It’s fair to say that, so far, Forspoken’s marketing and release plans have been a little turbulent. Since the game’s debut in 2020 as Project Athia, Luminous Productions and Square Enix’s high-fantasy action game has been hit by several setbacks. Provided that the majority of these are now behind the game though, it should launch on PC and PS5 next January.
Although Forspoken’s most recent release day has pushed it slightly out of view, that hasn’t stopped the game from making headlines over the last few months. Perhaps in an attempt to make sure it doesn’t get lost among games like God of War Ragnarok, Square Enix has kept rolling out media, blog posts, and interviews, all themed around Luminous Productions’ project. It’s because of this that a picture is starting to form in regard to its open world, which for several reasons, appears to be a lonely setting.
Forspoken’s Open-World Setup
Whenever Luminous Productions and Square Enix discuss Forspoken, both parties have been willing to talk in-depth about their ideas. It’s because of this philosophy that players have a decent understanding of what the world of Athia will look and feel like.
One video released during Gamescom looked extensively at Forspoken’s gameplay and open world. During the 10-minute trailer, it was revealed that Frey will only encounter NPCs in Athia’s sole remaining city. Having been ravaged by a mysterious corruption, the city of Cipal is said to be the only safe haven for the realm's refugees. Beyond its walls lie the "wilds," a corrupted land filled predominantly with ruins, monsters, and corruption zones.
Athia’s Lonely Challenges
While there are obvious narrative justifications as to why Athia is going to be populated like this, it’s easy to also imagine exploration being a subsequently solitary and lonely experience. With no NPCs to interact, players are going to be limited to Frey and the magical Cuff when it comes to companions. This could be quite the problem, as this dynamic has been the source of a ton of criticism about Forspoken's dialogue.
Because of the studio’s design decisions, the player is likely going to form an intriguing attachment to Cipal. As long as the capital city is large enough to keep it interesting, interacting with its population could theoretically be a breath of fresh air from the rest of the game’s isolation. In turn, this could make the periods of silence all the more impactful. Forspoken’s marketing campaign has hinted at Frey’s story being themed around a journey of discovery, so presumably, the lonely world is going to feature undisclosed elements that are going to encourage that narrative progression.
Forspoken’s Gameplay Potential
Based on the footage that’s been revealed so far, some fans have theorized that parts of Forspoken’s Athia could be somewhat barren. While several beautiful landmarks have admittedly been shown, there’s no denying that just as many have looked on the empty side of things. If Forspoken’s open world does turn out to be a predominantly empty and lonely place, that doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative thing. Throughout the game’s marketing campaign, Luminous Productions has often emphasized the gameplay side of Forspoken. Frey’s ability to zip across the landscape with a wide variety of magical Parkour moves has been a big part of that. Provided that the studio can nail that aspect of Forspoken, alongside its enemy types of placements, players could still find themselves enjoying what Athia has to offer.
It should be pointed out that Forspoken’s open world does feature some hallmarks of the genre. During the recent gameplay trailer, it was revealed that Frey can call upon Cuff to reveal hidden secrets within Athia. These range from treasure chests to notes and points of interest. In keeping with its themes of isolation though, so far these appear to be dialed back significantly. This back-to-basics approach could allow the gameplay and environmental storytelling aspects of Forspoken to shine to the forefront as a result, but of course, this all remains to be seen.
Forspoken releases January 24, 2023, for PC and PS5.