Although Forspoken has yet to release, its concept has turned a lot of heads and generated some discussion about what magic might look like in video games, thanks to this new IP from Square Enix and Luminous Productions. Plenty of video games have put magic in the hands of players before, but Forspoken has such an intense focus on magic that it's clearly different. Fluid spellcasting that rewards strategic thought and resource management is the name of the game in a way that few other action RPGs have attempted. Whether Forspoken itself is actually a hit or not, its core concepts already seem like they could shape future games.
While it wouldn't be surprising to see studios start to craft their own magic-centric IPs in response to Forspoken, there are plenty of established IPs that could learn a thing or two from it as well. The Lord of the Rings is one example; its wizards rarely get the spotlight in gaming, but Forspoken could change that. Avatar: The Last Airbender also seems like it could play very nicely with Forspoken's systems. Nickelodeon's Avatar franchise is resurgent right now, with lots of new media on the way, and that wave of content ought to include an action RPG that lifts from Forspoken's free-form spellcasting.
Forspoken's Rapid Casting is Ideal for Avatar
Some elements of the plot of Forspoken remain mysterious, but Square Enix has released plenty of gameplay footage by now. In Forspoken, players will seemingly find themselves rapidly transitioning between spells of varying strength and utility throughout combat. No one spell is intended to be spammed. Instead, players are encouraged to find creative combos, locking up an enemy with a crowd control effect, then pelting them with ranged abilities or rushing in with melee magic. Creativity and quick thinking will seemingly be rewarded in players' attempts to fight back the Break that's corrupting the lands of Athia.
The pace at which Frey Holland moves through her spells feels fluid and natural, much in the way of bending in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Bending in the Avatar world is very much a martial art, with benders hurling blasts of air or fire as quickly and easily as throwing a punch. Because of that, an Avatar action RPG could mimic Forspoken's spell list to create engaging, skillful combat that feels much like Avatar's most iconic battles. A game based on The Last Airbender could see players take control of Aang and quickly cycle through a variety of bending techniques using all four elements during fast-paced battles that demand attention and action from the player.
An Action-Packed Avatar: The Last Airbender Adaptation
Combat isn't all that an Avatar game could lift from Forspoken. Ever since it was first teased as Project Athia, Forspoken earned some attention for its traversal system. Forspoken gameplay trailers have shown Frey leaping huge distances and gently floating off the sides of cliffs with the help of magic. Aang is another famously mobile character, thanks to his airbending expertise, so it would be great to see a third-person Avatar action RPG include similar movement mechanics, allowing Aang to quickly leap to rooftops, nimbly dodge attacks, and soar across the Avatar world on his glider.
There's hope yet that such an Avatar game will surface in the near future. The new Avatar Legends TTRPG has earned some significant attention of late, and reports indicate that new Avatar video games are in production. While it's unclear how much of an impact Forspoken will have on these games, if any, Forspoken clearly has lots of great ideas that could help craft an Avatar game filled with satisfying combat and exploration. Even if Forspoken's magic system doesn't get imitated wholesale, hopefully Avatar game developers at least take a look at Luminous Productions' ideas and try some similar things.
Forspoken releases October 11, 2022 for PC and PS5.