Although it recently faced a significant delay, Forspoken is still expected to release in 2022. The game, developed by Luminous Productions, follows the story of a young woman named Frey Holland who grows up in New York. Her life is far from glamorous, and her biting sarcasm reveals she is someone who has learned to laugh off life's hardships. Frey's life is forever changed when she is transported to the magical world of Athia where she must master magic and defeat terrifying monsters if she hopes to ever return home.
Early Forspoken trailers depict Athia as a land that is rife with dangers and plenty of fantasy elements. While the new world will certainly feel foreign to Frey at first, it is likely that it may end up feeling like home, and although she may be eager to return to New York, she may end up discovering that she finds more belonging in Athia.
Forspoken Falls in the Isekai Genre
Although Forspoken promises to bring many new elements, including a unique traversal system for Frey to zip through Athia at high speeds, the basic premise makes use of a tried and tested formula. Isekai is a Japanese fantasy genre that typically involves a hero or heroine who is transported to another world, usually through a portal. The other world can take place in a different time period, but it is always extremely different from their normal reality. In modern times, the term has been applied to Western media that use the same format.
One of the most popular Japanese examples of isekai is the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away which features a young girl who accidentally wanders into a strange world filled with creatures that stretch one's imagination. The popular Harry Potter series can also be categorized as isekai, as Harry travels through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, which serves as a portal to the wizarding world. As Harry Potter illustrates, for many heroes, the world they are transported to is a more fitting one. Although Harry is miserable in his regular life where he lives with the abusive Dursleys, in the wizarding world, Harry is enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he makes lifelong friends, discovers his talents with Quidditch, and finds belonging among his fellow Gryffindors.
Frey Is Not Happy in New York
New York City has not been kind to Frey, who is voiced by Ella Balinska. As Luminous Productions has revealed in a blog post, Frey's rough upbringing has forced her to become street smart and build up resilience. Her grittiness has been showcased in trailers, where she curses freely and refuses to back down from any challenge. Although Frey has been able to survive her environment, she certainly has not enjoyed doing it, which is why Forspoken may turn Athia into her true home.
It has already been revealed that Athia is a place where Frey will make many friends. Accompanying her on her adventure is Cuff the talking bracelet who helps her navigate Athia. Frey will also cross paths with Johedy, who is an archivist that offers her guidance, and Auden, who is a kind woman that quickly accepts and believes in Frey. With good friends at her side, it will be easy for Frey to find a sense of belonging and companionship that she never experienced back in New York City.
Frey will need all the help she can get, because Athia is teeming with danger. She will have to face evil matriarchs known as Tantas who rule over the fantasy land. If she is able to defeat them, however, Athia may become a place more inviting to her than the streets of New York ever were.
Forspoken is scheduled to release on October 11, 2022 for PC and PS5.
