We’ve got a nice bit of information to work with on what this game is. If you’re excited for this brand new JRPG, here’s everything we know about Forspoken.
While Square Enix is most famous for its Final Fantasy series (and is currently working on the latest entry), a new JRPG project was shown off in June 2020 as a new title for the PlayStation 5 under the code name Project Athia. This new game caught many gamers’ eyes for the stunning visuals on display and the promise of a brand-new world from the esteemed JRPG developers. After the initial reveal, we didn’t get many details on this intriguing new project. All we knew was that the developer, Luminous Productions, was made up of many members of the Final Fantasy 15 team.
Now that more time has passed, new details and looks at this game have been revealed. One of the most important, of course, is the actual title of the game: Forspoken. Between the trailers, extended gameplay demos, and details given by the developers, we’ve got a nice bit of information to work with on what the story of this game is, how it will play, and when we will be able to get our hands on it. If you’re excited about this brand new JRPG experience, here’s everything we know about Forspoken.
After already suffering numerous delays, we were hit with one (hopefully) final delay. In a Tweet, we learned that the team behind the game is making the “strategic decision to move the launch date of Forspoken to January 24, 2023.”
They do state that all major elements of the game are done and that this extra time is just to polish the experience.
This game has been tied to Sony ever since it was first revealed, and Square Enix also has a long history with this platform holder, so Forspoken being a console exclusive was a safe assumption. By reading the fine print at the end of one trailer, we got all the important details. Yes, Forspoken will be a console exclusive for the PS5, but with some asterisks. First, it will also be coming to PC at the same time as confirmed during The Game Awards. Second, exclusivity is not permanent. The text states that it won’t be made available on the other platforms for at least 24 months from its release date. That’s a very long time to wait for a game if you’re looking forward to this game on an Xbox platform, but at least it isn’t a permanent exclusive.
The first real trailer from the PlayStation showcase is where we get the best look at what Forspoken really is, and boy is it something. This JRPG starts in the modern-day, introducing us to the main character, Frey Holland, looking to escape her life in the city. Thanks to some sort of portal, she has her wish granted, but perhaps not exactly as she wanted. Now stuck in this more traditional fantasy world called Athia, she is introduced to her talking cuffs that also grant her special powers.
Frey is on the verge of turning 21 when she is ripped from her world and tossed into the perils of Athia. She will need to contend with the evil forces of the new world if she wants to make it back home to her adorable cat.
It turns out that Frey is seen as the one who will rid the world of Athia of the monsters that plague it, as well as creatures known as the Tantas that assert control over the people living there. Leading the Tantas is someone named Tanta Sila, who will likely be the final boss Frey needs to overcome based on how she’s portrayed in the trailer.
The narrative of Forespoken has some big names behind it. Outside of the team within Luminous Productions, the writing team includes Gary Whitta, who was a writer on Star Wars: Rogue One, Prey, and many comic book runs, as well as Amy Hennig, who wrote the original Uncharted trilogy for NaughtyDog and Soul Reaver games.
