It looks like the mixed reception for the PlayStation 5 demo of Forspoken has succeeded if Square Enix's goal was to receive player feedback ahead of the game's launch.
Forspoken is arguably Square Enix and Luminous Productions' most ambitious project in a long while if not ever. As an entirely new IP with presumably the same kind of budget as a mainline Final Fantasy game, a lot is pinning on Forspoken. So, a demo is an excellent way to send out feelers to a mass audience to find out what else needs tweaking. In that sense, the PS5-only demo of Forspoken is actually a stroke of genius.
According to Forspoken's official account, the developers will use player feedback to make improvements to the game. The changes will include "increased text, button mapping" and fixing the "HDR issues that some players are experiencing."
It's amazing to see so many of you enjoying your time in Athia with the #Forspoken Demo on PS5.
We're listening to all your feedback and can confirm that the full game will have increased text size, button mapping and will fix the HDR issues that some players are experiencing. pic.twitter.com/eKopx8UgCW
— Forspoken (@Forspoken) December 21, 2022
The changes are evident almost immediately, and we're excited to learn what else Luminous has in store for Forspoken ahead of its launch.
When you consider that the demo only came out a few weeks ago, with more changes also coming over the next few weeks, Luminous deserves props for its hard work. Although day-one or launch fixes are very common these days, it's commendable for developers to go the extra mile and ask for player feedback ahead of a game's launch. Keep in mind that this isn't the first time Square Enix has launched a demo ahead of a game's release.
Titles such as Outriders and Valkyrie Elysium, among others, benefited from such free-to-play trials. Fingers crossed, Square Enix will confirm a demo for Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, ahead of their respective launches on the PS5 next year.
As for Forspoken, we'll have to wait and see how PS5 owners are receiving the incoming changes. With a little over a month to go before Forspoken hits store shelves, there's plenty of time for you to decide if it's for you and for Luminous to fix the game to make it appeal to a wider audience.
