Forspoken is the final title of Project Athia, the new RPG from the Final Fantasy XV team
Today's Square Enix Presents live stream was light on role-playing game news as it was a largely Western-driven affair, but there was one bright spot for us RPG nerds: news on Project Athia, the new game from Luminous Productions - that's the studio that created Final Fantasy XV.
The biggest piece of news is that Project Athia is no more, technically - because we now have the final title of the game, which is Forspoken. We also have confirmation of one key piece of information about the game - it is a role-playing game, as it's referred to as an RPG in a new PlayStation Blog post by project director and studio head Takeshi Aramaki.
A new trailer for the game also debuted as part of the event, introducing the lead character, showing off a few snippets of in-game footage, and revealing a 2022 release window. Initially, at least, the game will be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, and is being "developed simultaneously" for PS5 and PC.
Forspoken will star British actor Ella Balinska, who is currently best known as one of the leads of the 2019 Charlie's Angels movie reboot. Balinska has been providing both voice and full performance capture for protagonist Frey Holland, who appears to harness various magical powers to both combat and world-traversal ends in the trailer.
Director Aramaki has a little more information on the PS Blog:
Forspoken is an action RPG where you will take on the role of Frey Holland, an ordinary young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in a fantastical and dangerous land called Athia. As Frey, you will embark on a thrilling, other-worldly adventure and face treacherous trials to unravel the mystery behind the unknown land of Athia and awaken something much more from within.
As you’ll see in the new game clip, Frey is able to traverse the world with incredible speed and fluidity. I can’t wait for players to experience firsthand just how satisfying it feels to move through Athia, scaling cliffs, and leaping across ravines in the future.
There's also a handful of new media images from the game:
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 18, 2021) – During the SQUARE ENIX PRESENTS digital-showcase event, SQUARE ENIX announced Forspoken™, the debut title from its newly established studio, Luminous Productions. Originally revealed as PROJECT ATHIA last year, Forspoken puts players in the shoes of Frey Holland, an ordinary young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in a fantastical and dangerous land called Athia.
As a part of today’s show, the team announced that the game’s protagonist, Frey, will be performed by Ella Balinska, best known for her starring role in the 2019 film, Charlie’s Angels.
“As the first video game I’ve worked on, and growing up a huge fan of video games myself, it’s remarkable to see the incredible world and story of Forspoken come together, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy,” said Balinska. “Frey as a character is real, she’s raw, she’s a girl who lost her way—both figuratively and literally—and is a character I immediately connected with, as I feel many people around the world will too when they set off on this adventure.”
Frey takes center stage in Forspoken, exploring an unknown world and facing treacherous trials to unravel the mystery behind Athia. SQUARE ENIX also teased new Forspoken gameplay to give players a glimpse at the magical and perilous journey ahead.
Designed for the PlayStation®5 console (PS5™), Forspoken will harness the full power of the console and demonstrate Luminous Productions’ philosophy to provide a gaming experience like never before, fusing together the latest technology with creativity. The game is being developed simultaneously for the PS5™ and PC and is set for release in 2022.