With its DLC, Forspoken takes a rather interesting approach to both gameplay as well as story. In Tanta We Trust essentially throws you back into the past of Athia, just in time to witness the Purge of Rheddig—the event responsible for much of what went wrong in the world of Athia that we saw in the base game. The moment is so incredibly pivotal in the backstory of Athia that it essentially gave us the primary reason for the Tantas having gone insane in the main Forspoken campaign.

While the story continues to be a much weaker part of Forspoken than its gameplay even in the DLC, In Tanta We Trust still represents a massive uptick in quality when it comes to the writing of our protagonist Frey. Rather than coming off as an incredibly whiny character like in the original, In Tanta We Trust taking place after the events of Forspoken means that we have a Frey that’s much more mature, a lot less annoying. Despite her modernisms in speech still being present, they don’t seem nearly as annoying as constantly shouting expletives every time she fought monsters in the early parts of Forspoken.

Another interesting turn the story takes is by introducing a historical version of a pivotal character in Forspoken’s backstory—Tanta Cinta. Since the DLC expects that you’ve finished the base story of Forspoken, it’s quite quick to drop a major spoiler about Cinta from the moment you first meet her, but it is this very spoiler that makes her such an interesting character to feature so prominently in Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust.

"In Tanta We Trust still represents a massive uptick in quality when it comes to the writing"

When it comes to gameplay, the biggest addition in In Tanta We Trust is Cinta as Frey’s constant companion. Rather than just being a presence in the story, Cinta also actively takes part in the many battles you’ll fight. Her integration into the game’s combat is done in an interesting way. Her moveset revolves largely around supporting you and getting support from you. For example, if your health gets too low, she’ll teleport next to you and set up a barrier that blocks attacks and heals you and Frey can help her out by using attacks that freeze enemies, allowing Cinta to use attacks that deal massive damage.

When it comes to combat, Forspoken has never felt as good as it does in In Tanta We Trust. The DLC brings with it a host of new powers, and your new starting power giving you a melee option does a lot to make the combat start feeling good before getting to the mid-game point. The best ability that you get fairly early is undoubtedly Skewer, which basically allows you to throw a massive spear that can stun enemies, allowing Cinta to nail them with an Allied Strike for a frankly absurd level of damage.

One of the first things that happens to you In Tanta We Trust is the complete loss of all of your powers and abilities, with the DLC essentially acting as a reset to your power level. It makes sense in the context of the story, since you’re essentially inhabiting the body of a different person in the past. The downside of this is that you’ll be spending a large part of the DLC’s opening levels without your magical traversal abilities, making running through the repetitive corridors of the tutorial level more of a slog than it really should have been.

"Frey can help her out by using attacks that freeze enemies, allowing Cinta to use attacks that deal massive damage"

The lack of a massive open world also does wonders for In Tanta We Trust, since DLC now feels like an incredibly-tight, focused experience rather than the borderline-bloated mess that the base game felt like. Rather than chasing down random icons on the map for the sake of minor power-ups that don’t really feel rewarding, In Tanta We Trust is instead a short experience with a much smaller map, featuring clever encounter design and interesting traversal options.

Unfortunately, when it comes to pacing, In Tanta We Trust follows Forspoken in putting its worst foot forward. When it comes to first impressions, you’re not going to get a good one, since you’ll be stuck in an incredibly-linear tutorial level that constantly takes control away from you to show you things that just aren’t important. The opening level only really starts getting fun once you encounter your first Breakbeast of the DLC, and things quickly escalate in fun ways from there.

While it still features an open world, In Tanta We Trust’s scale is a lot smaller than that of the base game. This helps make the experience much tighter, giving you obvious objectives to go for. Sure, there are still smaller side objectives you can chase, but not only are there not as many of them in the DLC, but the power-ups they offer feel a lot more substantial than anything in the base game outside of unlocking new magical abilities.

"In Tanta We Trust’s scale is a lot smaller than that of the base game."

In Tanta We Trust ends up being one of those rare DLC releases that ends up surpassing its base game in terms of quality. Just about every aspect of the DLC feels like it was developed with the reviews and feedback the studio saw from Forspoken’s release in mind. The story focuses on interesting characters and events, and characters interacting with the protagonist won’t constantly make you cringe anymore. In terms of gameplay, you don’t have to worry about going through a checklist in an open world anymore, and the new spells and abilities you get are an absolute joy to use.

