{"id":1800963,"date":"2023-01-28T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/forspokens-gravest-sin-it-has-no-chill\/"},"modified":"2023-01-28T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T18:00:00","slug":"forspokens-gravest-sin-it-has-no-chill","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/forspokens-gravest-sin-it-has-no-chill\/","title":{"rendered":"Forspoken\u2019s gravest sin? It has no chill"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Frey\u2019s very first steps in the medieval fantasy land of Athia, Forspoken\u2019s<\/em> influences emerge in full force. <\/p>\n

She runs and ducks under broken walls in an abandoned castle with a giant dragon in pursuit. She gets an annoyingly chatty companion named Cuff<\/a>, who is literally a talking gold bracelet. Then, after narrowly avoiding danger, we get a dramatic bird\u2019s-eye view of the landscape, dominated by a massive stone landmark arching up into the sky.<\/p>\n

The game seems to scream: This is a JRPG! This is an isekai!<\/a> There might be some glorious anime bullshit in here! Even smaller details, like the stone landmark, reminded me of Xenoblade Chronicles\u2019 Gaur Plain. However, despite its initial promise, much of Frey\u2019s time in Athia unfolds without much whimsy or the requisite amount of levity. Luminous Productions and Square Enix\u2019s new game strikes a distinctively serious tone that makes it difficult to persevere throughout the long journey. <\/p>\n

\"Frey, <\/span> <\/span> Image: Luminous Productions\/Square Enix<\/cite> <\/span> <\/figure>\n

Luminous Productions imbues Athia with a sort of pervasive sadness. This mainly stems from the \u201cbubonic plague vibe\u201d it has going. There isn\u2019t actually a plague, but there are dark and stormy clouds that envelop entire towns and kill all the living things within. Forspoken <\/em>also relies on a photorealistic graphics style that, despite some of the vibrant magic in the combat, isn\u2019t all that colorful \u2014 even its flowers look a little sad and colorless. <\/p>\n

Then we layer on Frey\u2019s story, which is also very sad! She\u2019s an orphan abandoned by her parents at birth. She lives in poverty in New York City, and the day she finally saved enough money to move and make a better life, her home gets burned down by a gang. She finds new confidence in Athia, but still lives a solitary life. In her journey, she isn\u2019t joined by any band of companions, who fill the cutscenes with romantic monologues about the power of friendship. <\/p>\n

She is an outsider to the world of Athia and (without spoiling anything) gets burned when she does open her heart up a bit.<\/p>\n

Frey\u2019s magical parkour abilities allow her to bound across the world untethered. Yet, outside of its mechanics, Forspoken<\/em> lacks the moments of levity that allow players to endure the long, sad, and sometimes difficult journeys of so many other \u201cserious\u201d games. There are no silly Cactuars popping up to make you laugh; no overly cocky friends standing by your side; no moments of whimsy that allow you to take a break and recover from it all. Perhaps the closest you get is a cute little side quest where you feed sheep, but even then, that ends up being slightly tedious because you don\u2019t actually get to see Frey feed the sheep since text on a black screen just says you fed them. <\/p>\n

\"An <\/span> <\/span> Image: Luminous Productions\/Square Enix via Polygon<\/cite> <\/span> <\/figure>\n

There\u2019s a reason comic relief is so common in blockbuster movies and video games \u2014 it gives the audience a breather before the next exciting, yet stressful set piece. Forspoken<\/em> is so decidedly serious in its overarching narrative that it becomes too much weight for the dialogue to bear \u2014 thus, the cringe emerges. The bad jokes and stiff self-narration are fixtures of several popular AAA games, but in Forspoken<\/em> when they miss, they seem to fall even harder, because it\u2019s not a world where silly things happen or people speak in strange, unbelievable ways. The self-referential dialogue feels less like comic relief, and more like self-deprecation.<\/p>\n

I personally think that Frey deserves to have fun. She clearly enjoys herself at points. The first time she uses her magical parkour abilities she says, \u201cOkay, this is awesome! I am catching some serious air!\u201d Her life and story don\u2019t need to be completely goofy, but all the sad medieval stuff could use some pushback. And it doesn\u2019t get any. For me, it\u2019s exhausting enough to push me away. <\/p>\n