Like most other modern action-adventure games, Forspoken begins with a tutorial chapter of sorts, which serves not only to introduce the game's protagonist Frey, but also to teach players how to control her basic movements. As one might expect from a tutorial section, Chapter 1 starts out at a pretty slow pace but ends with a bit of a bang.
Those hoping to complete the chapter in a single sitting should set aside around 25 minutes to do so. There are no side missions or collectibles in Chapter 1 of Forspoken, so it's unlikely that players will need much more time than this. In fact, the game holds the player's hand so tightly that completing Attachments is pretty much a formality.
The Court Hearing
Forspoken begins with a court hearing in which the protagonist Frey finds herself standing before a judge. There's very little for players to do here other than read the three documents on the desk in front of Frey, which provide a bit more information about her checkered past. Eventually, after a few more cutscenes and a fair amount of talking, the judge will let Frey off with a stern warning and a slap on the wrist, after which, players will find themselves on the streets of New York City.
The Streets of Hell's Kitchen
Once outside the courthouse, players should follow the markers to their right. If they stray too far from the beaten path, the game will automatically force them back onto it, making attempts to explore the area here rather pointless. By continuing to follow the quest markers, Frey will soon come to a group of thugs and will need to use her awesome parkour skills in order to escape. Sadly, this is all done automatically, with players given no say in how events unfold.
Eventually, players will find themselves in an alleyway and will need to run from the pursuing gang, as getting too close to them will result in a game over. To avoid getting caught, players will need to push the left analog stick in to run and press the X (PlayStation) or A (Xbox) button whenever they need to jump. After running down a few more alleyways and dodging all of the thugs, players will be able to access Frey's apartment by approaching the fire escape ladder and pressing either the Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) button.
Frey's Apartment
The objective changes once players are inside Frey's apartment, with players tasked with finding her cat Homer. Before they can do so, however, they'll first need to examine the copy of Alice in Wonderland on the table, the cat food on the kitchen counter, the sneakers on the shelf to the left of the bedroom door, and the shoebox in the corner opposite the kitchen counter. They'll then be able to check out the bag full of money in the bedroom closet, after which, they can find Homer simply by leaving the bedroom.
Upon finding Homer, Frey will decide to go to sleep but soon awakens to find her apartment completely ablaze. Though it's possible to interact with the bag of money, Frey won't pick it up until after she's found Homer. Thankfully, the cute little kitty is alive and well under the kitchen counter, but by the time Frey has found her, the bedroom will be completely engulfed in flames and the money along with it. At this point, all that's left to do is leave the apartment, which can be done by interacting with the mattress by the window.
The Mysterious Cuff
With her escape plan now in tatters and her home burned to the ground, Frey takes Homer to Judge Bird and then disappears into the night to reflect on her situation. She ends up sitting atop a neon sign somewhere in the city when a weird light grabs her attention and guides it toward a rundown building down beneath her. After regaining control, players should climb down the ladder and head over to the building's window, through which they'll see a mysterious golden cuff sitting on a table.
To get inside the building, players should head to the right of the window and use the nearby dumpster to climb up to the open door on the floor above. Once inside, players can head down the stairs and get a closer look at the cuff by pressing either the Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) button. Doing so will trigger another cutscene and the end of the game's first chapter. Players will then get a chance to save the game, after which, they'll find themselves in Chapter 2 of Forspoken, Stuck.
Forspoken is available now on PS5 and PC.