So how does Forspoken actually play?
You’ve seen Frey Holland do some spectacular moves, but how do they work in the game itself? We take you through the basics of Forspoken!We’ve previously shown you the world of Athia and introduced you to Frey Holland - the woman who’s out to save it. Even so, some of you may be wondering: how does the game actually play?
Our new extended gameplay trailer helps answer that question. It takes you through a mission in the game, shows you the magic-enhanced parkour system in action, and introduces you to the spectacular and flexible combat system.
Take a look:
Awesome stuff, right? Want to know more? Read on, and we’ll highlight some of the coolest parts of the video - and explain what exactly is going on.
Cipal
The new gameplay trailer gives you a close look at somewhere pretty important: Cipal.
This settlement is the last remaining haven for the surviving Athians, who take refuge her from the all-corrupting Break. It’s a key location in the game, providing a safe space for Frey to take a breath and prepare herself for the rigors of the corrupted world outside.
This area contains many residents who’ll will share information with Frey or trade with her for valuable goods. Plus there are cats!
Some of the fascinating characters in Cipal will also give Frey quests to complete. The footage introduces you to Johedy - a former blacksmith, now turned archivist. Frey hits her up to ask about the special odvaha ore she’s found out on her travels - but Johedy needs tools to help her out- and they’re not in a safe place.
Frey needs to head into the corrupted area of Praenost to collect what she needs. It’s a dangerous journey that most wouldn’t survive… and a perfect opportunity to showcase a few of Frey’s skills.
Traversing the wilds
The trailer also gives you an extended look at traversal in Forspoken.
Athia may be a savage and inhospitable place, but for Frey it’s a playground. Her magic-enhanced parkour skills make even the most challenging terrain an opportunity for awesomeness, as she uses her ever-expanding moveset, and the environment itself to get around with style
The parkour system in Forspoken is easy to use, yet incredibly deep. It’s not just a simple case of holding down a button and watching Frey go - you have total control over how she traverses the world.
For example, Frey can jump up walls, latch onto parts of the environment to launch or swing herself into the air, pull herself forward mid-air, use her powers to glide and much more. By chaining different moves together, you can ‘flow’ through the world with astonishing grace - it’s supremely satisfying.
It’s worth experimenting with the parkour system, too, because Athia is full of secrets to find and rewards to uncover. You’ll find chests containing valuable resources, mana to learn new skills, lore about the world and its inhabitants, new equipment and much more.
If you need a bit of guidance, Belfries are great for giving Frey the lay of the land. These structures are found all throughout Athia and allow Frey and Cuff to see nearby points of interest.
It’s always worth checking out a Belfry in case there’s something fun nearby, Sure, you could straight to head to your objective and find those tools but… a little diversion couldn’t hurt.
I mean, it’s more time to play with the parkour, right?
Crafting and upgrading
Cipal isn’t the only place for Frey to take a break - Pilgrim’s Refuges are located in every part of Athia, and they’re well worth seeking out.
These structures provide a safe place where you can craft and upgrade your gear. For example, you can add powerful effects to cloaks and necklaces or craft new healing drafts.
Naturally, crafting and upgrading requires resources, which you can find by exploring the world, finding chests and completing missions. But it’s well worth doing, because the stronger you are, the more chance you have of surviving an encounter with some of the… less friendly inhabitants of Athia.
Speaking of which...
Combat
Frey may be resistant to the blight that’s swept the land, but she’s not immune to those it’s corrupted. As you explore this expansive world, you’ll encounter mutated creatures of all shapes and size, all with one thing in common: they’re out for blood.
Fortunately, Frey can learn a wide variety of powers to help her in combat - attack magic, support magic and more. You can create traps, manipulate enemies, charge area of effect attacks, heal yourself and loads more beyond - to call her abilities versatile would be an understatement!
For example, in the new gameplay trailer, you can see how Frey mixes and matches different attacks to cut a swathe through enemies. She uses Charge to get in close, hits enemies up close with Slice, before finishing with Blast Slice - an explosive area of effect attack!
Later, we see her pepper foes with Darts, which do damage and mark enemies, before switching to Pulse Darts to take down those marked foes with a spectacular finish.
Just as with the parkour, combat in Forspoken rewards player expression . You have an expansive and flexible toolset, and it’s up to you how you want to use it. Do you want to fight in a controlled frenzy and unleash a barrage of quick-fire spells, or take a more methodical approach, using traps, precision attacks and taking advantage of enemy weaknesses to eliminate targets?
And don’t forget your parkour powers in battle - by combining traversal and combat moves, Frey can run rings around opponents. You can evade enemy assaults, get better angles of attack, perfectly position yourself for powerful strikes and more.
The game gives you the freedom to be strategic or impulsive and build your own playstyle - and no two fights are ever alike!
We hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into Forspoken. Of course, this is barely scraping the surface of what you’ll experience in the full game!
That releases simultaneously on PS5 and PC (via STEAM®, Epic Games Store or Microsoft Store) on January 24, 2023, and is available to pre-order now:
We’ll have much more to share about the game in the coming months, so make sure you follow Forspoken on social media to see news and updates!