How to use Zip and effectively grapple in Forspoken

Forspoken is the latest open-world RPG by Square Enix. It has been on gamers’ radar for quite a while, ever since its reveal. Fans can finally get their hands on Forspoken and traverse the open world in style, with many magical abilities fused with the parkour movement of the game’s protagonist Frey.

Zip is one of the many magic abilities one can use to navigate the world of Athia smoothly. Using the Zip ability allows players to scale mountains and grab rocks from a distance effortlessly. This can even be useful in combat when fighting the many beasts in the game. PlayStation 5 users can tap the square button to activate Zip.

---

Effectively grappling and using Zip in Forspoken

Forspoken puts you in the shoes of Frey, who is teleported to the magical world of Athia. The world was once the pinnacle of beauty but is now ravaged by a corruption termed ‘Break.’ The terrain in Athia is challenging to scale, but not with Frey’s parkour abilities. You will be scaling large mountains and rocks by leveraging her magic skills.

You will encounter large yellow-colored rocks that stick out from the mountains. These allow Frey to parkour up the hills and quickly glide forwards. There are two types of rocks: short rocks that will shoot you upwards, while thinner and longer rocks will enable you to propel forwards.

Aim at these rocks to use Zip (Image via Square Enix)

Zip ability won't be available immediately, so you must progress the story. You receive this skill only after defeating Tanta Sila. This is a part of Chapter 5, ‘Might and Main.’ You will get to play a tutorial showcasing the basics of Zip in Chapter 6, ‘Damned If You Do.’

You can hold the square button when you spot a yellow crystal rock. A crosshair appears on the screen. You can then aim for a crystal rock or target and let go of the square button to use Zip. The game slows down for a bit when you press the square button. This gives just enough time to aim for the next crystal rock and continue the climb.

Zip is not only helpful in movement. It can serve as an excellent grappling technique to dodge enemies. When confronting a problematic creature, Frey can get out of the way and dodge a potentially lethal attack, thanks to Zip. However, this consumes stamina, so ensure it doesn't get depleted.

The best thing about Forspoken is the potential to mix and match various spells and movements to maintain combat flow. Zip can be used with Frey’s other magical abilities, like Soar or Rush. Rush can even help regain a small amount of stamina and can be used in sticky situations.

The world of Athia is packed to the brim with creatures to fight and labyrinths to explore. Using Frey’s magical prowess to smoothly cover vast distances with shiny effects and techniques like Zip is extremely rewarding.

The game does not hand over all the powers to you; it takes a layered approach to make it seem less overwhelming. This pace of rewarding abilities and powers gives a sense of progression. By the end of the game, you will feel much more powerful than at the start when Frey is still learning the ropes.

---

Forspoken has been at the top of the anticipated games list for a long time. Now that it is out, critics and fans admire its gameplay mechanics and graphics. The game saw many delays before its eventual release on January 24, 2023, on PlayStation 5 and PC. PC players can even taste the game by playing the free demo.

Forspoken is also up to the mark with current-gen graphics expectations and thus has hefty requirements for PC players to run it smoothly. The developing team's ambition was to solidify the fantasy world of Athia with robust character motivation and relatability. Square Enix thus included a diverse set of characters in Forspoken. Most of the characters have delivered on this promise.