How Forspoken combines fast-paced spellcasting and magic-infused parkour for thrilling battles – PlayStation.Blog
We have met each other castwatched action packed trailer and be teased with take a closer look at the central villain of the game. Today we can detail how the moment-to-moment play of Frey’s journey plays out through a recent practice session with Forspoken.
That time spent in a vast valley was enough to play – and explore – with mystical parkour and experimenting with many of the spells unlocked for this demo. There are five objectives scattered around the map, drawing players towards mission-based tours of Frey’s skills and the challenges she will face. However, the topography of the area is an open invitation to deviate: mountain trails, floating rocks, giant bridges, lakes and ravaged villages. A brief guide at the entrance of the valley aside, you are free to explore.
A person who draws spells with speed
That guide introduces Frey’s mobility, combat options, and importantly, how the two link together. A few slow-moving human figures to test these abilities allow you to experiment freely. Towards the end of the demo, an intense battle against a ferocious and nimble alligator tests everything learned up to that point. Juggle attack and assist spells and know when – and how – to use them, correctly use parkour to highlight those spells and dodge danger.
Enemy designs even in this short play vary widely, though you’ll need Scan Cuff or activate Photo Mode to stave off their rampage long enough to admire their appearance.
Between these skirmishes that span my playtime, a variety of enemy types dot the land, ready to fight or race in the past: wandering hordes of spoiled souls and swarms of Aggressive steeds, golden horned crocodiles, winged invaders. One target directs Frey to a bridge patrolled by bow-wielding youkai, who were once defeated, making way for a larger mini-boss opponent. These are the servants of Tantas, the evil rulers of Athia, whom Frey will eventually have to face one by one. Whatever shape those confrontations take, conquering each opponent will see Tanta’s power add to your arsenal. At the start of the demo I was able to mine two sets: Frey’s earth magic as well as Tanta Sila’s fire spell.
The demo culminates in a boss battle against a transformed Quinkana, all with teeth and tails, requiring quick movement to conquer. This is also a great opportunity to use Sila’s Crucible support spell, which creates a wall of fire around Frey.
Juggling magic
Each set of spells is divided into two types: multiple Assists and a trio of Attack types. L2 activates the former, R2 activates the latter. Each spell has a different cooldown and a specific way to use it, be it tap, hold, or charge. Holding down the trigger can allow you to target an enchantment’s area of effect before releasing it, accumulating the power of another spell, or firing a continuous burst of selected magic. Each actor has a unique feel thanks to the haptic feedback of the PS5 DualSense controller.
Press L1 and R1 together to open the circular menu and choose which magic set is your current one. Use L1 or R1 to bring up the circular menu for Attack Assist, scroll to your chosen type using the left sidebar and release to lock that spell into part of the preset loading. You get one load per magic set, with quick switching between left or right on the D-Pad.
Use Bind Support spells for crowd control, trap groups of enemies to allow you to perform some health draining attacks, or focus on strays.
Frequent switching is encouraged and necessary, as each spell is tuned to best deal with a certain number or type of enemy. Changing payloads is also a good way to find powerful summoner spells. Sila’s original favorites are Crucible (Support) and Rage Slice (Attack). The first is a castable firewall that surrounds Frey. Any enemies that go into it will get burned, but it also increases her attack power when fighting any enemies in the siege. Rage Slice is a melee combo whose finishing blow sends enemies flying backwards – right into flames.
A world to explore
As with any action RPG, there is no one size fits all. Elemental resistance is a factor for one. Text that pops up during attacks will notify you if an enemy is resistant to certain types of spells. But make it more tactical – and learn some lore – by scanning from your Cuff (Up on the D-Pad) when conflict is nearby. The camera zooms in on any enemies within the scan radius, with the sentient bracelet on your arm sharing the necessary setup. (A quick and concise thank you to Forspoken’s broader menu design, a fisheye lens approach that makes scrolling through different tabs intuitive and engaging.)
Collect mana to unlock new spells. Not shown are the customization options for Frey’s outfit: each cape, necklace, and nail color provide different accents. Combine to create skill sets to suit your playstyle.
From ankle to eagle: dotted across the land are stone Belfreys. Enabling an internal one-time scan will launch a scannable point of view that will highlight nearby areas of interest. Pick one to track it across the UI, and at any point you can summon the Compass, a golden thread will shoot out to direct you to your target. You can still freely roam and change tasks on the fly. Belfreys isn’t the only stone relic to discover: others unlock items. One activated a side quest, both a flashback and a timed challenge that took place in a nearby derelict fortress, as I had to protect civilians from enemy attacks for a period of time certain.
You’ll also explore Refuges, small huts that provide Frey with respite from the dangers outside. There are many interactive elements within each, including a small library from which you can choose Magic Challenges, pinning these sub-goals to your on-screen to-do list. All grant permanent summoner spells – such as casting a spell that regenerates part of your stamina bar – for the price of meeting certain criteria.
As for my playstyle, these games are dedicated to combat, prompting me to incorporate Frey’s parkour into the encounters, that brilliant key to painting the beauty of the combat system. A Blast Slice on the ground, for example, will throw a magic spear at the targeted enemy. Casting the spell in midair will initiate a ground slam, with multiple spears shooting out of the ground from the point of impact. There are attacks like whips, mid-air spark attacks… that move with button combinations that unleash a frenzied hurricane. All spells have a cooldown, your parkour is tied to a stamina bar. Carefully use the necessary dodges so as not to consume it and to get yourself ready to attack.
Frey is the squadron, fast-paced combat. Such speed coupled with a complex spell system, tracking multiple enemies and their attack patterns as well as signing up for on-screen prompts takes time to get used to, this shouldn’t be a problem. problem at the start of the game instead of being assigned a set of tools from the outside. There are more and more moments when the free system clicks and I find myself lost in the line of combat as intended. The important thing is that despite the blazing speed and moveset, I always feel completely in control of Frey. However, a welcome ability attached to Sila’s Magic allows you to briefly slow time, lock down, and dash towards enemies. Magical grappling is meant to both get out of immediate danger but can also get close enough to deliver the finishing blow if prompted.
Flow helps meet the need to travel through the world
That zip ability doubles as a mover outside of combat, using glowstones as anchor points to jump higher and farther. It becomes a useful skill when the fight turns to flying, spells are stored and I work to speed up on land. Have a simple fun with parkour, named in the game as Flow. Start walking in any direction, hold the Circle and you go. You can remove your finger from this button for a few seconds, to jump to jump or rotate the camera (Flow assist jumps are also key to initiating air attacks in combat). Therefore, although the scale of the valley is very large, the result is that the passage is very rapid.
The distant horizon beckons, but Athia’s secrets will have to wait a few more months, when the game launches on PS5 on January 24 next year.
