Forspoken is the latest action RPG from Square Enix, which borrows heavily from the Final Fantasy games in both indirect and direct ways. It still manages to find its voice with a sprawling open-world to explore. It uses the same engine as Final Fantasy 15 which came out in 2015.
It’s hard to believe that Forspoken is only the second game this division within Square Enix has made. After several long delays, the game is finally out with a mixed assortment of reviews. Ignoring those, let’s figure out how this game works. What player doesn't want a boost to get their journey started?
7 Save Often
It’s easy to get lost while exploring an open-world RPG like Forspoken. The game does feature autosaves, but players can manually save while not in combat as well. Players should take advantage of this feature and save as often as possible to prevent the loss of progress.
It’s also encouraged to rotate around the slots in case one of the files gets corrupted. It’s always better to over-prepare than to under-prepare especially in a massive game like this. There are mini-bosses in the world called Mutants that are too strong for early hours of the game. Saving before one of those is a good example of why saving is important.
6 Difficulties To Experiment With
There are difficulties in the game for those concerned about whether or not new games have them. It’s a legitimate concern for some who are not as adept at playing action RPGs. Again, they are present in Forspoken but they have odd names from the traditional monikers of Easy or Hard. For example, the easiest mode in the game is called “Focus on the Story.”
Even if the player typically likes to play on these easier modes, they should stick with Default until they get into the game proper around Chapter 3. This is when the world opens up and players can figure out if the game is too hard, or too easy on this Default setting. Depending on how they feel, they can adjust the setting in the menu at any time outside of combat.
5 Experiment With Spells
One of the best things about Forspoken is action combat thanks to the flashy spells. Players will gain Mana when they level up and they can find Mana in the world as well via Mana Pools. Mana can be used to unlock new spells in a skill tree such as Tendril which creates a giant tree root to whip at enemies.
It’s a good spell, but if the player doesn’t like it, they can take back those Mana points and place them on a new spell. It doesn’t cost anything extra to refund these spells either like in other RPGs. Don’t be afraid to experiment with this system to find new spells.
4 How To Unlock New Skill Trees
Players will start with their Purple Magic set and those spells are all based on Earth-type attacks. Defeating the Tantas that rule the land will unlock new skill trees for Frey. For example, Tanta Sila is the commander of war which translates into fire magic and that is represented by the color red.
Depending on how much time players spend exploring the open-world environments, they should be able to get this second skill tree around the seven-hour mark. They can fully explore its depths in Chapter 7.
3 Scan Like There’s No Tomorrow
Cuff, or Vambrace as he likes to be called, can do a plethora of things for Frey besides casting spells. He can also scan the world to alert Frey of enemies or items nearby in the vicinity. This type of scanning power has been in other RPGs for at least a decade now, and there’s nothing revolutionary about how it works in Forspoken.
That doesn’t mean players shouldn’t spam the ever-loving heck out of it. Items can be hard to see depending on the lighting situation. That’s why the scan can be so useful. To make finding items even easier, players can increase their glow in the options menu.
2 What To Do In The World
The open-world is huge in Forspoken but it is a bit barren. There are no NPCs and the side quests players can gain in the hub town are not that substantial for an action RPG. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things players should seek out. The most important thing to look out for is the aforementioned Mana Pools.
Another great landmark is the corrupted monuments which will permanently raise stats once the crud is brushed away. There are dungeons containing items like cloaks and mini-bosses and so much more. Players can spend hours combing through every detail of the world, but that doesn’t mean they should. Find a good balance to explore side areas on the way to the main objectives without going too far off the path.
1 Pay Attention To World Spells
Not every spell in the various skill trees can be learned through spending Mana. Some abilities can enhance Frey’s traversal abilities, but these must be found in the world. For example, Shimmy will give players a boost of speed if they jump while running.
Players can highlight this ability in the Purple Magic skill tree and then hit the map button to see where the spell pool is located. Jumping into one of these pools will unlock a new ability automatically. If possible, always try to grab those traversal enhancements as soon as possible.
Forspoken was released on January 24, 2023 and is available on PC and PS5.