Frey might have a reason for acting the way she does, but Cuff’s just a jerk. It makes the characterization put forward in the main quests feel insincere as a result. Though no one but Frey can hear his posh English accent, Cuff’s sarcastic and cynical dismissal of every moment grates, and it renders his later, more sincere-seeming pleas to Frey to exercise her power to change Athia’s fate ring hollow. In more practical terms, having Cuff and Frey’s dynamic both rely on being the same kind of “snarky outsider” archetype makes me, as the player, feel like I’m the third wheel on a date that’s not going particularly well.Ĭuff and Frey snipe at each other constantly in their open-world “Cuff chat” banter, often in ways that don’t reflect the current state of the story or the evolution of their characters. The problem is that Cuff acts exactly like that, too. In her way are legions of enemies and dozens, if not hundreds of side activities ranging from combat challenges in the ruins of Athia’s settlements to little distractions where Frey befriends a magical cat (those are my favorites). Usually that reason ties into killing off one of the four Tantas, in the heart of her territory. The story will bring Frey back to Cipal, only to come up with a reason to send her trekking out again. What’s left of Athia is nothing more than a vast obstacle course, which makes one wonder if there’s anything there even worth saving. Lore tidbits dropped throughout the game talk about the world Athia used to be, and only end up underscoring how that world is pretty much dead now, thanks to the four bosses ruling the corners of the map. For all intents and purposes, Athia is a big and beautiful world, but it’s also empty of meaning. With what’s left of Athia’s civilization locked up in Cipal, the world outside its walls is almost completely devoid of meaningful character development. Unfortunately, the uncommon strength and coherence of Forspoken‘s core characterizations are undermined by the game’s structure. I won’t spoil them here, but a point in the game that would in any other hero story be the unequivocal “Bad Ending” feels like a valid, supportable choice in Forspoken, the kind of choice a person can respect, if not necessarily agree with. There’s a sense of humanity in their interactions that helps sell some of the late-game narrative twists as well. To their credit, her closest allies in Athia recognize that fact, even as they try to persuade her to come to their aid. She really doesn’t owe the people of Cipal anything in particular, not least of all salvation. Instead, I believe Frey when she says that line. Usually when characters say that “I’m not doing this for you,” you’re supposed to roll your eyes a bit and recognize that they’re just trying to hide their heroism. I empathized with Frey’s struggle and her desire to reject the heroic role these strangers and Cuff continued to impress on her. An excellent performance by actress Ella Balinska as Frey helps elevate the material, and Frey comes across as almost painfully human in the cutscenes. The story is a dramatic and interesting play on the all-too-familiar video game hero’s journey. The last free community cowers in the walled city of Cipal, and initially views Frey as a demon sent by the same Tantas to destroy the last dregs of mankind.įorspoken feels like it’s being pulled in two directions: in one way by its story, and another by its structure and mechanics. They’ve also gone insane, killing and oppressing what remains of the populace. The Tantas, the leaders of Athia, are the apparent source of the Break, causing it with their vast magical powers. The world is dying slowly, being consumed by a phenomenon called “the Break” that turns people and wildlife into monsters. Unfortunately for Frey, Athia’s even worse off. One might think that a person in such a bad place might view being transported to the vast fantasy world of Athia as a blessing. Granted a reprieve from incarceration by virtue of the Christmas spirit, she makes ready to skip town with nothing but the clothes on her back, her cat Homer, and a gym bag full of cash. That’s ironic, considering Forspoken‘s central dynamic is that of an odd-couple bond between Frey, its heroine, and her talking vambrace, Cuff.įound abandoned as a baby near New York’s Holland Tunnel (hence her surname), Frey Holland’s had a hard life and begins Forspoken in court for an attempted car theft. Though both parts of the experience are contained within Forspoken, they don’t really meet all that often. Meanwhile, the movie is about a young woman struggling to survive in an unfamiliar land full of strangers. The game is about running freely around a vast fantasy playground full of monsters, challenges, and wild landscapes. More accurately, it feels like playing a game and watching a movie at the same time. Playing Forspoken feels like playing two games.
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