The Performance mode aims at 60fps but it has a difficult time maintaining optimal frames in some situations like when you’re in combat with a lot of magic effects.

There are three modes: Performance, Quality, and Ray Tracing Quality. It has improved a little since the demo was released but hopefully, Square Enix will give the players future updates to improve the quality of life or provide a better solution to the interface in order to make the experience more fluid. I’ve found myself annoyingly returning to the combat menu whenever the game requires it because of the impractical combat controls. Special attacks and combos are difficult to trigger and because of the impractical action menu, the combat is noticeably less fluid than in other action-oriented games. Melee combat is fantastic, but it won’t be available right away. You will start with long-ranged attacks, but as you progress through the game, you will unlock new actions.

It takes some practice to become accustomed to the combat controls. There is a multitude of content to see such as dungeons and puzzles in the game and unique side quests that add value to the deep lore of the story. There are greatly designed areas to check which makes traveling enjoyable and a feast for the eyes. I have found myself wandering around aimlessly because the magic parkour mechanic is great. Traversing around Athia is the main strength of this game. If there’s one thing that the developers nailed, it is the high fantasy setting of the game which is highly commendable because of the stage and costume design that provided a mysterious ambiance in the game. The main story is somewhat similar to other open-world role-playing games that feel stale and overused defeat all of the main bosses, which will give you additional tools in your arsenal to explore the world. Though there are a few standout ones such as Vambrace, an overly talkative sentient bracelet who will guide you throughout your stay in Athia. Unfortunately, some of the characters feel generic, but they will be a great plot tool for us to see.

It’s fantastic how the writers creatively demonstrated the social similarities between Earth and Athia.

The game’s narrative will definitely tug at your heartstrings, with heavy tones alluding to the social injustices of a broken caste system. Despite being an original story, it is clear that the game’s narrative heavily borrowed elements from classics such as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.

Forspoken demo review