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There are always a variety of protagonists in the game, and each character will not easily assume the responsibility of the protagonist. Sometimes they have to take on a mission, and sometimes their sense of honor and virtue drive them to make that decision. Some characters may even decide to assume the responsibility of the protagonist because of their greed and arrogance. But whatever the reason, the decision requires a great deal of courage and confidence, and for players, finding out why they are the protagonists is part of the game's fun.
Frey Holland, voiced by actress Ella Balinska (who starred in "Thunderbolt Baby"), is the protagonist of Forspoken. At first, Frey is just an ordinary young woman, but suddenly one day, she magically crosses from her home in New York to a magical continent of "Aixia", after which she begins a journey to find herself, and at the same time must constantly make herself stronger, so that the world is protected from a mysterious poisonous fog "Break", which constantly harms humans and animals here, and has been destroying the continent. Recently, we interviewed Luminous Productions to learn about their creative ideas for the heroine of the game, Frey, and her unusual heroic image. After reading this article, you can have a deeper understanding of this game.
The immediate challenge
When Luminous Productions was preparing to conceive the protagonist of Forspoken, he asked the screenwriter to create a flawed, convincing character that is simply the same as ordinary people. Screenwriter Allison Rymer said: "Initially, Frey didn't care or empathize with people at all. She suffered a lot of setbacks and could only live with difficulty. So we need to find our own value with her."
Frey grew up in a foster home, so she had to force herself to grow up fast, and then she began to struggle in New York to support herself. At the beginning of the game, she is at the low point of her life and is very lonely, only her kitten accompanies her. Another screenwriter, Todd Stashwick, said, "Growing up in a place like Hell's Kitchen was a tough thing to do, and she was left to live entirely on her own. And she's very strong in this part of New York, not only for herself, but for her kittens."
According to Rymer, the scars inflicted on Frey in the past don't go away, and it's the past experiences that make her what she is now. Rymer also mentioned: "Foster care is not entirely a bad thing for Frey, but it does make it difficult for her to feel the value of her own existence, and she is desperate to integrate into others and have a home of her own, which is what she has always wanted." 」
But with the exception of a kitten, Frey hasn't been able to get help from anyone, so she's been making the wrong choices; the trailer has hinted that she appears to be being sent to jail. She makes mistakes just like everyone else, and in the game, she often says inappropriate things and does something wrong. Stashwick explains: "She may have no way out now, both physically and psychologically. So at this turning point in her life, she began to judge herself in her heart, to examine her life and direction. And we extend this metaphor to her plot and external situation. In order to reflect Frey's growth, she must first be in a more depressed situation than the average protagonist."
Enter the land of wonder
Frey, who is at a low point in her life, desperately needs to jump out of her life, but Rymer reminds us: "There is an old saying that goes, you need to be cautious when you make a wish." Soon after, Frey is teleported to the fantasy medieval continent of Aixia, where she gains not only magical abilities, but also fights against evil witches and dragons. And she will not be eroded by "Break", and she will discover the mysteries in the subsequent journey. Although this gave her an advantage in saving the world, she did not quickly enter the role. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, she just wants to go home.
Stashwick thinks Forspoken is very similar to "Mistakenly Breaking into Arthur's Palace." But even though the scenery has changed dramatically, and there are still a lot of difficulties that distract her, Frey can't get away from the problems that New York has caused her. Stashwick points out that Frey has a realistic and very modern sensibility, which is in great conflict with the fantasy continent of "Aixia". "The feeling of abandonment and insecurity that Frey got from New York accompanied her to Axia," he says. So even though the world is full of wonderful landscapes and magic and dragons, she still faces everything according to her past attitudes and ideas. She's adapting to the new world and the abilities she's being given in her own way."
Frey may be able to cast magic, but she's not sure she's ready to take on the big mission of saving the world. No one even wants to take this risk for her, so why should she step up to help a group of strangers? Although the scenery of Aixia is pleasing to the eye, this mission is too dangerous to face in all kinds of darkness. And she herself was very eager to leave the place, though she herself was not sure.
