Part of me was sad In Tanta We Trust didn’t even get a mention in the recent PlayStation showcase.

Forspoken kicked the year off as a major third-party PlayStation console exclusive. There was a ton of attention, a bunch of marketing, and lots of expectations around the title.

Sadly, the game seems to have underperformed sales wise and PlayStation interest has cooled. But having just rolled credits on the game’s first DLC, following a major patch that addresses many of the issues people had, it seems a shame for a game that’s building renewed momentum for itself.

How to Play

Once purchased and downloaded, the content can be accessed from the main menu at any point. You do not need to have completed the Forspoken campaign. Simply tap Add On Content and you’ll enter a seperate menu for In Tanta We Trust.

---

In Tanta We Trust is an interesting piece of content. On the one hand, it serves as something of an epilogue for the base game, so it’s recommended you finish Forspoken’s campaign before you play.

That said, it mostly works as a prequel, set 25 years before Frey arrives in Athia. In the opening moments, she hears a voice which leads her toward a blinding light. A light that time travels her back to the Purge of the Rheddig and puts her in the body of Thalia, a guard of one of the Tanta.

The content almost serves as a refresher for those who played Forspoken already, but actually, it’s also a great introduction to the game. Thalia has a similar move set to Frey and across the game’s three-hour campaign, you can get a good feel for all of it in a short space of time. A great way to prepare for a 50-60 hour adventure.

Different this time is that Frey has a bit of extra support in the form of Tanta Cinta. You can combine your abilities to take on groups of enemies, wiping them out in a single hit. Using Fusion Magic, for instance, can even take half of a bosses health bar if you time everything correctly.

It’s an interesting approach because Frey is fully aware she’s reliving someone elses memories and injects some of the modern-day humour we came to expect from the base game, as well as some story content that may help fill in some of the blanks.

There is still a little bit of back and forth again between Frey and Cuff – which may or may not be music to your ears – but this time around the real spotlight is on the conversations with Cinta. Those who know the story can probably guess what some of those story beats might be, but in an effort to make sure time isn’t altered, certain topics will be off-limits.

Some dialogue is a bit clunky, though, and the crux of the story also ventures down an unexpected path that’s never really explored or elaborated upon despite the timely, controversial nature of the subject matter.

Also, as mentioned, this DLC is short, barely clocking in at three hours across three chapters, with the mid part being the most fulfilling. Though the content barely stops for breath, from start to finish. In that sense, it’s a good ride, difficult to put down and keeps itself interesting through plot and gradually developing mechanics.

Players get a small group of abilities derived from various life trees across the map. These are usually guaraded by a throw of enemies which you need to fight through and clear. Once down, you can absorb the tree and then rest up at a campfire.

Once you have a cluster of abilities, you can then purchase them using orbs and assign yourself to them in order to maximise their potential. These usually require you to fulfill some condition using that ability, like killing x amount of enemies while using that attack or dodging incoming attacks with magic.

It’s a really clever way to get you to use all the abilities in the game, but also to ensure you keep attacks fresh, fast and fluid.

The game has a steady, consistent flow it gets into, with traversal through parkour one of the most satisfying parts of the game – and of many other games quite honestly. I loved cruising around, collecting, fighting, it all just gels together really well.

And it reminds me that there is a great game within Forspoken – one we intend to revisit now the latest patch has gone live. It also seems as if the team isn’t done with the series, with a major tease toward the end of where the franchise could go next.

This DLC is a shot in the arm for Forspoken and hopefully the incentive people need to check it out or revisit. The amount of content here might be a disappointment for those who are eager for a lot more, but what is here is good, well-designed, enjoyable and leaves you hungry for more.

There’s hope for Forspoken 2 yet.

Verdict

In Tanta We Trust is a short, sweet DLC that has a good flow and energy. It paints a picture of the wider world, making it more intriguing and compelling, and sets the scene for a future, even though that remains uncertain. Content size, occasionally clunky dialogue and no major changes in content from the base game may be offputting for some, but what is here makes for a solid, well-rounded addition to Forspoken, whether it serves as a continuation for a player or an entry point. 

---

Pros

---

Code kindly received from Square Enix for Review Purposes