Square Enix’s Project Athia gets a new trailer and its official name, Forspoken

Square Enix has confirmed that the title formerly known as Project Athia is officially called Forspoken.

Billed as “a narrative-driven adventure set in a beautiful yet cruel world,” the game sees players take on the role of Frey Holland, “an ordinary young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in the fantastical yet dangerous land of Athia”.

The lead character is portrayed by English actress Ella Balinska, who is known for starring in 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.”

Forspoken is the debut title from the Japanese publisher’s new Luminous Productions studio, a developer formed by members of the Final Fantasy XV team in 2018.

The game has been described as a “story-led” and “otherworldly adventure”, with a writing team led by Rogue One’s Gary Whitta.

A teaser trailer aired during a PS5 software reveal showcase in the summer of 2020 featured a mixture of environmental traversal and combat.

Further reading

1

Square Enix’s Project Athia confirmed as a two-year PS5 console exclusive

Original IP won’t release for Xbox until at least 24 months after PS5, marketing reveals

Forspoken is scheduled for release on PS5 and PC in 2022, and it will reportedly be a PlayStation console exclusive for two years

The Forspoken name and trailer were revealed during the first Square Enix Presents digital games showcase on Thursday.

The event was also used to announce the next Life is Strange game, True Colors, which is coming in September 2021 in a single release rather than being split into episodes like its predecessors

Life is Strange and its prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm are also getting remasters later this year.