We play ‘Forspoken’: is the first great PlayStation 5 video game worth it in 2023?
Square Enix’s work has problems both in the narrative and in the playable.
That the present generation of consoles is turning out to be especially rough is something that all players are already clear about. And not only because of the persistent shortage of new-style consoles but also because of the constant delay in the releases of many of the most anticipated video games.
Something that has happened to give a few examples, with ‘God of War Ragnarok’, ‘Halo Infinite’ or ‘Zelda Tears of the Kingdom’.
‘Forspoken’, without a doubt, also fell into this group. After several delays, the proposal created by Luminous Productions and Square Enix, with a fantastic cut and an open world, hit store shelves a few days ago in a version for PS5 and computer.
If not so long ago at ABC we hoped that the proposal would fulfill, at least partially, the great expectations that it generated among users at the time it was announced, the gaming experience has made it clear to us that this will hardly happen in most of the cases.
That ‘Forspoken’ did not seem like a great video game to us. It is also not a good option if you are looking for a premiere title for your PS5, in case you are one of the lucky ones who has recently obtained it. But let’s go in parts.
A watched story
During the development of the title, the player controls Frey Holland, an orphan who was abandoned by her parents on a bridge in New York City shortly after birth.
Her life, as expected, has not treated her very well. In adolescence, she ends up turning into a kind of juvenile delinquent with a good background but without options. Come on, a total archetype.
One day, without eating or drinking it, the young woman ends up being transported after coming into contact with a talking bracelet, known as ‘Traps’, to a fantastic world called Athia that is suffering from a strange plague that threatens to wipe everything off the map. Something like what we could see in works like ‘The Neverending Story’ by Michael Ende.
The problem in the case of ‘Forspoken’ is not so much that the argument has been tampered with it can slip. The main flaw lies in the poor execution of the dialogues and the subsequent plot.
Everything is very predictable and unsatisfactory. We are not facing great work at the narrative level. And at a playable level?
Somewhat simple gameplay
‘Forspoken’ is not without a third-person shooter-type gameplay. Frey defends himself against monster and boss attacks by using spells either offensive or defensive.
In addition, the protagonist has the possibility of doing what in the work is called ‘magic parkour’ so that she can move at great speed around the screen avoiding obstacles.
That is not only applicable to the open world but also to combat. What’s more, during the confrontations it will be essential to resort to this function, but beyond this, there is little mystery. And it is that ‘Forspoken’ does not have too much depth when it comes to combat.
Running around the stage, dodging when it’s time, and using a couple of triggers on the controller can overcome any situation.
Even if you are not a great gamer, it will be difficult for the video game to represent a real challenge at some point. And this does not necessarily have to be bad. But if we add the problem in the narrative plus everything that remains to be told things still change.
One more open world
Indeed, the action takes place in a large open world, although little alive. Unlike other works of this type, this is not a work that encourages you to explore. All the icons appear highlighted and, in the end, the feeling is that the work wants to give you everything chewed up too much.
The map also quickly fills up with secondary missions, many of them quite repetitive, which simply involve killing lots of enemies. The purpose is to extend the proposal as long as possible so that the game experience goes beyond the 20 hours in which the main story can be completed.
Better options
Graphically, the game complies. Although, of course, we have not had the feeling of playing a PlayStation 5 game that does not have a version on consoles of the last generation.
We have not been left with our mouths open at any time. Beyond that, the modeling and expressions of the characters are inappropriate for the machines we currently have.
In the end, it’s true that ‘Forspoken’ can offer you some good time of mild fun. Although few, and that’s a shame. Today, the user has many more rewarding options when it comes to mashing buttons.
If you just got a PS5, or are thinking of buying the console soon, we recommend that you try ‘Ratchet & Clank: A Dimension Apart’ first, the ‘remake’ of the first ‘The Last of Us’, ‘God of War Ragnarok’ or ‘Horizon Forbidden West’. They are all quite superior and, furthermore, in absolutely all sections.
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