Considering the occasional periods of silence that Luminous Productions has adopted over recent years, Forspoken’s recent delay won’t have come as much of a surprise to many onlookers. Even after the game’s release date was first pushed back from May to October, neither the studio nor its owner Square Enix really took the opportunity to ratchet up their marketing campaigns. Now that its release date on PC and PS5 has been penciled in for next January, every party involved has more time to address the situation.
Based on the discourse that has happened online surrounding the game, it looks as though a marketing reset could be toward the top of Luminous and Square Enix’s agendas. Following the release of a 32-second advert for Forspoken on Twitter, it’s fair to say the game has turned into something of a meme. In the aftermath of the video’s debut, social media users have come out to roast the dialogue on display - all of which has actually helped to reinforce the fact that Forspoken’s main appeal is more than likely going to be its gameplay.
Forspoken’s Gameplay Appeal
Although Luminous Productions has shone a spotlight on Forspoken's story, ever since it was announced as Project Athia in 2020, that section of the game hasn’t always received the praise the studio likely hoped it would. Instead, the action-RPG’s gameplay mechanics and use of magic have both taken center stage when it comes to praise. While the recent debate surrounding the game might be unfair to its narrative and intriguing protagonist Frey, it’s also hard to argue against how compelling that aforementioned concoction is.
After all, fantasy settings and Isekai setups aren’t all that uncommon right now in games, TV shows, and films. Players are arguably spoiled for choice on both of those fronts, so Forspoken was always going to have an uphill battle making its story stand-out. When it comes to gameplay based on traditional interpretations of magic, though, things are a little different. Beyond the upcoming and also recently delayed Hogwarts Legacy, the game is something of an outlier in that department within the AAA action-game space.
Even during the recent advert for Forspoken that's been turned into a meme, the charm of its gameplay mechanics still managed to shine through to the forefront. Beyond looking like an engaging and compelling experience from a conceptual perspective, there was plenty of evidence to suggest that the gameplay will be both deep and rewarding. Thanks to factors like the magical elements and extensive list of enemies Luminous has created, it’s easy to see players buying into the game solely to enjoy these loops and mechanics.
Forspoken’s Open-World Potential
Considering how magic is the star attraction in Forspoken in multiple respects, getting the gameplay side of the equation right could easily make or break the entire experience. In this regard, Luminous Productions has made the right decision to seemingly focus extra attention on it above everything else. In spite of the roasting the game's received online, the action on display arguably looked better than ever. Beyond making the experience a memorable and fun time, though, this focus could also end up unlocking the full potential of the game’s other appealing characteristics.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Luminous has designed Forspoken to be an open-world adventure, filled with wonder and intrigue. Prioritizing gameplay refinement over the game’s narrative and other areas could elevate this part of Forspoken to greater heights. There’s a chance that being able to traverse the world with a host of magical Parkour abilities like in Sucker Punch’s Infamous series will make the game more unique. With open-world titles continuing to dominate the industry, that could ultimately benefit its critical and commercial reception in the long-run.
Narrative supporting Gameplay
Even though the gameplay side of things is clearly what Luminous Productions has focused on, none of what’s been mentioned above necessarily means the story will be outright bad either. After-all Forspoken’s primary focus can still be on gameplay, without the story side of things becoming an unappealing burden. It’s worth remembering that keeping the action going while facilitating new gameplay mechanics and scenarios is going to be an important task. So much so that it's hard to imagine Luminous and its talented team having neglected its narrative too much.
For all the criticism that’s been leveled at Forspoken recently when it comes to its story, it needs to be pointed out that judging a game preemptively is a risky business. Out of context there’s no denying that the lines of dialogue that have been roasted could be interpreted as generic or even poor. However, condensing story beats from a long game down into snappy lines of dialogue meant to convey a certain tone is a really hard task. That’s likely even more true for the 32-second advert that Square Enix put out for the game.
Setup with the pacing and context that they were originally written with, it’s easy to imagine Forspoken’s quippy dialogue fitting into the equation a lot better. There’s every chance that Frey’s voiceover could sound more relatable and genuine under this scenario. From the story details that Luminous and Square Enix have revealed, Forspoken's story has all the makings of a compelling tale that could still end up complementing its more obvious mechanical charms.
Forspoken is scheduled to release on 24 January 2023 on PC and PS5.