Despite taking place well after the events of Forspoken, it is interesting that the game allows you to start up In Tanta We Trust right from the main menu. Sure, you do get a warned that just about everything from the base game is off-limits when it comes to spoilers, and the opening minutes of the game prove just that with an important character from Forspoken showing up in In Tanta We Trust, but I’d still say that allowing new players to jump into the DLC is a strange choice.

On the bright side, at least the DLC is actually good. It builds on the excellent traversal and combat abilities you had in the base game, all while adding fun new options to play around with. Your new traveling companion might not be the most cheerful character you meet, but the utility they bring to the combat encounters in In Tanta We Trust makes them an absolutely welcome addition. Despite the quality of the DLC, however, I still have trouble recommending In Tanta We Trust, since you’d still have to pay for the not-as-good Forspoken. If you happen to already own the base game, however, In Tanta We Trust is an absolute no-brainer.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

With Cinta traveling alongside Frey, players gain access to new movement techniques. There are also new spells, like a miniature black hole that sucks in nearby foes. A massive new beast is showcased, which could be a new boss and an ominous voice talks about the “Gloaming” and how it leads to the destruction of Athia.

Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust is out on May 26th for PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for more details before its release. In the meantime, check out our review for the base game here. Sales were lackluster, unfortunately, and Luminous Productions merged with Square Enix. The DLC will be the team’s last project.

Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust will launch worldwide on May 26. The expansion will serve as a prequel to the base game’s story, taking place 25 years prior to its events. It will see Frey following a mysterious voice that transports her to the Purge of the Rheddig, the fateful battle that ravaged the land of Athia and caused the madness that the Tantas are plagued by in the game. Tanta Cinta will accompany her on her new journey, while the expansion will also add new magical abilities and environments.

Earlier this month, Square Enix confirmed that Forspoken had performed below expectations with lackluster sales, and that, as a result, developer Luminous Productions would be merged with Square Enix as a result.

Forspoken is available on PC and PS5. Read our review of the game through here.

To recap: Alfre Holland, or Frey, is a New Yorker who suddenly finds herself whisked to Athia thanks to a sentient magical bracelet that she calls Cuff. Once in Athia, Frey can use magic, but she’s quickly taken into custody by the people of Cipal. The country has seen better days – the Tantas have gone mad and oppressed the world while the mysterious Break corrupts the land, turning animals and people into monsters.

For some reason, Frey is immune. After escaping prison in Cipal (with some assistance from Auden, a citizen of Athia whose father researched the Break), she embarks on a journey. She’s not keen on saving the world or fighting the Tantas at first, but eventually, she rises to the occasion. So how does it all end?

Major spoilers follow from this point onwards. If you want to experience the story for yourself – which will take about eight hours if you rush through – then turn back now.

To the surprise of probably no one, Cuff is the main villain. Yes, the sentient bracelet. It was actually a bad guy. It’s hilarious but also horrifying.

Several years before the game’s events, the Tantas and Athians fought against the Rhedigg, an invading force. Though Athia won, the cost was great, with dwindling resources and growing unrest. A rift formed between the Tantas, which blinded them to the Rheddig’s “revenge,” as it were – Susurrus, a creature imprisoned by the first Tanta and now free to wreak havoc. The Tantas won the fight, containing Susurrus in bracelets that they wore. However, it would continue to taunt them, eventually driving them mad.

As the Tantas gradually lost their sanity, they distanced themselves to diffuse Susurrus’s strength. Of course, upon succumbing to corruption, they became tyrants. For example, Tanta Sila went on a spree of culling the weak in her kingdom, ensuring only the strong survived.

Frey’s mother was also a Tanta. Remember that dragon with a glowing red core in its chest? That’s her.

After the war with the Rhedigg, Tanta Cinta, Frey’s mother, ventured to New York and met her father, Al. Yes, Al. No, not that Al. One thing led to another, and Frey was born.

However, Susurrus arrived when Cinta was still carrying. After the Tantas imprisoned him, Cinta feared she would also be corrupted and potentially harm Frey. She opened a gate to New York and sent Frey there before finally succumbing and turning into a dragon. After being discovered in Holland Tunnel, Frey’s name is complete, and the rest is history.

However, when Cinta sent Frey to New York, her bracelet containing Susurrus detached itself and went along for the ride. Thus did Frey discover Cuff and make her way back to Athia, following the bracelet’s instructions and taking down the Tantas to unwittingly free it. Since she’s the daughter of a Tanta and inherits powers from all four, Frey doesn’t need Cuff to use them. Upon awakening her magical abilities, she regains each Tanta’s power while learning about past events, and proceeds to the final battle.

