Forspoken has received its first DLC titled In Tanta We Trust and it takes some of the best parts of the game, crams them into a tight box, and gives you a few hours of fun. The new story takes place 25 years before the events of the campaign and ends on a fantastic setup for future stories in this world. Not only is the story smaller and more comprehensive but there are additional gameplay mechanics that expand on what the campaign introduced.
The better side of magic
The DLC kept what I enjoyed most from the base game, like the magic parkour system and high-speed combat, while smartly doing away with the overwhelming number of spells and a large map. At the start of the DLC, Frey loses her magic and it is replaced by a new form of yellow magic which streamlines her moveset to a ranged and melee attack.
Outside of the standard attacks, you also have support spells that can freeze enemies for a short period of time. As you progress, you get more spells but they never pile up to the point of feeling overwhelming, and you’re never forced to switch spell trees. This keeps everything focused and takes the needless complexity of the combat away.
Along with your spells, you are now accompanied by Tanta Cinta. Cinta aids you in combat by casting spells of her own and will perform combos when you freeze one of your foes. The introduction of a companion helped make the combat feel more interactive and gave an extra layer to it without going overboard.
A condensed map and story
Eventually, you get the chance to explore an open part of Visoria. Without the break shards being everywhere, the map was easier to explore and the color was more vibrant. One of my biggest complaints about the main campaign was the amount of unnecessary space that had you exploring for hours with nothing of interest or value to find.
Everything in the DLC feels like it has a purpose and there are no unnecessary areas to explore. Along with this, there are only a few pieces of side content for you to complete which come in the form of enemy camps. Completing these will give you more Healing Draughts — an important tool for survival, though you can easily complete the story without them.
The story, though small, packed a lot of information about the early stages of the Break before the events of the campaign. Thanks to multiple notes and the introduction of new characters, the story turns out to be easy to follow without the need to down excess information that was present in the base game. It even got me with a surprise twist that I thought connected the DLC to the main game in a great way.
A small package
In a bit of a twist, my only complaint about the DLC is how small it actually is. I, for one, am someone who got enthralled with the magic parkour system and the combat. Zipping around the map and launching off buildings is a blast. It is a bit of a shame that the entire DLC lasts only three or four hours.
I would have loved for the DLC to have a bit larger map to explore. Near the start, they bring in Talismans only for there to be few to actually find. Along with that, when you finally get the chance to explore, the entire map can be seen within a few minutes. There are a lot of thrills to be had but the balance of content and story just doesn’t live up to the potential I believe this DLC had. Hopefully, the story they teased will include a bit more meat to make a possible sequel or second DLC a worthwhile purchase.
