On March 9, Sony held a State of Play event that showcased some upcoming titles for gamers to look forward to. Highlights from the event include Ghostwire: Tokyo receiving yet another trailer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection from Konami launching in 2022, and Trek to Yomi, which is sure to please all samurai nerds. It was also revealed that Returnal will receive free DLC in the form of "Ascension," which features a co-op mode and a survival mode called the Tower of Sisyphus. Not all news was exciting, though, as it was confirmed once again that Forspoken has been delayed until October 11.
In a Twitter post released the day before the State of Play event, Forspoken's development team stated that the delay was necessary for them to polish the game. While the extended waiting time might be disappointing to gamers, it may actually be a blessing in disguise for Forspoken, especially in light of Babylon's Fall's reception.
What is Forspoken?
Forspoken is an action RPG created by Luminous Productions, a team composed of many of the same people responsible for Final Fantasy 15. Other big names working on the IP include Amy Hennig of the Uncharted series and Gary Whitta who co-wrote After Earth with M. Night Shyamalan.
The game stars a young woman named Frey Holland who grows up in New York. She lives with a cat, and life is not always good for her, but she learns how to deal with things through grit and sarcasm. Just before she turns 21, she is ripped out of normal life and thrown into the magical realm of Athia, a land ruled by powerful matriarchs called Tantas. The strongest Tanta is Tanta Sila, and she has grown mad with power.
Frey discovers she has magical powers, and she uses them to try and get back home. However, even with magic, Athia proves to be a dangerous place. Fortunately, she does get help from a few places, including her talking bangle named Cuff, Johedy the archivist, and a kind woman named Auden.
Why is Forspoken's Delay Good?
Luminous Productions and Square Enix have done a good job of keeping Forspoken under wraps. However, gamers have been treated to a few gameplay videos. It is clear that traversal is an important aspect of the game, and Frey will be able to speed across the map using her magical abilities. She is able to leap from great heights and surf on water, and Frey will also use her magic abilities to defeat the monsters she comes across. Her magic attacks include the ability to shoot bullet-like projectiles from her hands and send out powerful shockwaves.
While Forspoken's gameplay looks promising, and Frey is an interesting character, what has been shown of the open-world does not look too appealing. Although it appears to be expansive, the map also looks quite empty, which could be a recipe for a very boring experience. Furthermore, the studio has yet to show much variety in Athia's environments, which is concerning. Vast, open plains and rocky, mountainous terrain may look pretty the first time around, but after a while, it does get monotonous. The settlements fail to impress, too. NPCs barely react to Frey's presence, making them feel like decorations rather than living individuals.
A few months of delay may be just what Forspoken needs to ensure it is the best game it can be. The gameplay does not appear to be disappointing, but the developers could use the extra time to populate the game's world, add more environmental variety, and make Athia more interesting to explore. They could also use the time improving the AI of the NPCs to make them more reactive to Frey. This would go a long way to making Forspoken feel more immersive.
In light of recent open-world games like Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring, which feature open-worlds filled with a variety of environments for players to explore and a host of unique activities that ensure players never get bored, the bar has certainly been lifted for open-world games. Forspoken will have to meet those heightened expectations if it wishes to gain the attention of gamers.
Forspoken Can Learn From Babylon's Fall
Another game published by Square Enix, titled Babylon's Fall, might have fared better commercially and critically had it spent more time in the oven before being served. It was released on March 3, and the PS5 version of the game currently sits with a score of 40 on Metacritic, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. While critics acknowledge that it has well-designed bosses and a great soundtrack, it is all overshadowed by its unpolished presentation, bland dungeon design, and poor visuals.
The downfall of Babylon's Fall could have been avoided with a little more development time. Following closed beta tests in July and August 2021, players complained that the visuals were unbearably blurry. The development studio, PlatinumGames, announced that it would be working on the visuals, but upon release, critics still complained about illegible visuals. With some extra development time, the problem could have been fully solved. Babylon's Fall being framed as a game-as-a-service could have also truncated development time, leaving developers to believe that any issues could be mended in the future with updates.
With the immense promise that Forspoken shows, it would be a pity if it winds up a failure due to a lack of polish or poorly designed environments. Should all its elements be crafted to perfection, Forspoken has the potential to be lucrative IP, and Athia could be the next open world that players get excited to explore and conquer. Although gamers will have to wait a few more months to play Forspoken, it may ultimately be worth it if it means that gamers will ultimately get a better game at the end of it. Whether Babylon's Fall triggered the delay or not, Luminous Productions are surely looking at its critical reception and working hard to ensure Forspoken does not meet the same fate.
Forspoken is set to release on October 11, 2022, on PC and PS5.
