“We worked closely with a number of consultants from BIPOC backgrounds to help portray Frey’s character and tell the story from her perspective,” Square Enix said in the FAQ, adding that Forspoken’s supporting cast was “dominated by women and several women of color.” Sadly, its answer came off as a canned response that leaned heavily on the hands-off preview where Balinska’s “passionate” feedback throughout her motion capture process was regarded as “invaluable feedback” for the team. (Later on, he received an FAQ sheet that rounded up our media questions. When Axios’ Stephen Totilo asked if there were any Black developers or consultants involved with Forspoken in Square Enix’s video chat, he didn’t receive an answer during our preview. I wasn’t the only journalist to find Stashwick’s awkward remark and the lack of Black writers shown in our preview as harrowing. The cherry on top of my newfound dread was motion capture and voice over director Tom Keegan describing Balinska’s mannerisms during her motion capture performance as having a “very hip-hoppy kind of walk.” Those stereotypes included her “being very angry,” her having “fallen through cracks of society,” and being “on the verge of prison,” before being teleported to Athia. There’s a lot of potential in both Frey’s character and Athia’s lore that could make for more exciting stories.My newfound fears weren’t helped when Rymer and Stashwick described Frey’s origin story, which came off as a tired amalgamation of Black stereotypes. The dialogue between her and Cuff is witty and memorable, and there’s incredible attention to detail in Athia’s world and history through the game’s many collectibles. Still, Frey’s voice actor, Ella Balinska, did a great job of portraying her.ĭespite its pacing flaws, “Forspoken” is a fun adventure, and the developers nailed the minute-to-minute gameplay with Frey’s parkour abilities and magic spells. This was a missed opportunity to provide another layer of authenticity to Frey that someone from a similar background could have provided. It’s also odd that Forspoken’s writing team didn’t consist of any black writers. While it feels unintentional, the situation comes off a bit tone-deaf considering Frey is a black woman in the United States. One of the game’s opening scenes depicts Frey in a courtroom with a judge reading aloud her criminal record. One aspect to note about Forspoken is Frey herself. As she takes down each Tanta, she gains access to new traversal abilities, including being able to slide across bodies of water - exploring Athia is just simply fun. Athia’s vast and gorgeous-looking landscapes are easier to take in because of Frey’s speed boost when parkouring. Frey can maneuver her way through Athia’s rocky terrain like a flowing river and it feels absolutely exhilarating. What makes Forspoken stand out amongst its other AAA open-world peers, however, is its excellent traversal mechanics. “Forspoken’s” action feels like a glimpse of what players could expect from the upcoming “Final Fantasy XVI.” Not to mention, the spells look breathtaking as lightning rains down and illuminates the battlefield. There’s an incredible variety of different attacks for Frey to switch between at any moment, so fighting never feels stale. Frey can shoot rocks at flying enemies, cut them down with a flaming sword, and mow them down with a flurry of water arrows. The combat is one of the most fun parts of “Forspoken.” The real-time system from “Final Fantasy XV” puts a bigger emphasis on magic here. From there, the game’s story unfolds like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” in which Frey must take the Tantas down to collect their remaining elemental powers, while also finding a way back home to New York. The Break is being spread by the four Tantas, once benevolent rulers who’ve gone mad from it. Athia is under threat by something called the Break, which turns people into violent monsters - and Frey is the only one seemingly unaffected by its exposure. When Frey steps into Athia, she meets Cuff, a magical bracelet that imbues her with elemental powers to defend herself. However, there remains some room for improvement in its supporting cast and pacing. “Forspoken” feels fluid to play and has gorgeous visuals to support its open-world structure. What comes after is a journey of self-discovery, finding her place in the world, and lots of parkour. What if you took the gameplay of modern-day “Final Fantasy” and combined it with the exploration of “Horizon Zero Dawn?” You’d get something like “ Forspoken.” The game follows a young woman named Frey from New York as she suddenly gets whisked away into a new world called Athia, filled with magic and dragons.
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