FORSPOKEN Stepping up to adventure

FORMAT PS5 ETA 24 JAN PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV LUMINOUS PRODUCTIONS PLAYERS 1

Frey Holland is desperate to get out of the city - but not like this. After picking up a strange new accessory and getting sucked into a portal, she soon winds up staring down a dragon. She's not in New York any more, she's in the magical land of Athia (though if Athia had brochures, this definitely wouldn't be in it).

What would instead be among those pages are shots of the bustling city centre of Cipal that conveniently downplay the rubble, artfully angled shots of the world beyond that which exclude all the monsters, and a brief history of the once benevolent rulers known as the Tantas that conveniently excises their eventual treachery.

Protagonist Frey is a stranger in a strange land with an even stranger travelling companion. A sentient piece of jewellery now calls her forearm home, and in return she calls him 'Cuff' (though he'd much prefer the grander sounding 'Vambrace'). Frey can't leave Athia and Cuff can't leave her side in a hurry either, but it's not all negatives. Bonded together, one upshot of their alliance is that now Frey can fling spells as easily as snapping her fingers. For Cuff's part, his memories are a little scrambled but he pulls his weight by offering Frey advice in a voice only she can hear...which has caused its own share of problems with the locals.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves - let's turn our attention back to that dragon, one of several beasties out for Frey's blood.

ROCK OUT