At today’s PlayStation Showcase 2021, Square Enix revealed more about its upcoming Forspoken game via a new gameplay and story trailer. The new IP will feature a mix of magic-infused combat and swift, dynamic movement perhaps like that we know from Assassin’s Creed, God of War, Sekiro, and such. In addition to sharing more information about the story, characters, and inspiration, a spring 2022 release window was finally announced.
Forspoken is about the story of Frey Holland, a young woman who grew up on the streets of New York where she had to learn to persevere. The premise of the story is simple enough: she is unexplainedly ripped from her dreary urban existence and dropped into a mysterious fantasy world where she must create a new life. Of course, no good fantasy setting would be complete without mythical creatures and a healthy dose of magic. Frey herself gets to use some newfound powers as well. Based upon what we’ve seen of the combat, the magic should be quite engaging and fun to use.
Today’s gameplay trailer for Forspoken also introduced us to more about what the story will contain. Upon entering the fantasy realm of Athia, she is introduced to a companion named Cuff, which is literally a magical, sentient wristband, also known as a medieval smart watch I suppose. Together, they will unravel her mysterious appearance in the realm of Athia, with the eventual goal of taking on a mad monarch named Tanta Sila.
All-star talent
In addition to revealing more about the game itself, we also learned more about the people behind it. There’s a long list of heavy-hitters involved in the making of this title, including Hollywood actors. For starters, the conceptual design includes contributions from Gary Whitta (Star Wars: Rogue One) and Amy Hennig (the Uncharted series) with writers Allison Rymer (Shadowhunters) and Todd Stashwick (Devil Inside) responsible for the bulk of the narrative details.
Acting talent (including their respective roles) includes Janina Gavankar (Frey), Jonathan Cake (Cuff), Keala Settle (Johedy), and Monica Barbaro (Auden). In the composer department, there are also two big names. Both Bear McCreary (God of War 2018) and Garry Schyman (Bioshock series) are on the project.
A new big hit?
Square Enix first introduced us to its “Project Athia” IP last summer and has revealed more bits and pieces about the project since then. Today marked the first substantial reveal for what to expect from the story though, and more info is sure to come in the months ahead as the hype builds. We’ll have to see how things all come together, but the latest gameplay trailer for Forspoken looks promising and the talent behind it sounds rock solid.
If you’d like to learn a little more about the game, head over to Square Enix’s blog to read on.
