Forspoken

Square Enix Is Accused Of Withholding Forspoken Review Codes

Square Enix

Written by

Tom Chapman

Published

20th Jan 2023 17:18

There are a lot of big games coming out in 2023, and when it comes to having the fantasy genre nailed, it looks like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has (probably) got that market cornered.

Elsewhere, Square Enix is trying to release Forspoken on PlayStation 5 and PC. It should be one of those new-gen giants that makes you realise why you splashed out on a PS5, but the emphasis on the should part of that sentence.

What's Going On With Forspoken?

Have now heard from (or about) 7 major outlets/reviewers who did not get review code for this. As always, no outlet is entitled to code but this ‘limited code’ is a huge red flag. I also haven’t heard of any outlet having access to PC code yet (but can’t confirm this). https://t.co/XXAs3MYgxE
— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) January 20, 2023

Posting on Twitter, account @SkillUpYT says they know of multiple major outlets not getting a review code for Forspoken. Although it's unclear why, it's not a good look for Square Enix.

Reviews are usually sent ahead of time, meaning journalists can tear through the campaign and provide a full review ahead of release. The problem is, Forspoken releases on January 24, with the review embargo lifting just one day before.

Discussing the situation, VGC's Andy Robinson said, "That's an extremely rare occurrence for us, so read into it how you like." Obviously, you can't count on a review code, with them usually being handed out based on site size or relationship with the PR company.

Still, to see so many big names missing the cut (so far), we're right to question what's going on. Namely, there are chuckles that Forspoken just might not be very good and if it's released to the gaming press, it'll be ripped apart just days before launch.

At the moment, it seems influencers are being begged to sign up for launch day codes. The situation likely wasn't helped by shaky footage from the first hour leaking early online and was quickly scrubbed by Square Enix.

Is Forspoken Already Doomed?

It's a shame, as Forspoken is made up of those who worked on Final Fantasy XV, the debut outing from Luminous Productions, which promised so much.

Even though it's too early to write off Forspoken, it's on an uneven footing right now. There's more controversy, with Forspoken's beefy specs being almost unheard of.

We know we're in a new generation of gaming, but having "recommended" 24 GB of RAM for just 30 FPS is wild. Taking that up a notch, the ultra specs need a pc-melting 32 GB of RAM. Couple it with 150 GB of SSD space and it's quite the credentials for a game that's looking a little wobbly out of the box.

Alongside our fears that Forspoken would be delayed into 2023 came true, the various trailers were called out for hokey dialogue that some joked sounded like it was from a Joss Whedon movie.

Remember, 2022 was a bumper year for PlayStation when God of War Ragnarok flexed its muscles. This year is supposed to follow suit with the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Square Enix's other big hitter that is Final Fantasy XVI.

It could be a case of Square Enix spreading itself too thin, and to be honest, we'd probably be putting all of our efforts into Final Fantasy XVI too.

About the author

Tom Chapman

Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.

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