Forspoken is an upcoming narrative adventure game from Luminous Productions and Square Enix that was previously known as Project Athia. Many of the developers at Luminous Productions worked on the Stadia edition of Final Fantasy 15, and Square Enix veteran Yosuke Matsuda is heading the new studio. Given the connection, several hypotheses arose in the aftermath of Forspoken’s announcement, with some speculating that the project was actually Final Fantasy 16 in disguise.
Despite the speculation, both the developer and the publisher have billed Forspoken as a brand-new IP that will merge “art and technology to produce an experience unlike any other.” It will be Luminous Productions’ first game, and it will use the studio’s own Luminous Engine, which the company previewed in 2020. So, what would you expect from Forspoken now that the developers have abandoned their Final Fantasy origins and ventured into new territory? Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
When will Forspoken be released?
Square Enix, like many other upcoming games, is being vague about the Forspoken release date. Prospective players only discovered that the game was in progress when it made its debut as Project Athia during Sony’s PS5 reveal case. The following month, at the CES 2021 digital press event, Sony announced that Project Athia will be released in January 2022. However, it’s likely that the game has already been postponed.
The words “coming 2022” appeared on the screen at the end of the official title announcement during the Spring 2021 Square Enix Presents. It’s uncertain if Forspoken will stay true to its original January release date, or whether fans should expect it later in the year. According to Takeshi Aramaki, the studio head at Luminous Productions, Forspoken started active development at the “beginning of 2019.” Given this and the previously released video, Forspoken could already be well into development.
Is there a teaser for Forspoken?
In June 2020, Square Enix released a teaser trailer for Forspoken, which was later renamed Project Athia. It mostly provides brief snatches of production footage scattered around various locations throughout the game’s fantasy universe, clocking in at just under a minute and a half. Several of the setting’s inhabitants appear, including ferocious wolves and a dragon. You also get a glimpse of Forspoken’s sneaker-wearing heroine in action, but you never get a good look at her face.
In any case, Forspoken is expected to debut in 2022, without any unexpected setbacks.
Is there a teaser for Forspoken?
In June 2020, Square Enix released a teaser trailer for Forspoken, which was later renamed Project Athia. It mostly provides brief snatches of production footage scattered around various locations throughout the game’s fantasy universe, clocking in at just under a minute and a half. Several of the setting’s inhabitants appear, including ferocious wolves and a dragon. You also get a glimpse of Forspoken’s sneaker-wearing heroine in action, but you never get a good look at her face.
As part of the official title announcement at Square Enix Presents in Spring 2021, fans heard a little more about Forspoken and its protagonist. In a short cutscene, the dragon gets some more screen time, and the video also gives us our first look at the player character. Following the reveal of the title, the trailer moves into another gameplay montage, complete with more fantastical creatures and glimpses of the mystical abilities available to players.
In Forspoken, who are the main characters?
Frey Holland, the protagonist of Forspoken, was announced as part of Square Enix’s Spring 2021 interactive gathering. Although little is known about the game’s plot and gameplay, it appears that you’ll be playing as Frey, a brave young woman who has set out to explore the land of Athia. She’ll come across a variety of dangerous creatures and other threats to her life as she uses her magical powers to navigate this beautiful yet deadly world, including at least one very impressive-looking dragon.
“Frey as a character is genuine, she’s raw, she’s a girl who’s lost her way – both figuratively and literally – and is a character I instantly connected with,” actress Ella Balinska said of Frey, who will be brought to life through performance capture and voice recordings. Balinska made her film debut in Charlie’s Angels, which was released in 2019. Balinska’s first video game function will be in Forspoken, and many fans are excited by the enthusiasm she has already brought to the project.
Despite the fact that the bulk of the promotional material has centred on the central character and the monsters she will meet, the male voice heard during the title announcement made it clear that Frey will not be travelling alone.
On what platforms will Forspoken be available?
Xbox owners who want to discover the world of Athia will be disappointed to hear that Forspoken will be a limited-time PlayStation 5 exclusive. During the PS5 showcase in December 2020, Sony confirmed that Forspoken would be one of the new console’s selling points, and that it would not be available on other consoles “until at least 24 months after release date.” Given that phrasing, as well as the fact that Square Enix has confirmed several times that Forspoken was “made exclusively for PlayStation 5,” the game could never be published on another platform — even after the two-year wait period is over.
However, not everything is lost. Forspoken is being developed by Luminous Productions for the PS5 and PC, and it looks like both platforms will be released at the same time in 2022. Although the game is unlikely to be ported to the Nintendo Switch or even the PlayStation 4, it appears Sony is sticking to its revamped strategy of releasing PlayStation exclusives on PC. Although this may be a slight consolation to Xbox and Nintendo fans, at the very least, these dual releases give you more choices when it comes to how you want to play your games.
