Forspoken gave an update patch to its demo and delayed the game multiple times. Still, it came out as a disappointing mess for many reasons and feared to be a flop.
Square Enix studios received a lot of criticism for delaying Forspoken’s release twice and still not delivering the final product according to the fan’s expectations. However, the current situation of Forspoken has divided the fans.
From bad marketing to bad optimization, Forspoken even had to give a patch for its demo to perform well, which is rarely expected for a game before its final release. Moreover, the insane hardware requirements left the glorious PC master race shocked.
Also Read: Forspoken Demo Players’ feedback leads to Development Changes
On top of all that, the Forspoken PS5 demo received heavy criticism from gamers and reviewers as there was so much wrong on so many levels when it came to button mapping and graphics. Even after the final release, fans left some concerning comments on social media regarding Forspoken optimization as it continues to download mid-gameplay.
On top of all that, Square Enix withheld the review codes prior to release and restricted the only way to pass a review or rating after purchasing the game. Well, the wait is over, The CPU Guide brings you the latest updates and reviews on Forspoken’s final release, and I must say, it’s a disappointing mess.
Why Major Outlets Have Left Negative Ratings About Forspoken
Before I pass my comments, let’s discuss what some major outlets and audience reviews had to say about Forspoken’s ratings.
Metacritic: 68/100
Reviews on Metacritic have received mixed opinions so far, as some users are pretty satisfied with the games. At the same time, most gamers have mixed reviews, most of which are related to development and optimization concerns. Forspoken seemed fun, but the game’s physics and open-world experience are where Luminous Productions is expected to do better.
IGN: 6/10
The reviews from IGN hold a low score saying that the game is both good and bad. The good comes with fun parkour stunts and magical combats, which seem flashy and exciting. However, the open world and landmarks can be improved to make Athia a place worth exploring.
What Made Forspoken a Victim of Criticism?
Now that we have discussed what others had to say let’s talk about a few things that I’ve noticed about Forspoken on PlayStation 5 and PC gameplay experience.
Graphics Optimization
The first and far most criticized element is the optimization levels of the game. After the final release, the PC master race and its glory were shattered by seeing the hardware requirements. Even if someone managed to fulfill all those requirements on the recommended level, I felt disappointed after a bad outlook from graphics. As mentioned in the Tweet below, the game is not living up to expectations.
Also Read: Is Forspoken Crashing on PS5? Here’s How To Fix Not Launching
Bad NPC Animations
Coming again toward the graphics, the NPCs and enemies look pretty bad in Forspoken. For a game that’s released on next-gen consoles, NPC looks like something from a PlayStation 2 game. Yes, I did get a flashback to the old graphics from 2006.
Moreover, you will find a distinction between low-level enemies and mini-bosses. Zombies wear the same clothing, and enemies have that black lava effect on their skin. It is not different; they all look the same. Looks like Luminous production didn’t have enough time to cover the development process.
There is A lot of Copy Paste
Back to where it all looks the same, I noticed many fast travel points in the game which have geographical distinctions, like the Belfries and Pilgrim’s Refugees. I noticed the same copy-paste going on with the creatures like cats from the side quest; each character and place has a distinct similarity.
The same goes for dialogues from missions and side quests. I noticed that the conversation between Frey and Cuff is way more repetitive, especially when it comes to that dialogue in which Cuff says, “Good, then I won’t need to tell you again.” I understand it’s a game, but GTA V from 2013 did a better job than this when it comes to character dialogues. I expect way better scripts from games released in 2023.
Cringy Dialogues
Speaking of bad lines, another annoying yet cringe element of the game was the protagonist’s dialogue. I understand that gaming characters develop a special connection with their accessories. Still, Frey speaking to her magic bracelet sounds like it is operated more by voice commands like Siri than hand gestures. I find the dialogue writing cringe-worthy and a failed attempt at being funny.
I felt the same cringe while hearing a conversation between the main protagonist and NPCs. Moreover, playing the game on PlayStation 5 with such dialogue writing is even more torture since the DualSense controller speakers spit everything right into your face. I guess I’ll change the audio output language or play the game on mute after all these poorly written, cringe lines.
Boring Open World
The open-world games are expected to carry more details as players get a chance to wander around. I lodged the same expectations with the recently released Forspoken, but the game’s open-world distinction has killed my vibe of exploring and wandering in the magical world of Athia.
I could hardly find my way around the map due to dense fog and low visibility. Referencing back to bad graphics optimization, the open-world game is not much defined as everything seems dull and boring. Mountains and grass seem dark and ugly. I couldn’t find anything appealing about the color scheme in the open world, except when Frey casts magical spells.
Final Verdict
In the final words, I would say Forspoken seems good but didn’t live up to the expectations. Fans like me had high hopes from Square Enix and Luminous Productions to bring the best gameplay and graphics experience. Looking at all the critical reviews seems like the game developers were in a hurry. Well, let us wait for a patch update and pray that things become better, if not perfect.
