Forspoken is one of the first AAA open-world games launching in 2023, so there is a lot of pressure on it. One of the complaints thus far is that Frey’s dialogue is overly consistent and unappealing. Although Forspoken is the game currently receiving this criticism, it is not the only one to suffer from this problem. In Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy can also be quite chatty, and while it assists with character-building, it can grow to be annoying.
A Forspoken demo let players get a taste of what’s to come and so far, and the game has potential. The demo also revealed the Cuff chatter feature which will allow players to adjust how much talking goes on between Frey and her talking bangle. This is a great feature and more games should implement it, including titles in Guerrilla Games' Horizon franchise.
Forspoken Lets Gamers Turn Down the Chatter
Forspoken has been on the minds of gamers for a long time thanks to the big marketing campaign it has received. The game is graphically impressive, and Athia looks like a genuinely exciting fantasy land to explore. Furthermore, the developers have done a good job thus far with the enemies known as Tantas, who all seem like interesting antagonists that will each have their own themes. Nevertheless, there is one aspect of the game that has received criticism and ridicule – the dialogue.
While Frey is out exploring Athia, she can constantly be heard talking to her bangle named Cuff. Much of what she says is sarcastic and cheesy, with her having clichéd reactions to the discovery of magic and dragons. The hate isn’t unanimous, however, and some gamers find it to be charming. Either way, as seen with the Forspoken demo released in December 2022, players can choose how much chatter they want between Frey and Cuff. Those who enjoy listening to Frey’s comments can let them chat away while players who find it annoying can turn it down.
Other Games Could Use Forspoken’s Feature
Although Forspoken has been the recipient of most of the memes and criticisms, it is far from the only game that features an excessively talking protagonist. Notably, Aloy of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise constantly talks to herself as she explores the wild and hunts down machines. Similarly, Deacon St. John from Days Gone is always talking to himself as he slowly loses his mind in a post-apocalyptic version of Oregon. In some scenarios, this annoyingly plays out with characters giving hints and clues about puzzles while players are busy solving them. God of War Ragnarok is particularly guilty of this, as Atreus and Mimir are likely to say something helpful if players take too long with an environmental puzzle, robbing players of the chance to figure things out themselves.
More games should learn from Forspoken and let gamers adjust how much chatter they want in the background. For some gamers, conversations between characters build the narrative and increase immersion. However, other gamers would prefer a quieter experience, especially for replays when they are familiar with the plot already. Furthermore, players may not like how the chatter is implemented, as the prior examples reveal that it can feel excessive at times, or it can ruin a good puzzle.
The Forspoken demo reveals a somewhat confusing UI, though the gameplay feels smooth and impactful whenever Frey strikes an enemy with a spell. It is also visually impressive, and Athia looks like it will serve as a great backdrop for a fun fantasy story. Gamers won’t have to wait much longer before they can explore it, and when they do they will be able to decide just how chatty Frey is.
Forspoken is set to release on January 24, on PC and PS5.
