At its heart,Forspokenappears to be all about magic. In combat, protagonist Frey Holland wields a wide variety of spells rather than carrying an arsenal of weapons like most RPG heroes.Forspokencombat encourages players to constantly weave together new combinations of Frey’s explosive spells, devastating enemies with the elements or bursts of raw arcane power. Frey can do much more than decimate the enemy, however. Ever since it was first revealed asProject Athia,Forspokenhas promised players a unique movement system powered by Frey’s magic. With her powers, players can leap through the air and dash across the overworld at blinding speed.
Frey’s high mobility should makeForspoken’s exploration more exciting than simply traveling on foot or horseback, and it’ll certainly help run circles around hordes of enemies. What’s more,Forspoken’s movement system looks primed to engage players with its most dramatic battles.Recent trailers forForspokenhave emphasized encounters with massive foes like dragons, and while offensive magic will undoubtedly carry Frey through these battles, her evasive skills are sure to shine too. Frey’s power of movement looks like it could be more important in combat than anywhere else.
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Forspoken’s Large-Scale Battles
AlthoughForspoken’s main antagonists, the Tantas, are humanoid and about the same size as Frey, she will face quite a few colossal opponents before her time in Athia is through.Frey will encounter dragonsinForspokenaccording to recent trailers, and some signs suggest there are more eldritch opponents lurking at the edges ofForspoken.The originalProject Athiatrailer featured a cyclopean, wormlike monster, and other trailers seem to pit Frey against similar hulking threats. Frey might stand toe-to-toe with the Tantas in scale and speed, but the scale of these other enemies will demand a different fighting style.
Forspokentrailers already show off what that fighting style will look like. Frey can apparently conjure platforms for herself in midair, giving her extra jumps that’ll keep her out of an opponent’s reach. Aside from that, it’s clear that Frey can still use enhanced dashes to leap across the battlefield, which ought to help players keep their distancewhen fightingForspokenbosses. From the looks of things,Forspoken’s biggest enemies will test the player’s ability to use Frey’s movement while under duress, which makes those skills more rewarding to master.
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Forspoken’s Potential Movement Surprises
Luminous Productions may still be hiding certain battles that use Frey’s movement in special ways. For instance, Frey can grapple from certain outcroppings to swing herself forward; some bosses may have grapple points that let Frey get some air before raining magic down on her enemies. There could also be some enemies who are so big that they act as terrain. Frey is well-equipped to run across a boss' extremities in pursuit of a weak spot, imitating battles inShadow of the Colossus.
The more Frey’s movement skills matter in boss battles, the better.Forspoken’s range of destructive spellsshould make combat unique, but emphasizing Frey’s nimbleness will enhance that design significantly. The best boss battles test a variety of skills, rather than simply their ability to attack the boss effectively. Hopefully Luminous Productions already has some surprises in store for fans ofForspoken’s movement when it comes to boss battles. For now, there’s no telling just how many gigantic monsters might roam Athia, so Frey might find herself outmatched in terms of size throughout the entirety ofForspoken.If that’s the case, she already has the necessary speed to beat her foes.
Forspokenreleases June 18, 2025 for PC and PS5.
