Forspoken goes viral for all the wrong reasons as gamers ridicule “cringe” dialogue

Eleni Thomas
Forspoken viral header image

The gaming community has been ripping the latest Forspoken trailer to shreds after it included stunted and awkward dialogue that fans are now turning into a viral meme.

Forspoken dropped a new trailer ahead of its January 2023 release. The game will be a big, open-world RPG and is being developed by Square Enix. Though while recent trailer boasts impressive visuals and an immersive world, that isn’t what viewers took away from it.

Since dropping the trailer, Forspoken has been going viral because of the “cringe” dialogue it included. It has now been watched almost 3 million times online, more than any other trailer or footage that the devs have dropped for the game previously.

In the trailer, protagonist Frey’s voiceover is what had fans immediately gravitated to for the wrong reasons.

“So let me get this straight. I’m somewhere that’s not what I would call earth. I’m seeing freaking dragons. And…oh yeah, I’m talking to a cuff. Yeah okay, that is something I do now. I do magic, kill jacked-up beasts. I’ll probably fly next,” the character said.

Online, fans have been commenting and furthering this meme in a similar fashion to how the internet treated Sony’s 2022 film Morbius. One twitter user even called the game “Morbius 2” in reference to how the internet responded to the trailer’s contents.

The main criticism the dialogue is facing is how it seems as though it has been taken straight out of an early 2000s teen drama TV show. How protagonist Frey appears to have a monologue going at all times, articulating everything they see and expressing extreme surprise.

Many have even been drawing comparisons between Forspoken’s dialogue and the work of director Joss Whedon. Whedon of course being the mind behind the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the first Avengers movie, and the theatrical release of Justice League. 

Voice actor and YouTube content creator SungWon Cho has already made a TikTok about the trailer. In it, he pointed out how ridiculous the dialogue is when it is added and applied to other video games.

This isn’t the first time Forspoken has come under fire online. After receiving major delays, players began to grow wary of the quality of the game. As well as this, many have voiced concern over the way the game appears to be misrepresenting its protagonist, a person of color.

Forspoken is set to release on January 24, 2023. For all the latest news and updates on the game ahead of its release, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

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About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a Senior Writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com