
Still, most of the elemental effects, Frey’s movements and a lot of the world of Athia is beautifully realized. Running on Square Enix’s in-house Luminous Engine (the team that made the game is a newly-formed group called Luminous Productions), Forspoken gives some beautiful moments of magical pyrotechnics, but it’s not quite up to the consistent environmental beauty (and attention to detail) of games like Horizon Forbidden West or Returnal. You keep moving, through the lands of Athia, through the adventure, because it’s really fun and satisfying, but also because when you slow down, you start to see the cracks. In Forspoken, players can expect captivating performances from an all-star cast, including Ella Balinska (Run Sweetheart Run) as protagonist Frey Holland, Jonathan Cake (Star Wars: The Old Republic) as magical-sentient, Cuff and Pollyanna McIntosh (The Walking Dead series), Janina Gavankar (The Morning Show) and Claudia Black (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy) who take on the roles of the Tantas, evil maddened sorceresses that rule over Athia, as well as appearances from further supporting cast members, including Monica Barbaro (Top Gun Maverick) and Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman).In Forspoken, you control the agile, angry Frey (voiced by Ella Balinska), slinging elemental attacks (and f-bombs) at multiple monsters before leaping off a cliff face and swinging from a molten outcrop. Having somehow survived this strange phenomenon and armed with a magical sentient bracelet called ‘Cuff’, Frey now offers Athia a last beacon of hope and must harness her newfound magical abilities to save Athia and find her way home. Collaboration with: BANDAI NAMCO & SQUARE ENIXįorspoken puts players in the shoes of Frey Holland, an ordinary young woman who has been mysteriously transported to Athia, a fantastical land that is devastated by an unknown force known as the Break.
