Forspoken's much-anticipated launch is finally here, with the game set for release on January 24th. The title has had a long history of delays, with a potentially complex development process creating a lot of buzz over what might be in the works. Consumers are already purchasing the preorder of the title, but there is a lot more that potential Forspoken fans might need to know.
It's always vital to gather all the information before buying a game, and these facts will give a rundown of the most important narrative, design, and development details surrounding the single-player campaign. There are sure to be a lot more questions that cannot be answered until Forspoken's official arrival, but many of these important facts should only increase excitement.
The Development Team
Forspoken's publishing team is well worth a mention, considering the legacy of the company. The fact is, the game is being launched by Square Enix, which has a massive history within this genre thanks to their work on the Final Fantasy franchise. While there have been some missteps from Square Enix productions in recent years, Forspoken is in safe hands.
From a design perspective, Forspoken is being developed by Luminous Productions. The name might not be too familiar, but the Japanese studio is a subsidiary of Square Enix and previously worked on 2016's Final Fantasy XV, giving them much-needed experience in the field.
The Narrative Premise
Forspoken follows the young protagonist Frey Holland, who is transported from her home in New York through a mystical portal, into the fantasy land of Athia. The character is in over her head as she learns to combat the monsters of this world, attempting to find her way back to her original reality.
It's a hard-hitting concept that plays upon the tropes of the genre. Plenty of video games have produced narratives to rival cinema, and Forspoken's deep world-building and tense conflict involving the tyrannical and villainous Tantas, suggest that the story will become a major selling point of the game.
The Combat Style
Melee combat is one of the most vital aspects of any title and potential consumers need to know the facts surrounding Forspoken's fighting system. While a huge portion of the game is focused on the traveling mechanics which can influence the conflict, there is also a steep progression in the form of the magical capabilities of the protagonist.
According to PlayStation, Frey uses a range of elemental-based attacks throughout her monster-fighting journey. What is so exciting is the variation in the magic available, with spells featuring genuinely different capabilities, allowing the player to match them to the situation.
The Engine
Luminous Productions are bringing a unique flavor to the table. The Forspoken fact is, the game is actually running on their original gaming engine. First called Luminous Studio, the Luminous Engine is also how the studio developed Final Fantasy XV.
The Luminous Engine boasts some stellar features including real-time terrain generation for crisp environmental visuals, high-end next-gen graphical capabilities, an incredibly intense set of loading speeds, and lighting technology that truly benefits open-world design.
The Early Demo
For those considering diving into the world of Forspoken there is a crucial fact they need to know that might just give them a perfect preview. There is actually a demo of Forspoken already available, to get to grips with the basic controls and take a peek at the premise.
The demo isn't very big, but it has been released on PlayStation 5 right now and avoids all major story beats (per Demos have been hugely successful for the horror genre in the past and here it serves an excellent role in highlighting why this is a must-have experience.
Console Exclusivity
It's so vital to note that upon its launch, the fact is that Forspoken is only releasing on the PlayStation 5 as a console exclusive. The title has been designed to match the next-gen capabilities of the platform, with the title skipping over the PlayStation 4 altogether.
But there is some hope for PC fans. Despite the title not launching on Xbox, it will be available on Windows. Players can already preorder their copy of the game on Steam, with Square Enix ensuring that PC gamers will not be left out as they so often are.
The Graphics Modes
Graphically speaking Forspoken is already looking gorgeous due to that Luminous Engine (per EuroGamer). However, the demo has revealed some of the graphical options that might be available on the final format. The fact is there are actually a huge variety of looks to choose from.
Performance Mode, Ray Tracing Mode, and Quality Mode form the backbone of the different visual styles available. It's worth noting that the frame rate varies based on the choices made, but Forspoken does appear to be capable of delivering 4K storytelling and 120Hz output. Players will want to experiment with what look works best for them, based on FPS and resolution.
The Size Of The Title
One fact that many gamers are worried about is the sheer size of the game. When a new title is released, players around the world begin to explore their memory capacity, so that they are able to the title and free up much-needed space. Forspoken might cause quite a few issues.
The file size of Forspoken is 87.275 GB at launch (per Game Rant). That's certainly larger than the average title and will nod towards the advanced graphics and detailed open world that Frey will be journeying through within the narrative. The game will have to live up to the hype to warrant such size though.
The Pricing, Editions, & Bonuses
Price can be a factor that makes all the difference for someone looking to purchase a title and indeed whether it will turn out to be a flop from a major developer. All the pricing options have to be available, alongside what the consumer gets with each purchase. The standard game looks to be retailing around the $69.99. The Deluxe Edition retails at $94.99 and includes a Mini Artbook, Mini Soundtrack, and two prequel DLCs.
The preorder continues to sit at the $69.99 price, but with it comes further bonuses including a free steelbook case from Best Buy, a character card set from GameStop, No Limits Cloak, Symbol Combo Necklace, Trigger Happy Nails, and Crafting Starter Kit from the PlayStation Store and an Elite Cloak, Spectra Combo Necklace, and Overclock Nails from Steam.
The Release Date
Forspoken was originally scheduled to be released in May of 2022. That was then pushed back to October that same year. It was then delayed again to the final date which appears to now be the official release (per EuroGamer). Thus, the fact is, Forspoken releases on the 24th of January, 2023.
That gives players just enough time to still get that preorder bonus if they are looking to purchase the title ahead of its release. It is also worth noting that gamers can begin ing their preordered title on the 22nd, meaning they can leap straight into the action on the day itself.
