Forspoken Previews Prove It's More Than a Meme Round Up 1

PS5 console exclusive Forspoken is not exactly having the best lead-up to launch as gamers dunk on it for questionable voice clips that have turned the entire thing into a bit of a meme. Still, there's more to it than just a script — even if that's relatively important as a story-focused title — and a new round of previews suggests there's something to the new title from Luminous Productions.

Unfortunately, we don't have any Hands On impressions of our own to share with you, but down below you shall find a selection of quotes from other outlets that have played the game. Rest assured, though: we'll have a lot of Square Enix coverage for you by the week's end.

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IGN - Forspoken Has a Lot More Going for It Than You Think

Forspoken is a lot more fun than I expected. It’s arguable its marketing campaign so far has actually done Forspoken a disservice by focusing on campy dialogue instead of what it’s doing best. Forspoken is actually an RPG lite with a very heavy emphasis on big, bombastic combat sequences that have an optional bonus challenge for try-hards like myself in a Devil May Cry-like combat rating system. Because of this misdirection, Forspoken surprised me with this focus on combat, roaming bosses to challenge, and a map filled with objectives to complete. I finished my demo excited to get better ratings in fights, and to see how this all ties into lead character Frey’s experiences in her fish out of water story.

GameSpot - Spider-Man's Movement and Combat with Magic

If you imagine Spider-Man, Marvel's super-agile superhero, slinging a variety of deadly magic spells rather than webs, you have a good idea of what it's like to play Forspoken. Square Enix's upcoming open-world action game puts equal emphasis on quick movement and bombarding your opponents with all manner of magic in an experience that's all about fast thinking, smart movement, and overwhelming force.

VG247- Say What You Like About Forspoken, It's an Exceptional Advert for the PS5

Yes, Forspoken feels like a game designed by committee, to a degree. But there’s a spark here, some soul embedded deep down in whatever this game is. I think it’s clear that there are elements of this game that have been through the wash in the process of the game’s long development, but the result is something likely to attract a small, loyal following — a game that could very well become one of the first cult hits of the PS5 era, if Square Enix sticks the landing.

TheGamer - Excellent Combat Held Back by a Terrible Personality

I am conflicted about Forspoken. Its combat is great, its parkour is mostly satisfying, and there is so much across its open world I’m eager to uncover. But all this builds upon the foundation of a narrative and characters that so far I have nothing but derision for. The writing isn’t good, there is no beating around the bush about it. Even when I put aside the cringey dialogue, it is teasing a fish out of water storyline we’ve seen explored for decades now, and its misplaced assumptions about modern youth and what it means to be cool and rebellious in spite of your own existence is misplaced at best, and downright disrespectful at worst. It is a focus-tested homunculus of a game nobody asked for or even wanted to make.

Forspoken launches for PS5 on 24th January 2023. What do you make of these previews? Share your thoughts in the comments below.