The brand of Forspoken heavily leans on its unique use of magic. It's certainly hard to compare the game's combat to anything else; few other action RPGs emphasize the player character's knack for sorcery in this way. Forspoken seems to have a unique handle on this style of combat, and while the final results remain to be seen, Forspoken definitely looks like something that could guide a series of other magic-heavy RPGs. While game developers may try to make original IPs that are heavy in magic, some developers would be wise to turn to well-established IPs and try applying the Forspoken formula to their characters.
The Lord of the Rings seems like an ideal franchise to adapt in this way. Among the franchise's most iconic characters are the Istari, a group of five wizards including Gandalf and Saruman who guide Middle-earth towards good with their wisdom and remarkable powers. Although the wizards of The Lord of the Rings don't show off their magical prowess all too much in the book, other adaptations have shown the potential within these wizards. Forspoken happens to weave a combination of magical mechanicals and fish-out-of-water storytelling that could be ideal for a Lord of the Rings game about the Istari's origins.
Forspoken as a Wizarding Blueprint
The combat in Forspoken is obviously a major potential influence on a game about LotR's wizards. Frey Holland possesses a unique ability to weave a wide variety of spells into combat, ranging from conjured weapons and minions to earth-shattering explosions. Lord of the Rings' wizards don't generally possess such a wide range of powers, but a game inspired by Forspoken could allow players to switch between the five wizards, giving them all unique sets of magical abilities. Gandalf might focus on his mastery of fire, Radagast could wield a variety of nature-themed powers, and so on. Whether players only control one wizard at a time or regularly switch between party members during action sequences, dividing magic in this way could set the game apart from Forpsoken well.
Forspoken's story concept seems like a good inspiration for a Lord of the Rings game as well. In Forspoken, Frey Holland is a stranger to Athia, but she takes it upon herself to help the land's denizens anyway. A Lord of the Rings game about the wizards in their first days in Middle-earth could have a very similar tone. The wizards are angelic beings called Maiar who were sent to Middle-earth to help mortals defeat the tyrannical Sauron, and that narrative creates a great opportunity for a video game. Much like how Frey has to familiarize herself with Athia, a Lord of the Rings game about the wizards could focus on their attempts to gain Middle-earth's trust before battling Sauron.
A New Lord of the Rings Story
The timing couldn't be better for a magic-heavy Lord of the Rings game, and not just because of the ideas that Forspoken provides. Lord of the Rings is also more visible than ever. The Rings of Power, a new TV show coming to Amazon, will tell a variety of new stories about early Middle-earth, while Daedalic Entertainment's The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is pushing the boundaries of LotR video games. Between these two products and Forspoken, the stars seem to have aligned for the Istari.
Even though fantasy RPGs have wielded magic as a major part of combat for many years, Forspoken has clearly broken new ground through its reliance on magic. No matter how Forspoken itself performs, it's an excellent proof of concept that other developers should take note of. Any studio looking to tell a story in Middle-earth could certainly consider borrowing design elements from Forspoken and making use of the wizards in a creative new way. Gandalf and his peers may be meant as guides to mortals, but they deserve time as central protagonists too.
Forspoken releases October 11, 2022 for PC and PS5.
