

The combat is one of the most fun parts of “Forspoken.” The real-time system from “Final Fantasy XV” puts a bigger emphasis on magic here. From there, the game’s story unfolds like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” in which Frey must take the Tantas down to collect their remaining elemental powers, while also finding a way back home to New York. The Break is being spread by the four Tantas, once benevolent rulers who’ve gone mad from it.

Athia is under threat by something called the Break, which turns people into violent monsters - and Frey is the only one seemingly unaffected by its exposure. When Frey steps into Athia, she meets Cuff, a magical bracelet that imbues her with elemental powers to defend herself. However, there remains some room for improvement in its supporting cast and pacing. “Forspoken” feels fluid to play and has gorgeous visuals to support its open-world structure. What comes after is a journey of self-discovery, finding her place in the world, and lots of parkour. What if you took the gameplay of modern-day “Final Fantasy” and combined it with the exploration of “Horizon Zero Dawn?” You’d get something like “ Forspoken.” The game follows a young woman named Frey from New York as she suddenly gets whisked away into a new world called Athia, filled with magic and dragons.
