The voice actress forForspoken’sprotagonist has offered a rather refreshing perspective on her experience with the open-world title and its subsequent fallout. Ella Balinska, who voices Frey Holland, spoke about the intense reactions from some that have criticized the dialogue inForspokenfor being “cringe,” and says she understands their reservations.
Many were skeptical about Square Enix’s next triple-A release long before marketing forForspokenbegan to intensify, and a short promotional clip being mocked into the stratosphere did not help matters. Inspired by the popular Isekai genre of anime,Forspokentakes a young New Yorker and transports her into the magical land of Athia. Although most trailers were routinely critiqued for a style of writing that many have seemingly grown tired of, one was universally panned. A montage of gameplay was paired with an edited voice-over from Frey, astonished by the presence of “freaking dragons” and how she was conversing with a cuff wrapped around her arm. Nonetheless, beyond all the harsh wordslevied atForspokenand its writing, Balinska could not be happier.
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During an interview with The Verge, she posited that players may not be used to seeing a protagonist that is “so bold, so unapologetic,” and that while phrases such as “I just moved s*** with my mind” may come off as cringe, Balinska puts that down to humans themselves often being just as cringe. She explains that her performance was intended to capture Frey’s distinct voice, a decision that makes even more sense when players are facedwith a certain choice at the end ofForspoken. Contrary to many protagonists who are thrust into an unfamiliar world, Frey is not only blunt about her desire to leave and not be burdened by the struggles of others, but can choose to abandon Athia and return home.
But Balinska considers Frey a character who is all talk, protecting herself behind a veneer of confidence, and someonethat would stand up for the people of Athia. DespiteForspokenseemingly not landing all too well with players, Balinska is far removed from any of the disappointment, instead opting to “reference my eight-year-old-self whenever I talk about something I’m really proud of doing.” She wishes that her performance can inspire others with aspirations that if “they commit to the bit hard enough,” miracles can happen.
Many would concur with the pride Balinska feels, as it is widely considered she did her best in the face of less-than-stellar writing. Unfortunately forForspoken, Tango Gameworks’Hi-Fi Rushwas released with no marketing the day after, and the comparisons have not been favorable. Although the rhythm-based action game also features dialogue that some have labeled cringe,Hi-Fi Rush’s brilliantly ludicrous world means it feels right at homeand is not immersion-breaking like inForspoken.
Forspokenis available now for PC and PS5.
