GreedFall II: The Dying World - prequel with party-based RTwP combat where native PC travels to the old continent - now available on Early Access

[Silverfish]

When did turn-based combat become something "normies" want?

 

[Decado]

Greedfall is one of those games that, on paper, should have hooked me. The setting was indeed interesting, the voice acting was good, the graphics were good (especially on a console). But the combat was stupidly easy (guns trivialized everything, IIRC). It was so bad that I remember reading reviews where people were like "I had to turn the combat difficulty down, it was too hard!" and I was like motherfuckers, what are you talking about? Am I on crazy pills? That plus enemy variety, it all felt so repetitive and boring. I just drifted away.

 

[Roguey]

Greedfall 1 was such a promising setting.

It was a game that let you wrap up every single problem the setting had for a fairy tale ending, it didn't need a follow-up.

 

[Habichtswalder]

Greedfall 1 was such a promising setting.

It was a game that let you wrap up every single problem the setting had for a fairy tale ending, it didn't need a follow-up.

Greedfall 2 is a prequel and takes place on a different continent, therefore the fairy tale ending is not important.

(Still I personally would've preferred to see a follow-up with new conflicts on the same continent Greedfall 1 took place. Alternatively they could've chosen the evil ending as canon.)

 

[Vorark]

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
The objective of early access is to be able to develop the game with the community, balancing and adding features with the help of the players themselves. As such, GreedFall 2 will be released when both we and you are satisfied with the game's content and polishing phase.

Wow, not even an estimated date for 1.0. Was BG3 early access like this too? Bizarre.

 

[scytheavatar]

It was already leaked by the Spiders devs that they intent to 1.0 the game less than one year after early access launch. Although after the strikes who knows if the plans have changed.

 

[DeepOcean]

Dragon Age Origins sold around 3 million copies before digital distribution was even a thing, if they arent selling those numbers is more because Spiders should stop thinking on how to make native americans more french gay and think more how to make a decent combat system for a change, that would be a first time for them but hey, would be a good start, you know, a game with good gameplay sounds like a good idea, they should try it one day.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Dragon Age Origins sold around 3 million copies before digital distribution was even a thing, if they arent selling those numbers is more because Spiders should stop thinking on how to make native americans more french gay and think more how to make a decent combat system for a change, that would be a first time for them but hey, would be a good start, you know, a game with good gameplay sounds like a good idea, they should try it one day.

You'll take interesting setting idea, shit everything else and like tolerate it. It's the Spiders way.

 

[Konjad]

It was already leaked by the Spiders devs that they intent to 1.0 the game less than one year after early access launch. Although after the strikes who knows if the plans have changed.

I think the same was said about BG3. Or ArmA Reforger (which done so, but in state no better lmao). Or hundreds of other EA games.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Oh well. I was more intrigued by their Martian setting anyway. If this flops and they somehow survive, maybe we'll come back to the Red Planet and finally learn what happened to Earth.

 

[lukaszek]

we'll come back to the Red Planet and finally learn what happened to Earth.

it will be best spiders experience. You will find an ancient device on olympus mons that will let you travel through space and time, for limited time. Caveat would be that you travel to exact same area on earth, some city square. And you will keep traveling in that same location, +/- 1 month

 

[scytheavatar]

It was already leaked by the Spiders devs that they intent to 1.0 the game less than one year after early access launch. Although after the strikes who knows if the plans have changed.

I think the same was said about BG3. Or ArmA Reforger (which done so, but in state no better lmao). Or hundreds of other EA games.

Spiders is no Larian or Bohemia Interactive, Larian was able to have BG3 in EA for so long because they were swimming in the money DOS2 made. Spiders is owned by Nacon, publisher of classics like LOTR Gollum, Blood bowl 3, VTM – Swansong etc. Very different scenario.

 

[Paul_cz]

375 peak steam CCU, this game is dead on arrival and full release will not change it. Greedfall was decent game but not good enough for me to want a sequel.

 

[Decado]

Also the name is kind of dumb. We need to punish these writers and marketers who just combine words into nonsensical horseshit. Greed+fall= Greedfall! Boy you sure earned your money today, Pierre. Great job. Go eat a baguette and ride a bus home that will stop in the middle of the road because the driver is on strike.

 

[Habichtswalder]

Also the name is kind of dumb. We need to punish these writers and marketers who just combine words into nonsensical horseshit. Greed+fall= Greedfall! Boy you sure earned your money today, Pierre. Great job. Go eat a baguette and ride a bus home that will stop in the middle of the road because the driver is on strike.

At least they came up with "Dying World" as a subtitle which could turn out quite prophetic.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/g...igins-and-its-ticking-of-lot-of-my-rpg-boxes/

GreedFall 2 is more than just a eurojank Dragon Age: Origins, and it's ticking a lot of my RPG boxes​

Time to mess up some colonisers.

