Forspoken has been rated 18 for ‘strong language, alcohol use and in-game purchases’

Forspoken, the upcoming game from Square Enix has been rated in Europe by PEGI, and has received an 18 rating.

According to the rating board, this is due to the “use of strong language (‘f**k’), as well as milder terms,” as well as violence, both realistic and in the fantasy setting.

The use of alcohol and the inclusion of in-game purchases are also cited as reasons for the rating. “The player’s character can order alcoholic drinks at a bar. The drinks affect the player’s statistics, but do so in a random manner with negative outcomes possible,” claims the PEGI website.

According to PEGI, “the game also includes scenes of realistic violence, including a woman being set upon by a group of thugs who punch and kick her and hold a gun to her head. There is also violence against fantasy characters, who are knocked backwards by attacks and bleed yellow blood.”

The rating board also highlights that at one point in the game, it appears that the main character plans to drunkenly take her own life, before being saved by a mysterious entity.

Announced in June 2020, Forspoken is the debut game from Square’s Luminous Productions studio. It will reportedly be a PlayStation console exclusive for two years.

The lead character Frey is portrayed by English actress Ella Balinska, who is known for starring in 2019 film Charlie’s Angels.

Following a delay, the game will now release on October 11, 2022.

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In VGC’s recent preview, we said that Forspoken had the chance to be a “PS5 showpiece”.

“Coming from the team behind Final Fantasy XV, which revolutionised Final Fantasy combat, by making it actually fun to play is a great sign. The various abilities that have been teased in the footage seem to point to a game with a lot of variety, but how much of that will make into the final experience is yet to be seen.”