FORSPOKEN | Review Thread

[John Elden Ring]

Thread will be updated when reviews drop.

Game Information​

Game Title: FORSPOKEN

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (January 25, 2023)
• PC (January 25, 2023)
• Xbox Series X|S (TBA)

Trailer:

• Forspoken - Cinematic Trailer - YouTube​

• Forspoken - 10-Minute Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games​

• Forspoken - Launch Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube​

• Forspoken Gameplay - PlayStation Showcase 2021 - YouTube​

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic: 70/100 - 31% Recommended:

MetaCritic: 67/100:

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Critic Reviews:

ACG - Jeremy Penter - Rent

"Forspoken comes out of the leaping into 2023 and falls flat on its face with boring combat and a terrible main protagonist."

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Atomix - Sebastian Quiroz - Spanish - 85 / 100

Forspoken manages to stand out for its fantastic combat system and spectacular exploration in its open world. However, it clearly could have been better in other areas.

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Attack of the Fanboy - Noah Nelson - 2.5 / 5

Forspoken fails to impress in several ways. Almost every good aspect of the game has a negative flip side. Though Forspoken isn't a bad game, the problems it does have hold it back from being great. All in all, Forspoken is just okay.

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But Why Tho? - Quinn Hiers - 7 / 10

Forspoken isn’t without its hiccups…Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time with Forspoken’s focal storyline…The relationship between the two main characters never ceases to entertain, and the gameplay is enjoyable.

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CGMagazine - Chris De Hoog - 8.5 / 10

Forspoken feels like a breath of fresh air for open-world adventures with its stylish engine, but is held back by pacing and other foibles.

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COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 70 / 100

Forspoken is ambitious, and there are hints of a winning formula.

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Chicas Gamers - Estela Villa - Spanish - Unscored

Forspoken is a semi-open world RPG that will invite us to explore Athia with Frey, a New Yorker who will have to fix that place in order to return to hers. Making good use of DualSense and with a fun combat system once we have access to the entire set of spells, Forspoken tells us an interesting story with some plot twist and different endings. After finishing the game we can extend our experience if we want to fully explore Athia thanks to new missions. Despite what it promised, the game suffers from having a very fair graphic section for the current generation and a world that is emptier than it should be.

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ComingSoon.net - Michael Leri - 5 / 10

Frey may “do magic” and “kill jacked-up beasts,” but she can’t overcome the mediocrity that surrounds her and spills out of her mouth at nearly every turn.

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Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 3.5 / 5

Forspoken takes too long to get started due to a poorly paced story, but its dazzling spellcasting and parkour traversal will reward patient players.

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Easy Allies - Michael Damiani - 8 / 10

Forspoken emerges as a solid new RPG, and though it has its fair share of issues, its world draws you in with intriguing combat and spellbinding abilities.

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Eurogamer - Henry Stockdale - No Recommendation

Forspoken takes it time to get over a wobbly start, but there's something worthwhile here amongst the noise.

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Everyeye.it - Antonello "Kirito" Bello - Italian - 8 / 10

Quote not yet available

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Game Informer - Kyle Hilliard - 7.5 / 10

Forspoken's story and combat fail to reach the heights of its movement and exploration, but thankfully those two latter elements make up most of the experience.

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Game Rant - Anthony Taormina - 3 / 5

Forspoken promises an intriguing world with a deep magic combat system, but it struggles in presentation and execution.

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GameSkinny - David Restrepo - 6 / 10

Into the Frey.

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GameSpot - Jordan Ramée - 5 / 10

Forspoken is visually stimulating and a musical delight, but boring combat, poor characterization, and loose movement mechanics make for a mediocre experience.

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GameXplain - Liked

Video Review - Quote not available​

GamesRadar+ - Rollin Bishop - 2.5 / 5

"Barring a few rare setpieces, Forspoken seems to prefer to tell rather than show"

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Gaming Nexus - Joseph Moorer - 9.5 / 10

Forspoken is absolutely fantastic. With all the spells you can unlock, the gear you can upgrade, the fights, the bosses, and a storyline that rivals the best video game stories, this isn't a return to form for SquareEnix, it's a testament that they still got it, and will have it for a very, very long time.

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GamingBolt - Shunal Doke - 7 / 10

Rather than letting its awful story simply be a good excuse for its excellent gameplay, Forspoken insists on constantly interrupting your fun to throw some truly bad exposition your way. Forspoken's character building and lore are a disaster but it manages to make it up with its incredible combat and traversal mechanics.

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GamingTrend - David Flynn - 90 / 100

Forspoken is an incredible title. Although the story suffers from being a bit too generic, the gameplay is inventive, magical, and an absolute blast. This is a game I'll come back to again and again just to move around and exist in the fascinating fantasy world. Forspoken is an exciting leap forward for action games, and I can't get enough of it.

