A slog (ironic given the type of traversal mechanics employed) capped off with a narrative and writing core that can only be described as tonal whiplash. It’s everything in-between that ends up souring the experience. But that’s possibly the most crushing disappointment coming away from a game desiring little more than around 15 – 18 hours of your time to reach end credits, side-quests includedįorspoken is a game - a new IP on top - with glimpses of what could’ve been and in all likelihood should’ve been. Moments that have you begging for further fleshing out but may well find themselves relegated to fleeting spots of “neat” from time to time. In its defense, Luminous Productions’ debut outing away from the established brand of Final Fantasy isn’t without momentary pluses. Both technically - so far as how Forspoken aims to render a brand new, presumably inviting, fantastical world to discover - and as has become the unwanted if not entirely unwarranted “star” of the lead-up: its writing. Notable enough as it is in one part to find a game that feels unfinished and yet paradoxically realized through, it’s another to somewhat confirm many’s fears regarding the performance.
You’ve probably figured it out already with where I’m going with this, so let’s get it out of the way: Forspoken isn’t good. Would it shock you to hear I held out hope that something like Babylon’s Fall would prove such creeping pessimism wrong? Alas, there comes a time when even one’s lowered expectations created in part by the initial hands-on and glimpses of marketed material preceding it isn’t enough.
And while it’s easy to proclaim the figurative writing was on the wall for ill-fated projects in years past, caution should stand as an accompaniment rather than an overruling feeling going into any release. To reiterate on a point touched upon in the closing segments of one’s time with the public demo last month: no one wishes a game comes out bad.