'Forspoken' release date, details: Can Frey reverse the Break's corruption of the Tantas?

With the "Forspoken" release date set to arrive a couple of weeks from now, gamers are already excited to try out one of the unique titles to launch in 2023. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the game is that the protagonist will be up against the Tantas, once benevolent beings who turned bad.

'Forspoken' setting, plot

"Forspoken" is an open-world fantasy game that follows an unwilling heroine, Frey Holland, the game's one and only playable character. For an unknown reason, Frey was suddenly transported from New York to a magical land called Athia.

Athia was once a peaceful and beautiful land, but all that changed when a mysterious force called the Break started corrupting it. The once paradisiacal eventually turned into a corrupted version of itself, and even its creatures turned into monsters as the corruption of the Break continued to spread.

Frey becomes the Tantas' enemy

Miraculously, Frey appears to be immune to the Break's corruption. This fact allows her to start looking for ways to go back to New York.

Unfortunately for her, a group of powerful beings called the Tantas were made aware of her arrival in Athia. One of them, Tanta Sila, accused Frey of trespassing on her territory and Frey becomes the enemy in their eyes, according to the PlayStation Blog.

Her plan of returning home is temporarily put on hold as there's no way they'd just let Frey go. It soon becomes apparent that the only way she could even start to contemplate how to return home is to defeat her powerful enemies first.

From benevolent guardians to despotic rulers

The Tantas used to be a group of benevolent matriarchs who ruled over their respective territories fairly before the appearance of the Break, according to GameRant. However, the Break's corruption slowly twisted their virtues into vices.

For instance, the "Tanta of Strength, Tanta Sila, was once the protector of the land from outside threats and commanded the army. She displayed unparalleled prowess on the battlefield and fought on the front line. However, the corruption changed her into a cruel despot who will mercilessly eliminate anyone who offends her.

The "Tanta of Justice," Tanta Prav was once known for her uncanny ability to judge right from wrong and was the one responsible for Athia's judicial system. Unfortunately, the Break's corruption changed her into a callous executioner whose sense of justice has been warped.

Aside from those details, it is still unknown if the Tantas have some hierarchy among them aside from Tanta Sila, who is known to be the most powerful. What is known is that they all share the same goal of stopping Frey.

The choice of the Tantas as the antagonists is interesting as it highlights the possibility of positive traits becoming harmful when taken to extremes. But the game presents an even more interesting question to ponder. Can Frey reverse the Break's corruption of the Tantas?