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Hardcore Gamer - Jordan Helm - 2 / 5

Where Forspoken should've been a striking and appealing fresh start for Luminous Productions, the end result sadly is a game not only bland and unpolished, but deprived of a reason to care for its unfolding mystery.

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Hobby Consolas - Alberto Lloret - Spanish - 80 / 100

Forspoken it's not the next gen game that we're waiting for, but it's not as bad as some found in the demo. It has its share of elements to improve, starting with the script, but it makes combat and traverse very fresh and enjoyable, in a world full of things to do, that invites to keep playing even after watching the ending credits.

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IGN - Tom Marks - 6 / 10

Forspoken’s flashy combat and parkour can be fun, but they aren’t enough to make its cliche story and barebones open world very interesting to explore.

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Inverse - Hayes Madsen - 7 / 10

Forspoken is vibrant, experimental, and undercooked all at once. It feels like a throwback to the Xbox 360-era of Square Enix games that were weird and experimental, like The Last Remnant and Infinite Undiscovery, only with a much bigger budget and flashier visuals. Its traversal and combat mechanics shine, but they’re trapped underneath a story and setting that feels painfully average and completely unwilling to engage with more challenging themes.

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MMORPG.com - Joseph Bradford - 6.5 / 10

In the end, Forspoken is okay, with its world, parkour, and combat as its high points.

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PSX Brasil - Thiago de Alencar Moura - Portuguese - 80 / 100

Forspoken is a unique game, with a very distinct gameplay, setting and story that compose a very fun and interesting experience. It suffers with its short duration, problemactic camera, lack of variety in side missions and it needs a few adjustments to its gameplay, but its one of the most beautiful games on the PS5 so far and a title that deserves everyone's attention.

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Polygon - Grayson Morley - Unscored

Forspoken’s opening hours are by far its worst. It took me 16 hours to complete the game, taking in a fair bit of the side offerings in this open-world action RPG, being careful not to sprint too quickly toward the game’s conclusion, though the temptation was there.

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Press Start - James Mitchell - 7.5 / 10

Forspoken offers a unique and thrilling experience with its impressive combat and smooth traversal mechanics. The story and open world may fall victim to the pitfalls of its genre and the largely formulaic side quest design only shines occasionally, but it's an overall satisfying and well-crafted action RPG with fast-paced and energetic gameplay.

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Prima Games - Jesse Vitelli - 8 / 100

The best way to describe Forspoken is like good RPG junk food. You know there are better options out there, but you’re going to finish the whole bag and think about it later.

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RPG Fan - Izzy Parsons - 80%

The delightful tools you have at your disposal to explore this dazzling world make every moment spent in Athia worth it.

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Screen Rant - Kyle Gratton - 3.5 / 5

Forspoken is sprawling, awing in its scale, and a treat to look at, and while the gameplay is snappy and engaging, it's not necessarily impressive enough to completely distract from haphazard discussions with NPCs and a narrative that should have been given more space.

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Shacknews - Ozzie Mejia - 6 / 10

Forspoken's magical parkour system has a lot of potential and can be fun. It offers a novel means of traversal, if nothing else. However, the combat and the vast world aren't enough for me to overlook many of Forspoken's other issues, which mainly start with Frey Holland herself.

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Sirus Gaming - 6 / 10

It is apparent that Forspoken has potential. There are highs and lows but it seems like the latter is more obvious. Unfortunately, despite the fact that a demo was released in December to solicit feedback from players, the game has not improved. Despite the ample amount of delay, the game has failed to deliver the quality that we expect from a large publisher like Square Enix. Yes, it is playable, but if you can ignore the flaws and focus solely on the unique blend of story and great traverse mechanic, it will make your time in Athia worthwhile.

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Spaziogames - Silvio Mazzitelli - Italian - 8 / 10

Despite feeling like an open world from a previous era because of its structure, Forspoken it's pretty enjoyable thanks to its combat and exploration systems, that make it feel unique and spectacular.

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TechRaptor - Dan Rockwood - 8 / 10

Forspoken offers an engaging story and fluid traversal mechanics that make the act of exploring the world and upgrading Frey's magical abilities an absolute delight.

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The Outerhaven Productions - Kyle Simcox - 2 / 5

Forspoken is a bland experience about a girl and her cuff trying to save a world blanketed in corrupting mists. It tries to do a lot of things but doesn't ever really do any one thing well.

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TheGamer - Ryan Thomas Bamsey - 3.5 / 5

Forspoken is a clunky game with awkward dialogue and characterisation, but the gameplay shines bright.

