Forspoken Review: A Magical World with Several Cracks

When it comes to video games, there’s nothing like a good adventure game. Especially when it’s one that offers an enchanting, magical world that you can explore. That’s pretty much what Forspoken promises. And it delivers, to a certain degree. What it doesn’t offer is something that will leave you eager to explore more. As far as basics go, the game offers a beautifully-crafted fantasy world that you can explore with a variety of characters and their own unique abilities. It’s a mixed bag, however, when it comes to the story, characters, and gameplay. Here’s why:

The Story’s Too Familiar

The story of Forspoken takes some cues from classic JRPGs, but feels overly familiar. You’re thrown into a world of magic and danger, and it’s up to you to figure out how to save the day. There are twists and turns, and of course, some betrayal is thrown in there as well. The problem is, it all feels a bit too familiar and doesn’t offer anything truly innovative or surprising.

The Characters Don’t Have Much Personality

This might be a forgivable offense if the characters themselves offered more than a generic archetype. Unfortunately, they don’t. You have your typical hero, sidekick, and rebellious princess, but none of them have much beyond their stereotypes. With the exception of one or two, the characters don’t really have any arc or growth that you’d expect from a fantasy tale.

Gameplay is Underwhelming

The gameplay itself is reminiscent of older hack-and-slash titles. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the game offers a decent degree of challenge. However, the combat can get a little stale as you simply mash buttons in order to overcome your enemies. Additionally, the game’s RPG elements are quite basic and don’t offer much depth.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Forspoken is a decent little game. The visuals and music are quite charming, and the fantasy world that the game takes place in is quite inviting. However, the story and characters are very basic, and the combat and RPG elements are quite underwhelming. It’s an enjoyable little jaunt, but nothing that you’ll be desperate to dive back into.