Before that, Frey is given a choice by Cinta to return to New York or to fight against Susurrus. Choosing the former takes her back to the city, where she’s abruptly shown reuniting with her cat Homer before asking, “Where do we go now?”

The latter sees Frey returning to Cipal, confronting Cuff for his susness and engaging in battle while riding Cinta’s dragon form. However, Susurrus has the power of lasers and birds. Cinta protects Frey from a devastating attack and eventually helps awaken her power, thus creating Tanta Frey. Upon defeating Susurrus, Frey entraps its final shred of being in her right hand.

Frey is celebrated as a hero in Cipal – three weeks pass, and she takes part in a lantern rite-style festival, honoring her mother. Throughout, she sees what seem to be ghosts of the Tantas Sila, Prave, Olas and Cinta before they quickly disappear. Frey later monologues about missing her cat Homer, and promises to return for him.

More time has passed, and the Break is clearing up thanks to Frey, though she doesn’t know how to get rid of it completely. She recommends that Auden join the city’s Council and then reveals that Cuff is still with her (as the latter insists his name is Vambrace, because comedy). So there’s your storyline reason for continuing to have Cuff with her. Even though he caused countless deaths, manipulated Frey, tried to destroy Cipal, corrupted the Tantas and killed Cinta, and tried to kill Frey multiple times. But what’s a few betrayals and genocide between some good ol’ banter?

The staggering lack of anything else is incredible. From there, the final chapter opens up, and the player can explore the post-game. It’s not quite known if there’s any way to stop the Break, but there will likely be superbosses and other powerful threats to vanquish.

At first glance, it seemed Forspoken would reveal that Frey wasn’t from New York. That she was from Athia, and her mother helped her escape the Break before it was too late, hoping she would return and save them. When Frey does return, it’s with apprehension, but she slowly – through the relationships built with the world and its people – realizes that this is where she belongs. Of course, she becomes a hero in the process.

The current iteration of Forspoken reaches that same conclusion but reserves its most interesting story-telling for the last hour. Unfortunately, not only does it dump all this on the player, but then settles for a lame-duck finish. Frey still having Cuff around to keep an eye on him is understandable, but using this to continue with annoying banter is certainly a choice. Also, didn’t the Tantas become corrupted by having Susurrus so close to them? I digress.

Where does Forspoken go from here? In terms of a sequel, it’s hard to imagine any follow-up. Maybe some new threats could emerge from the Break, or Frey travels to another world and gains new powers.

Instead of a direct continuation, it’s back to the past this Summer with the prequel DLC. Outside of a short gameplay clip, nothing is known about the prequel DLC, though the name implies that we’ll play as the Tantas. Perhaps the war against the Rheddig will be the central conflict, along with the battle against Susurrus. Maybe Cinta’s trip to New York will get more context.

Honestly, it’s to get enthused about all this when you already know how it all plays out. It could be incredible or reuse powers from the base game when playing as the Tantas. Time will tell.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The short clip sees two characters walking past some rocks as a massive structure overlooks them from above. The area seems to be encased in a dome, though to what end is unknown. These may be two of the Tantas, the antagonists Frey goes up against in the main game. Perhaps we’ll learn more about their journey and how they came to rule Athia.

Forspoken is out tomorrow for PS5 and PC and is a PlayStation console exclusive for the next two years. You can check our review here for more details on what it gets right (see: combat) and where it stumbles (the writing, open-world design, and so on). Stay tuned for more details on In Tanta We Trust in the coming months.

First look at the previously announced Forspoken "In Tanta We Trust" prequel story DLC! pic.twitter.com/TpiGrhgXpe

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) January 23, 2023

Square Enix notes that there’s a “possibility” of these being available for purchase at a later date though. As for the Digital Deluxe Edition on PC, it includes the full game, a Mini Artbook and Soundtrack, the prequel story DLC “In Tanta We Trust” which releases in Winter 2022 and early access to that DLC. Interestingly, on PS5, a Rare Resource Kit is also included in this edition as per the PlayStation Blog.

Meanwhile, the pre-purchase bonuses for console players include the No Limits Cloak, Symbol Combo Necklace, Trigger Happy Nails and Crafting Starter Kit. Forspoken is out on May 24th 2022 for PS5 and PC. Check out the latest trailer here along with more details on the recently revealed Tanta Prav here.