Forspoken beginners guide: 9 things to know before starting on PS5, PC

The Forspoken, Square Enix’s particle effects showcase that comes with a side of high fantasy RPG, is probably unlike any game you’ve ever played. You use “magic parkour” to zip around a realm from another dimension where the rules of physics don’t apply. Forget loadouts — you juggle literally dozens of spells at once. Your companion is also a talking cuff called Cuff.

It is, nevertheless, quite strange. The Forspoken has undeniable charm — one of those oddball action RPGs that seems destined for cult classic status in five years. If you’re hopping on the train early (The ForspokenThe PlayStation 5 and PC versions are currently available.

Cuff can automatically stop enemy attacks

Bucking decades of game design trends takes a while to get used to, and Cuff’s defensive prowess isn’t impenetrable: You’ll occasionally still lose some health. That said, when you’re out of stamina (indicated by the diamond-shaped nodes above your health bar), Cuff. That’s when you should run and hide for a few seconds.

Yes, there’s fall damage — kind of

Cuff also protects you against certain falls. You can fall from high heights without affecting your health, if your stamina is full. If you’re out of stamina, though, you’ll take damage when you hit the ground. In other words, be careful when you’re fighting on a bridge!

Photo: Luminous Productions/Square Enix via Polygon

Visit every single pilgrim’s refuge

Pilgrim’s refuges are The Forspoken’s way stations, small chapels that serve as places you can fast travel to and heal yourself at. You can craft new items or upgrade your gear. And if you interact with the pulpit (located in the threshold of each refuge), you’ll reveal undiscovered locations in other parts of the map. But most crucially, about a quarter of the way through the game, you’ll be able to access the spellcraftYou can also access the library to find challenges that could improve your ability.

Always have at least three active challenges in spellcraft

Spellcraft challenges are relatively straightforward, requiring you to complete a set number of actions (i.e., “kill three flying enemies”) with a specific spell. Every time you complete a challenge, you’ll gain a permanent increase to your magic stat, plus increase the power of the associated spell. You can juggle three at any given time, and since it only takes 1.68 seconds to fast travel to a refuge, so there’s no reason to not have three going at all times.

Photo: Luminous Productions/Square Enix via Polygon

Deactivate the spellcraft menu and other settings

While you’re at it, go to the Settings for accessibilityThen, turn the off switch. spellcraft challenge display. If you are completing active spellcraft challenges, each time you progress towards one, you will be rewarded. The ForspokenYou will see a popup detailing how far you have come in all three of the challenges. There’s no tangible benefit to this visual clutter: Once you complete a spellcraft challenge, you’ll get a notification anyway, and you can always check your progress toward any current challenges in the magic menu.

And more. The Forspoken features an impressive array of settings, allowing you to adjust everything from the visual mode to the challenge factor to even the frequency of Cuff’s grating dialogue. Here’s a list of all the settings we’d recommend you tweak from the start.

Get support magic immediately

As you play, you’ll earn ManaYou can find it here. The Forspoken’s take on skill points. It’s tempting to spend mana upgrading your existing base combat spells, but you’re better off unlocking new support spells (on the left side of the skill tree). All of the support spells — from the health-stealing tendrilThe Distribute mini-turret — are enormously helpful for early-game battles. It’s easier to unlock them the sooner.

Additionally, cooldowns limit the effectiveness of support magic. Unlocking all eight spells means you’ll pretty much always at least one ready to go at any given time.

These are some tricks to help you find the right place.

By clicking in the left thumbstick, you can pull up a list of any fast travel locations you’ve unlocked. Other points may also be marked, and these will appear in your view as waypoints. To remove all your markers, hold triangle. Frustratingly, you can’t rotate the map in its default view. But if you zoom all the way in (with the right trigger) you’ll be able to rotate the region you’re in.

Photo: Luminous Productions/Square Enix via Polygon

You might not find everything worth your while in the open universe.

The ForspokenThe world of the game is post-apocalyptic. This means it is virtually devoid any characters. You won’t get anything special for 100%-ing a particular region, either, so unless you’re a true completionist to the bone, it’s not worth ticking off every ticky box. A few general points should remain on your radar.

• Monuments:These structures give you a boost that lasts for a specific stat. They are also easy to access.
• The Locked Labyrinth: At the end of these dungeons, which culminate in a boss fight, you’ll get a new necklace or cloak. You will find this throughout the game. The Forspoken, it’s worth accruing as much equipment as possible, even if you don’t plan on using it. The perk for each cloak, necklace and bracelet is unique. Once unlocked you can apply the perk to any other cloaks or pendants at craft stations. Each piece of equipment has three perk slots so you can make incredible combos.
• Rosewood founts Each fount will give you a new spell you’d otherwise not be able to unlock through standard level-ups.
• Some caves, towns and forts are:Some may be worth checking out while others are not. It is easy to tell which symbol you are looking at on your map. If you are having a hard time finding your feet in the region, anything with a plus sign can give you experience. Upward arrows reward a stat boost — similarly helpful, though you could just get the same bonus from a monument for half the effort. You should look out for the necklace, cloak and nail icons. Any time you clear one of those areas, you’ll get equipment.

Photo: Luminous Productions/Square Enix via Polygon

Be careful if you can see the clouds

As you explore Athia, you’ll come across cloudy regions. Inside these zones, you’ll have seriously reduced visibility, what with everything clouded by a blue miasma. You can also find enemies by locating purple dots in fog. They are significantly more powerful. In exchange, though, you’ll generally earn a ton of XP, plus rare gear. Be sure to save money before entering!