Forspoken does not make a great first impression. While at a preview event ahead of the game's release next month, I was able to play the upcoming action-RPG and the first few minutes filled me with trepidation. The dialogue was too cute by half, and the combat felt cumbersome. However, those early growing pains slowly subsided as I continued on until eventually, time slipped away without my notice. Despite a rocky start, Forspoken found its stride and showed real promise.
Those awkward early moments have already been a dominant topic of conversation after a trailer in August inspired a flurry of conversation across social media about Frey's running "well, that just happened" style of narration. That trailer was largely from the earliest part of the game I played, Chapter 2, and yes, that element is absolutely present. If anything, there's more of it. Frey talks to herself and her sentient vambrace, nicknamed Cuff, constantly, narrating her way through events and repeatedly pointing out how unbelievable it all is. Hailing from New York, she often drops casual references and slang from her world only to be met with a confused "huh?" from those around her, forcing her to explain herself or shrug it off with a hasty "never-mind." It happens so much, in fact, that it gets a little grating--come on, Frey, shouldn't you have figured out to just stop using idioms by now?
I was similarly put off by the very earliest taste of combat. Frey starts off with just a handful of magical abilities, a family of purple magic representing the element of earth. In practice, these are ranged spells with some minor variations: a standard shot that can be charged for a more powerful burst, a weaker rapid-fire spell, and a rudimentary shield that can burst out and deal damage at close range. It takes place in third-person, so these are basically magic-guns with the over-the-shoulder perspective you'd expect from a third-person shooter. The earliest fights, especially before Frey starts to get her magic-enhanced movement abilities, felt like trying to dance with bricks tied to my calves.Continue Reading at GameSpot
http://dlvr.it/SfJXmM