This is a problem that the franchise, and Square Enix-published titles at large, have long struggled with. Almost everything falls somewhere on the fantasy spectrum between Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.Īnother highly-anticipated Square Enix RPG coming in 2023, Final Fantasy XVI, is a mature story set in a western medieval fantasy world with virtually no diversity whatsoever. Too often fantasy worlds feel influenced by a specific set of western medieval tropes. Women and people of color are prominent in Forspoken’s world. She is one of us.īut the care in building Frey’s character extends to the development of Athia’s personality as well. I can imagine running into her at the bodega in the morning ordering a bacon, egg, and cheese, or knocking back a beer during happy hour at Cubbyhole. She may seem ridiculous, but she also seems totally real. They are a pair of stylish sneakers that the game explains are from an up-and-coming brand in New York that Frey spent time waiting in line to purchase. One of her key character designs is her shoes. New York’s culture and specific nuances get constantly examined by so many pieces of media that most people might get it - no matter how ridiculous and unfair anti-Jersey sentiments may seem to outsiders.Įven as Frey becomes more invested in Athia, she still oozes New Yorker from head to toe – literally.

I found myself greatly enjoying them but couldn’t help but wonder how this would read to a larger audience. Here we have a woman who may be facing a sentence in a fantasy prison, who was also recently almost getting mauled by a dragon, and her strongest emotional reaction happens when a sentient bracelet suggests she might be from New Jersey.įrey’s many quips are hyper-specific to New York City culture. He can never make this mistake ever again. “New York and Newark are not the same thing!” she chastises him. Cuff has a hard time grasping the city’s name and confuses it with “Newark.” For Frey - and most diehard New Yorkers - there is no greater insult.

Frey informs Cuff (her talking … cuff) that she found him in New York. And, as is true of most residents of the greatest city in the world (fight me!), she can’t shut up about New York when she isn’t actually there.Ī particularly memorable interaction sent me into a fit of laughter so loud that everyone in the room began staring. Square Enix New York state of mindĮven though the only hint of New York I got during my preview was a short look at the Holland Tunnel, the city looms large in Forspoken as the object of Frey’s mission.

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