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TheSixthAxis - Aran Suddi - 6 / 10

Forspoken was once one of the big reveals for the PS5 in 2020, but aside from using the SSD for open world magical parkour and the ultra quick fast travel, it is difficult to really see how it takes advantage of the latest console generation. The world of Athia looks good, and the combat full of flashy magic, but there's no major side quests to divert from repetitive activities and a predictable main story.

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Tom's Guide - Tony Polanco - 3 / 5

Yes, the gameplay is solid and the visuals can be intriguing. The core narrative also has an interesting premise. But the game’s virtues are overshadowed by horrendous dialogue and an irritating protagonist. It’s a shame since, with better writing and acting, Forspoken could have been an awesome new IP. But as it stands, it’s a huge missed opportunity.

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Tom's Hardware Italia - Marco Patrizi - Italian - 7.5 / 10

Square Enix and Luminous Production's attempt to create a new IP by combining various unusual elements and different cultural approaches is certainly appreciable, but there are several slightings that make Forspoken only half a successful title.

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TrueGaming - Arabic - 6.5 / 10

Forspoken is a good game but it doesn't live up to expectations; side content is mediocre, the world is uninspiring, the storytelling is not strong enough. However, the combat is the bright spot as it is refreshing and inventive, so for people who do prefer this aspect over everything else, Forspoken deserves a chance.

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VG247 - James Billcliffe - 3 / 5

Its stuttering start belies a combat system that’s worth investing the effort to learn, but takes so long to get up to full speed that it’s already on borrowed time.

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Washington Post - Gene Park - Unscored

“Forspoken” doesn’t do anything new for the open-world genre of games, but it does offer just enough to distinguish itself, mostly thanks to Frey and her magic spells, and a story that’s able to stick the landing.

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Wccftech - Alessio Palumbo - 7 / 10

Forspoken is a fun action game that shines best when you're taking advantage of the great magic parkour to soar through the fantasy world of Athia and blast enemies with overwhelmingly cool spells. However, its content is underwhelming, its RPG systems are weak, and its visuals are less advanced than advertised. As such, Forspoken's potential is largely unrealized in its current state. It's still a decent romp for genre fans to go through, though waiting until it gets a discount or is added to one of the many subscription services is recommended.

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We Got This Covered - David James - 4 / 5

Want to explore a beautiful and desolate fantasy world without being stomped into the ground by every enemy you meet? The power fantasy of 'Forspoken' might just be the game for you.

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Worth Playing - Redmond Carolipio - 6.9 / 10

It might not seem like it right now, but Forspoken had some very good ideas, and I ended up still having some fun with it. It feels like it needed a little more time to figure out its real identity instead of its disjointed little-of-this, little-of-that experience. I think it's true form, which it hinted at, is as a young-adult, Bayonetta-adjacent ass-kicker, that needs to pick a tone and lean into it. If that's what it had been, we'd be onto something.

 

[PropellerEar]

78 is my guess.

 

[Sircaw]

74% and if I am wrong we ban @Gediminas.

 

[adamsapple]

Will start in 80s as it will be the curated review outlets only.

But will settle in low 70s when all major outlets are done reviewing it after getting their launch day copies.

 

[Sircaw]

Will start in 80s as it will be the curated review outlets only.

But will settle in low 70s when all major outlets are done reviewing it after getting their launch day copies.

Give a precise number dammit, we want What3words of Exact here.

 

[adamsapple]

Give a precise number dammit, we want What3words of Exact here.

74%

 

[Sircaw]

74%

That's mine THIEF.

 

[Gediminas]

72-77

 

[John Elden Ring]

75/100

 

[Sircaw]

75/100

you could not settle for a 73 could you, you had to put one over me at 75.

 

[Dick Jones]

At worst mid 70s, at best 82.

 

[Dick Jones]

74%

You spent the whole weekend shitting on it and you think it's a 74%

 

[Gediminas]

You spent the whole weekend shitting on it and you think it's a 74%

he shits golden nuggets..

 

[Dick Jones]

he shits golden nuggets..

He's a nugget alright

We'd be worse and more boring here without him. The fucker

 

[Bryank75]

Love the banner @John Elden Ring

I'm guessing somewhere between 76-81

Precise number? 77 I'll go with.

 

[Sircaw]

He's a nugget alright

We'd be worse and more boring here without him. The fucker

He's our nugget Now.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

90+ because you know.....

 

[Sircaw]

90+ because you know.....

GTFO you meathead.

I am gonna cry and laugh at the same time if you are right.

 

[Sircaw]

Who the hell gave it 14.3 percent score, @KiryuRealty is that you

 

[Gediminas]

uch... yellow bar