at 63% of overall reviews on Steam. And the game now sits at 75% of recent reviews on Steam.
A lot of people on Twitter have said positive things about Forspoken. Gene Park is one of these people. And he was one of few people who wrote a good review on Forspoken. And had been championing for Forspoken ever since.
Roosa Jokiaho, a cutscene artist for Square Enix, posted a Gamerant article about Forspoken deserving a second chance. Jokiaho was a leading developer for Forspoken. Her twitter post has been met with positive and actual constructive feedback on Forspoken. These elements are inspiring people to give Forspoken a well-deserved second chance.
Forspoken’s Most Critical Lesson
Forspoken is a prime example on why a game should be played by an individual alone. It is not a perfect game. But that doesn’t mean it should be deprived of the chance to by fairly judged by players individually. And now that the negative, toxic noise of the internet has died down. Forspoken is finally getting the chance to be played and critique on its own terms.
As for me, I am hopeful that Forspoken will continue to receive positive vibes and fair criticisms. While Forspoken may not ever receive more content from Square Enix. At least, it can finally shine on its own. And with people championing its cause. Forspoken’s growing shine may lead to something brilliant.
Sources: Roosa Jokiaho's Twitter, Gene Park's Review, Forspoken's Steam Page, VGC247, Forspoken's Twitter and Youtube
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