At the recent Square Enix Presents event, the developer decided to release a little more information on its working title, Project Athia. Project Athia was announced as a working title for a fantasy game way back at Sony’s Future of Gaming event last year. Now, Project Athia has been officially named Forspoken, and while the released footage wasn’t much different from what was shown last year, it did make one thing very clear.
In the reveal trailer, players didn’t get to see much of the main character or learn anything about her. There was one shot of her shoes, which look modern, but other than that there weren’t a lot of clues about who she was. Square Enix finally introduced players to the protagonist, Frey Holland, and the new footage revealed more about Frey and her place in Forspoken’s world.
The trailer gave off some serious Narnia-meets-Skyrim vibes, showing Frey, a seemingly ordinary woman, have her first encounter with a massive dragon. It’s very clear based on her design that Frey is from Earth, and Forspoken will follow her on an adventure through a magical land called Athia.
How she gets there is uncertain, but Frey’s costume design in the rest of the trailer shows the game’s combination of modern and fantasy elements. Frey runs around in jeans, beat-up tennis shoes, and a black t-shirt with a flannel tied around her waist, but she also wears a cape and golden armbands that tie her back to the fantastical environment.
There aren’t a ton of high-fantasy video games that show relatable, modern characters being plunged into a land full of monsters and dragons, so it seems like Forspoken has something truly unique to offer. Instead of playing as a character like Kratos, who has spent a lot of time establishing his life in Norway before God of War begins, gamers will get to take on the role of a normal, exceedingly relatable young woman who has no idea what she’s gotten into.
It could be exciting to discover Athia through Frey’s eyes, instead of feeling somehow left behind where lore is concerned. A lot of fantasy stories struggle with having too much exposition, but it’s even more difficult when the world is established and the player is jumping into the deep end. When it’s new to both the character and the player, it becomes a more genuine experience of discovery.
Ella Balinksa, the actress who brings Frey to life, described her character as a young woman who is both figuratively and literally lost. It’s unclear what her purpose is in Athia, but it is clear that she’s not comfortable in this new world and players will get to embark on that journey with her.
Frey is described by Square Enix as an ordinary woman, which seems true in the beginning. Later, however, she’s seen darting around similar to Ciri in The Witcher 3 and battling monstrous enemies with her powers. So, evidently, she’s not that ordinary. Frey can run on air, summon roots from the ground, and create shields that look like they came from the Elden Ring trailer. More than anything, it seems like she can harness nature in Athia.
Based on what’s been revealed about the story so far, it’s pretty safe to assume that Frey’s powers are new to her. Part of Frey’s journey is learning how to control and utilize her abilities, and while she may be from Earth, her powers are pure high fantasy. There’s seemingly no sci-fi action going on here, and nothing about her powers translates back to the modern world. Visually, it’s almost confusing because of the way Frey’s appearance contrasts with her actions and with the world around her. She doesn’t fit, and she’s not supposed to.
The origins of Frey’s powers and what she does with them is still a bit of a mystery, but there does seem to be an emphasis on the elements in the trailer. Frey uses her powers to strangle her enemies with roots and when she travels, blades of grass seem to shoot from her feet. The name Frey can mean “god of weather” in Scandinavian, so maybe there’s some significance there. That’s just a theory, but names aren’t usually chosen lightly, especially in fantasy stories.
It’s also worth mentioning that the word “forspoken” means to attract or fascinate. It doesn’t seem like Frey found Athia on her own, but maybe there’s something drawing Frey from her world to this one — or vice versa. Frey could be trying to escape Athia, but Ella Balinska’s description of her makes it seem like a journey of self-discovery and finding purpose.
A few enemies were showcased in the trailer, including a glowing wolf, some smaller wolves, a really creepy insectoid with one eye, and heavily armored soldiers that look less than human. And who could forget about that huge dragon? Forspoken’s combination of modern and fantasy elements ends with Frey herself, but that’s more than enough to make a huge impact on the story. Luminous Productions has promised a narrative-driven adventure, so Frey’s backstory will definitely be delved into.
The traversal system already looks like it might be the best part about Forspoken. Frey’s parkour skills are unrivaled as she effortlessly scales cliffs and leaps from thin air. Most open-world fantasy games include the option to ride a horse or some other steed, but Frey doesn’t look like she needs that. Even if the option is available, it looks much more fun to run around on foot and speed doesn’t look like it’ll be a concern.
Frey’s traversal skills probably have some kind of condition or limit, otherwise getting around would be a little too easy, but it looks very unique. With the added capabilities of the PS5’s DualSense controller, the possibilities are very exciting.
Square Enix promised it will have more to share about Forspoken before the release date. That being said, based on what the developer has revealed so far, Forspoken is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated games of 2022. Project Athia was one of the most promising new IP reveals at the Future of Gaming event, and it looks even more exciting with this new footage and information.
Forspoken will release initially on PS5 and PC only, but it will come to Xbox Series X two years after its release, making it a timed console exclusive for PS5. 2022 is a big release window that doesn’t account for potential delays, so it might be a while until players can discover the secrets of Athia for themselves. It’ll be interesting to see if Luminous Productions adds more modern elements to the game, but for now, it looks like a great fantasy adventure with a modern twist.
Forspoken will be available for PC and PS5 in 2022.
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