This is a transcript excerpt covering the score awarded to Forspoken on the So Videogames podcast, episode 323: Needs Moar Coffee.
19:11
BRAD: So we covered Forspoken in depth last week. you went into it and really went to bat hard for it got me excited for it, and honestly, I really want to crack into that ASAP. So now you’ve had time to think about it. You’ve I’m sure you beat it already last weekend.
CARLOS: Yeah, yeah, I beat it. Last week. (Episode 322 for full details.)
BRAD: Did you go back for any postgame stuff I shared a little bit more.
19:32
CARLOS: Yeah. Well, like I think I alluded to last time, they do a really good job of, hey, this the story is going to continue. We know that you beat the game. It’s not that bullshit thing of like, go back to the beginning or a load save before you beat the game. It’s like no, you beat the game. And here’s the repercussions. And here’s a bunch of new quests. It’s like it’s super cool. So yeah, I just went back in. Almost like you just said pick up and play with Vampire Survivors. It’s always going to be on my desktop or my PlayStation, and I’m gonna keep going back to it every once in a while because it’s really relaxing to hold down the parkour button and go through this huge world to unlock stuff and find new quests. So yeah, I really like it. I’ve just kind of keep going back to it. And there’s some DLC coming in summer, which is actually a prequel, which really has me interested because I know, you know, one of the main reasons I like that game is is actually the story versus what a lot of people said online. Sure. And I’m just really excited to see what they’re going to talk about in that prequel. So.
20:37
BRAD: Okay, so it’s fair to say that you have done your due diligence, you played the shit out of the game, you really liked it. We talked about it in depth last week, you’ve had some time to think about it. We didn’t make any rash decisions, because we think about everything we say very carefully in the show. Yep. Or maybe we don’t. But this week, you are prepared to drop an official number going up on Metacritic, we are one of the very few podcasts possibly the only podcast whose coverage on this this channel you’re listening to qualifies for actual Metacritic scoring. So Carlos, Carlos Rodela. What is your official Metacritic score for this game we’re talking about here. Tell us about it.
21:19
CARLOS: It’s exciting. I’m excited to give the score because I really want to help this game. I really… oh, it’s gonna be a high score. Yeah, I know, I know. But I will say this before I give the score is, I think that the gameplay is super fun. I think there’s a couple cons, which are the only thing that kind of like, made the score go down a bit, which is the resistance and weakness kind of aspect of the elemental stuff.
BRAD: You said you didn’t care for it?
CARLOS: Yeah, it just kind of was frustrating when I was already getting really like stronger and stronger and stronger. And that power curve is really good, I think. But then it would kind of get reduced a smidge when it comes to the weakness thing. Other than that, there’s the only other con was the goopy softness of it all with the fact that there’s like a ton of things to do. And you don’t really have to do them. It’s like a million things to unlock. But you don’t have to, you know, that’s not really even much of a negative.
So I would say that the gameplay in general, super fun. All the different spells and the power curve, getting stronger and stronger, feels really good.
And I think the story is very important and super helpful for people who have been depressed, it covers heavy themes, and it hasn’t gotten much coverage of that. I mean, it came at a perfect time for me, actually recently told a friend about it. And you know, you could tell that it affected him just hearing about the story. Yeah, you know, because a lot of us are feeling down and depressed and, you know, just having issues.
And so I think that got, like left behind when it came to the kind of clickbait articles that went up about swearing got seen or whatever. So nobody does any. Yeah, but it was about a woman who went through life had a lot of, you know, problems. And then at the same time, the game holds the whole game starts with her, like not knowing if she wants to continue, you know, she’s standing on a bridge, and it’s pretty rough.
But the ending, minor spoiler, which is actually helpful for people that want to play the game is all about this idea of redemption and, and trying and making a go at it. And you know, against all odds. So this game is awesome. I really like it.
And it’s an 8.5.
23:29
BRAD: Right, excellent. I will mark that down. That is the official So Videogames podcast score, I’ll get the write up this afternoon. 8.5. That is a very respectable score.
23:40
CARLOS: Yeah, the only reason is just the sum of that. Because the world is so huge. And because there’s weakness resistance in kind of comes in, it just kind of slows down the progress of it. All right, both of those things. Because if those things weren’t in the game, in my opinion, there’s a sidebar, I probably would have been able to to mainline the campaign quicker, right. And that’s all I wanted to do. And I really enjoyed the bosses and I really enjoyed the story parts. So that kind of just stopped it from being like a nine or 10 or something, you know. So anyways, more streamlining would have helped.
BRAD: But overall sounds like a very excellent experience that you recommend, that you actually got me very excited about. I was only kind of like lukewarm on it, although I did like the combat from the demo, but the rest of it kind of gave me pause. But after hearing you talk, I think I’m pretty sold. I’m gonna try to get that in my PlayStation as soon as I can. So this sounds like, sounds like a win for sure. Super cool.
All right, there it is, the official score for Forspoken, 8.5.
So Videogames Official Score: 8.5/10
Developer: Luminous Productions
Publisher: Square-Enix
Platform Reviewed: PS5
ESRB Rating: M – Mature
Colorblind Modes: there are no colorblind modes.
Subtitles: Subtitles can be altered and resized.
Controls: Controls can be remapped.
Transformers fan. MOTU stan. Black Lives Matter, pro-LGBTQIA. Anti-fascist.
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