She also felt as if everything had been magnified in this strange place. Stashwick said, "Aihia is actually a very 'real' fantasy continent. The conditions here are harsh, and even if the environment is even worse, the conflicts and difficulties people face here are exactly the same as those they would have to face in New York. What Frey now has to face is not just her own problem, but a problem that concerns the lives of many other people."
Our protagonist
The game spends a lot of time talking about how Frey has grown into a veritable protagonist while trying to overcome his demons. Rymer said, "Frey wasn't determined to be Aisha's savior from the start. First, she didn't know if she wanted to take on the mission or what she could do. Secondly, some of the people inside Aixia did not want her to save Aixia. But after she got to know some of the Ehiyas, she also realized that these people were worth her own efforts to save. And her abilities may be the only hope for this group."
Frey is so burdened with great responsibility, doing her best to grow, and humor has become a powerful weapon in the face of the huge difficulties ahead. Both Stashwick and Ryme mention that humor is actually a way people use to alleviate pain when faced with difficulties. For them, the image of being able to speak wittily while fighting a powerful enemy is even more real. Stashwick further explains, "In order to make Frey more in line with a real modern female figure, it is natural for her to have some humorous reactions when faced with such an absurd situation. Deliberately avoiding funny content can be counterproductive."
Rymer is also quick to add that while Frey's sense of humor is a good counteract to the darkness he felt during his life, humor can't fight everything and definitely can't save Aihia. "Humor is like an armor that can stop her from getting caught up in negative emotions. It was as if all the negative stuff had bounced off. But once it was time to face the real problem, her weapon was no longer effective. A joke or two can no longer protect her, she has to face everything that is happening in front of her, and it is not easy."
Frey will fall into adversity in some unexpected places. And her adversity was so much that Stashwick concluded with a laugh: "A gang of gangsters from Hell's Kitchen, the legal system of New York City, the Congress of Aixia, the evil Tantas, her doubts about herself, the terrible beast and a dragon."
Rymer added: "Frey will also face the xenophobia of the people of Aixia. After all, for Aixia, she was an outsider. Some welcomed her, but others were afraid of her and therefore began to exclude her. Frey also needs to brave his own feelings of insecurity. Because she is always used to building a wall between others and pushing away all those who are close to her."
Face reality
In Forspoken, fantasy and reality collide, and that collision has to happen in order for Frey to grow into the person she really needs to be. While many players are looking forward to unleashing powerful magical attacks and freely navigating the fantasy continent, the more important thing is to witness the character's gradual transformation.
From the responses of the two screenwriters in the interview, we can feel that they are trying to tell a story about human nature. As Rymer puts it, "We want to tell a story about human nature through Frey's eyes." Even in the most desperate times, we believe in the existence of hope and goodness. Sometimes we only need to make a small help, but sometimes, maybe we have to teleport to a strange world and use all our strength to bring hope and kindness to others."
Wonderful cat
For Frey, Homer the kitten is her only family, and the trailer clearly shows the love between them. And their emotional bondage not only affects the heartstrings of the audience, Homer even steals the limelight of the protagonist. The writers assured homer that there would be absolutely no misfortune and that her role was to bring love to Frey's life.
Allison Rymer said, "Frey's relationship with Homer is very important. They both have unconditional love for each other. Homer accompanied Frey through everything. Likewise, Frey is willing to give everything for Homer. The affection between them also laid the foundation for the love and respect that Frey had always desired."
Todd Stashwick agrees with Homer's importance, saying, "Homer is the only thing that makes Frey feel needed, and it also gives her a little goal, and she needs Homer very much." The relationship between them also reflects the broader and more important themes and perspectives that the game wants to express."
We also asked if there was any connection between the kitten and the famous ancient Greek poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, and whether that connection had anything to do with the theme of the game. Stashwick replied, "This is where Frey's epic journey to Odyssey begins."
Translation: Ken Sang
Edit: Tonkotsu ramen