In conjunction with IGN, publisher unveiled at PS5's reveal event as Project Athia, Forspoken is the first game from Luminous Productions - a team formed during production on Final Fantasy XV.
The publisher officially confirmed the Forspoken title earlier this year during its Square Enix Presents broadcast, a digital event that also teased the game's 2022 release window. In the many months since then, more details have surfaced about the action-RPG, including its May 2022 due date - Square Enix unleashed the latter bit of information at the 2021 Game Awards late last week. The adventure itself will allow players to assume the role of Freya Holland, a young woman who's transported from New York City to the fantastical land of Athia. While beauty and magic flow easily throughout the open-world setting, Freya will find that threats loom large across the sprawling landscape, as well. All of this and more has received a deeper dive thanks to newly released gameplay footage.
Square Enix and Luminous Productions partnered with IGN to showcase four minutes of brand-new gameplay footage from Forspoken running on PS5. The first minute or so shows Freya navigating a walled city, before racing to her new destination at high speeds. Viewers also get a glimpse at the open-world map and UI. Notably, the Interface section shows off the skill system, gear customization, and optional nail polish designs for Freya's fingernails. Forspoken's combat mechanics take center stage for a time, too, as Freya uses magical abilities to beat back a small horde of enemies. Check it all out in the video linked below:
The combat section of the gameplay trailer shows Freya firing off various projectiles and water-based attacks. She sets traps mid-battle as well, showing that players will have the option to mix and match the gameplay to their preferred style. Fortunately, these kinds of changes seem to happen on the fly, so s won't have to worry about constantly navigating in and out of menus when things get a little intense.
One thing that could grind the gears of some players is how often Freya speaks during combat encounters. Quipping like this isn't new, of course. Naughty Dog set the bar for this type of in-game commentary with Nathan Drake in Days Gone talked a little too much. Here's to hoping Luminous Productions is able to strike the right balance.
Forspoken is slated to release on May 24, 2022 for PC and PlayStation 5.
Source: IGN/YouTube
