Forspoken Realm Revealed: A Tour Of Avoalet

Forspoken, the upcoming title from Luminous Productions and this month’s cover story (LinkIt takes place mostly in Athia’s magical world. The once prosperous land has been swept away by a growing corruption. The game refers to the Break as a destructive fog that can corrupt any object it touches. The Break can make humans hostile, mindless and mad, transform animals into monsters and give the land a strange appearance.

There have been many trailers of Forspoken. However, most are set in deserted areas. It is located just outside Cipal and the only remaining dwelling on Athia that has not been affected by the Break. However, Athia’s world is actually filled with a lot of variation, some of which we recently got to see. The developers reveal a new region in the demo that lies just beyond the darkened fog and rock formations. Game Informer: Avoalet.

Flowers in Fog

Avoalet is a land with a lush and thriving landscape, which contrasts its neighbors. The Water Garden is the name of the first place we visited in this area. The name underscores Avoalet’s fertile nature while also connecting to larger design themes. Raio Mitsuno is a creative producer who explains how each realm has its own identity.

“Avoalet is very blue and lush, with green and flowers and bodies of water,” says Mitsuno, “but the Break has done really messed up stuff to the landscape.”

That includes warping the area’s native creatures into crazed beasts. Frey is attacked by a pair mutant bucks within seconds of his entry into the realm. The animals’ flesh appears to have been melted in molten metal, leaving them gilded with an unusual, web-like pattern. The metallic latticework weaves up past the creatures’ black, lifeless eyes and wraps around viciously pointed antlers. It’s these sharp weapons that we first see emerging out of the heavy fog as the deer ram into the game’s heroine. The fight was won with dramatic and magical combat.LinkFrey moves on into the new, murky land. Eventually, the Break begins to lighten, revealing Avoalet’s striking scenery.     

From the sun, vibrant flowers are shaded by tall trees. The scene is peaceful and starkly contrasts with the savage fight Frey just left behind, but don’t let the tranquility fool you. Still, danger lurks at every turn. A chest lies unopened on a nearby cliff. It’s guarded by a flock of predatory birds, which swoop out of the brilliant blue sky to attack the unwary Frey as she attempts to collect the treasure. Frey quickly grabs the crafting materials from the chest and zips away using her magic parkour skills to make an easy escape.

It’s Quiet, Too Quiet

The beautiful surroundings aside, it takes the time for the game to remind you that Avoalet was affected by the Break just like the rest of Athia. The mud has buried a cart with no crafting material in it. It seems that somebody tried to escape the corruption and left behind their belongings.

“The conditions are harsh, the human drama and problems are just as real as in New York even if the circumstances are heightened,” says story writer Todd Stashwick. “The stakes now for Frey are more than just her own problems. It’s life or death for a lot of people.”

Frey discovers a Refuge and Lutetia Guild just down the road. These are places where she can discover more about the world’s past, craft needed items, and add locations to her map (link). But it isn’t long before she’s off again.

Land Of Justice

Avoalet like every other Athia area is ruled over by Tanta. This magic-wielding Queen meant to represent one specific ideal. This lush kingdom is ruled by Tanta Prav (the Tanta Of Justice). However, Tanta Prav’s judgment has been corrupted by the Break, transforming her into an alarming adjudicator with merciless minions. As Frey reaches the Merveil Bridge, which leads to Prav’s court, she runs into a score of Unjust Enforcers. These Avoalet-specific enemies obey the Tanta’s command but don’t pose too much of a threat. Frey is not happy that these enemies have a Pitiless Arbitrator on their side.

A black-clad, blindfolded mini boss holds two sets of scales in her right hand. The other is an intimidating-looking ax. The Pitiless Arbiter uses one hand for magic attacks, and the other to perform melee. The fight on the bridge is intense – partly because of how far above the ground the fighters are – but it isn’t the last battle Frey will face before reaching the land’s ruler. The foe-riddled city of Gyuzel and an abandoned castle town buried in the Depths of Corruption test Frey’s magical combat skills.

After defeating everyone in the first location, Frey finds a blue cape with a description that suggests it once belonged to the Tanta of Justice, whose kingdom is deeply connected to the garment’s royal hue. The cloak isn’t just for show as it extends the duration of Frey’s positive status effects, but it doesn’t add much to her defense. Frey will be required to defend herself against the now-crazed Tanta in order to stand trial for her supposed crimes.

We got to see the beginning of the hearing unfold, and we’ll cover those intriguing story details soon as this month of Forspoken coverage rolls on. For more information, go to Game Informer’s Forspoken hub (Link).