It's been well over a year since the PlayStation 5 launched and while there has been no major shortage of games to play thanks to the console's backwards compatibility features, many fans are still hungry for "true next-generation" experiences. While PlayStation has launched big titles such as Returnal and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, games that do take advantage of the PS5's unique features, third-parties have yet to fully catch up. This is looking likely to change soon, as Square Enix's newest IP, Forspoken, is launching within the first half of 2022. Now, the publisher has released some raw gameplay of Forspoken, and it's shaping up to be a true next-gen experience.
Forspoken was first announced during the PS5's initial "Future of Gaming" reveal event in June 2020 under the working title of "Project Athia." Developed by Final Fantasy 15 studio Luminous Productions, Forspoken is a third-person action RPG that is the first new AAA IP from Square Enix in many years. The game is aiming to appeal to both Japanese and western markets by featuring writing from the likes of Uncharted series writer Amy Hennig and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story screenwriter Gary Whitta. The main character, Frey, is being portrayed by Charlie's Angels actress Ella Balinksa. The game's score is also being composed by God of War composer Bear McCreary and BioShock composer Garry Schyman.
Despite all of the talent the developer has boasted approaching the game's release, and the promise of Luminous Productions following its work on Final Fantasy 15, very little gameplay has been revealed for Forspoken outside of brief glimpses during trailers. Square Enix has now released over four minutes of uncut Forspoken gameplay, which demonstrate the game's kinetic open-world traversal and customization options, including equipping Frey with various nail designs. Each design seems to include its own unique stat buffs.
One thing the trailer emphasizes more than anything else is that Forspoken is looking absolutely gorgeous, achieving a level of visual fidelity only available on next-generation platforms. This is likely due to the increased capabilities of the in-house Luminous Engine, the engine that fans have only seen power Final Fantasy 15 so far. Performance in the gameplay trailer seems somewhat unpolished, however, this is likely due to the fact that the game is still in development and will likely offer multiple performance modes as Final Fantasy 15 did once the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X launched.
Forspoken is shaping up to be one of the most exciting new IP launches of 2022, and hot off the heels of an impressive showing at The Game Awards 2021, it's easy to see why it's taken Luminous Productions so long to develop yet another visually stunning action RPG.
Forspoken will be released for PC and PlayStation 5 on May 24, 2022. The game will be a PS5 console exclusive for approximately two years.