All difficulty settings in Forspoken and how they work

After multiple delays, Forspoken, the latest action role-playing game (RPG) from Square Enix and Luminous Productions, has finally been released. Keeping in line with Square Enix's previous action RPGs, including some Final Fantasy titles, Forspoken features several difficulty levels tailored towards different skill levels.

Revealed in 2020, during the PlayStation 5 showcase event under "Project Athia," it was among some of the most highly-awaited PlayStation 5 titles.

Luminous Productions, who previously developed Final Fantasy XV, implemented a similar difficulty system in Forspoken, but with more options, bringing their title closer to most modern action-adventure games.

Forspoken has several accessibility options that allow players to tweak and adjust the game according to their preferences. Here is a breakdown of all difficulty levels in Forspoken and how they affect gameplay.

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List of all difficulty options in Forspoken

Forspoken comes with four difficulty levels, which are immediately accessible to players. Luminous Productions' previous fantasy role-playing game, Final Fantasy XV, also had a similar set of levels. However, the hardest preset could only be unlocked by completing the main story on easy or normal difficulty.

The four difficulty levels, including the hardest presets, are available for players to choose from the get-go and can be changed anytime from the options menu. This is handy for players looking to start the game on harder difficulty modes but might want to tone it down a notch at a later point.

Here is a breakdown of all four difficulty levels in Square Enix and Luminous Productions' latest action role-playing title:

Focus on the Story

• This mode is for players who want very little in terms of a challenge regarding the gameplay and prefer to sit back and enjoy the fascinating world and story of Frey and her adventures in Athia.

Explore the Open World

• Much like, Focus on the Story, Explore the Open World difficulty is tailored towards players that want little resistance in combat, but won't mind a bit of a challenge when it comes to platforming and parkouring through the open world of Athia.
• This difficulty is a cut above Focus on the Story difficulty. However, players experienced with action games will find it fairly easy and can enjoy the open-world exploration segments and the narrative.

Take Part in Challenging Battles

• This difficulty is tailored for the veterans of the action role-playing game genre. If players are looking for a challenging combat experience that tests their skills and efficient use of Frey's magical and parkour abilities, this is the perfect difficulty.

Default

• This is the game's normal difficulty, with a balanced gameplay experience. It is ideal for players looking to enjoy the narrative alongside a mildly challenging combat experience.

The accessibility options (Image via Square Enix, Luminous Studios)

The game allows players to tweak elements of gameplay such as item gathering and spell-switching to their personal preference.