A lot of publicity surroundingForspokenrecently has to do with its magic. That’s no surprise; Luminous Productions has crafted a magic-focused combat system that looks like it could be really gripping, tasking players with quickly weaving between spells and coming up with clever combos that get them through fast-paced battles. However, there are still a lot of details that fans don’t know. The narrative ofForspokenis largely a mystery, for instance. Fans may know Frey’s main objective in battling the Tantas and the Break, but there’s plenty of other story information to fill in.Forspokenfans also want to know more about the game’s open world.
In terms of aesthetics, fans definitely have a good sense of whatForspoken’s Athia looks like.Forspokenis full of gorgeous environments, if screenshots and gameplay clips are anything to go off of; Luminous Productions has said that it intends to make its open world as beautiful as possible. However, Luminous Productions hasn’t given fans a very clear sense of what there is to do aside from fight while exploring Athia. Certain screenshots of Athia’s landscape look a little empty, which is the opposite of what an open world game needs.Forspoken’s open world must be built on a wealth of activities and interactions that encourage players to keep exploring.
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Forspoken’s Open World Needs Content
Luminous Productions has provided a little official insight onthe contents ofForspoken’s open world.Forspokenfeatures a hub city called Cipal that’ll presumably be full of amenities and side quests for players to look into, but Luminous has said that Athia features many other abandoned cities that fans will come across as they travel. It sounds like Luminous wants players to learn about Athia through these abandoned locations, but it’s unclear how common they be or how Frey can engage with the ruins of cities meaningfully. While it’s possible that certainForspokenside quests will key off of lost objects or secret places in these cities, Luminous hasn’t explained its approach to fleshing out these places.
Forspoken’s exploration can’t simply be built on traveling between cities either.Successful open world games likeElden Ringfill the entire landscape with traveling NPCs, standalone landmarks, hidden dungeons, and other content that makes the entire world worth exploring, rather than the cities alone. Even thoughForspoken’s landscapes look beautiful, they’ll feel much less meaningful if they’re just barren wastelands full of enemies that fill the distance between cities that contain all the major content.
Building Up Forspoken’s Environment
There’s certainly still hope thatForspokenwill have a compelling open world.Forspokenmay not be equipment-drivenlike many other RPGs, but there are a lot of things of value that Frey could find on her journey. Maybe she’ll discover hidden sites of magical power that teach her new spells, or maybe she’ll learn about new nail patterns that empower her spellcasting by searching the farthest corners of Athia.Forspokengameplay clips don’t emphasize the game’s exploration, aside from its impressive movement, but Luminous could still have a lot of tricks up its sleeve when it comes to fleshing out the land of Athia.
Hopefully future discussions ofForspokencontent put a greater emphasis on the kinds of activities that dot Athia’s landscape. Whether it’s full of bonus dungeons, NPCs in need, or collectibles of value,Forspokenhas no shortage of options in making its open world feel meaningful, and the more Luminous taps into, the more well-roundedForspoken’s setting can feel. For now, it’s at least comforting to seehow ambitiousForspoken’s combat and graphics are. Luminous Productions may not have revealed everything there is to know aboutForspokenjust yet, but its big ideas in certain departments should encourage optimism about the game as a whole.
Forspokenreleases Jul 25, 2025 for PC and PS5.