(Image credit: Nacon)

Spiders is one of those RPG studios that I can't help but appreciate even as I consistently bounce off its games. From the odd-couple orc and goblin shenanigans of 2012's Of Orcs and Men to its more recent steampunk French Revolution soulslike Steel Rising, it's got a penchant for trying new things and taking big swings. But it's only now, with GreedFall 2, that I'm really starting to vibe with what it's trying to do.
I should note that I've only played a wee bit of the original GreedFall, which GreedFall 2 is set a few years before, swapping perspectives from a coloniser exploring a fantasy realm to a kidnapping victim indigenous to it, who's been brought to the old world against their will. Familiarity with the setting might be helpful, and the prequel does share some of its predecessor's traits, but as per usual Spiders is not content to just do the same thing again.

(Image credit: Nacon)
GreedFall 2, which is out now in early access, initially piqued my interest because, where some developers have ditched their party-based, turn-based legacy in favour of flashy action, Spiders has gone the other way. Gone is the dodge-heavy action combat, replaced instead by a four-person party and a combat system that's more than a little evocative of my beloved Dragon Age: Origins. "Yeah," I thought to myself, "this sounds more like my shit". And I'm pleased to discover that GreedFall 2 is indeed my shit, though it is absolutely still a Spiders game, and thus there are some substantial caveats.

A traditional RPG opening sees you embarking on an adventure as Vriden Gerr, a young inhabitant of the forested land of Teer Fradee who, along with his BFF Nilan, is about to become one of his clan's sages—a protector and keeper of knowledge. But before that happens, there are some trials. Because of course there are. So off you go with Nilan and another childhood friend, tasked with solving some problems afflicting your people.
Painfully familiar though it may be, GreedFall 2's promise is clear right from the get go. OK, maybe not right from the get go—the character creator is absolutely dire, incapable of letting you make anything resembling a character you might want to inhabit for 50+ hours, but I'm hoping more options will appear as the early access phase progresses. As soon as you set off on your first adventure, though, the good stuff starts rolling in.

(Image credit: Nacon)
There's a workmanlike stealth system (and lots of grass to hide in) that means these first hours can be experienced sans conflict, if you wish, especially if you also go out of your way to talk through problems instead of just—understandably—battering colonisers. These foreigners, who have only recently set up shop on the island, are the source of the clan's woes, though that's not immediately clear from the outset (though it's heavily hinted at and, you know, of course they bloody are), but they're not all cartoon villains, and GreedFall 2 absolutely encourages not getting into fights at the drop of a hat.

Mind you, I could understand why you might be rather keen to get some blood on your hands. GreedFall 2's combat isn't what I'd call polished—the animations need work, the feedback is a bit of a mess, and the UI is dreadful—but honestly? I'm digging it. Every scrap can be played out in real-time, and you can automate your companions and just focus on managing your own attacks and abilities. Hit the spacebar, though, and you'll enter tactical mode, pausing the action and letting you queue up three moves at a time for each member of your party.

So you can set up a plan of attack, get all your ducks in a row, and then watch everything unfold in real-time when you're content with your strategy. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but it's still immensely satisfying to create a sequence of attacks and moves before sitting back and seeing your party mop up. You can have your spellcaster root a group of enemies, and then let your tank charge in before pulling off a big sweeping attack, breaking the enemy armour, after which your archers—who you've sent up to the high ground, naturally—can go in for the kill.

(Image credit: Nacon)
It's a risky gamble for Spiders, though. First of all, the system is rough. It's functional and promising and, like I said, I've been having fun with it, but it lacks the user friendliness of DAO's version. And to not only fundamentally change the series' combat mechanics, but to reveal it to players initially in an in-development state, well it's kinda jarring. And then there's the elephant in the room, and it goes by Baldur's Gate 3. While GreedFall 2's combat boasts a bit more tactical complexity than DAO's, it doesn't compare nearly as favourably to BG3, which offers an absurd degree of flexibility—albeit without the option to play in real-time, at least not without a mod. What GreedFall 2 does have, though, is a strong foundation to build on, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Spiders evolves the system as more players get to fiddle around with it.

Talent scout​

Outside of combat, you can pick locks, disable traps, blow up walls, create alternate paths—like constructing a makeshift bridge—and engage in the refined art of diplomacy, most of which necessitates a skill check, where you're rolling against your character's talents. Exploration, then, is an engaging endeavour, letting you take advantage of your character build in plenty of ways every time you set out on an adventure.

Of this suite of talents there's one I'd love to see expanded a bit more, and it's the deployment of your silver tongue. See, diplomacy covers all speech checks, and when they crop up you don't get to choose the tone. So you can't just decide "I'm going to charm the pants off everyone". One conversation might force you to use intimidation, while another might let you use a gentler touch. The choice isn't up to you, and that feels like a misstep in an RPG.

(Image credit: Nacon)
I should note, though, that even when you're trying to be intimidating, you're not an arsehole. Broadly, Vriden Gerr is a friendly, open-minded sort with a penchant for heroics, so when you switch between intimidation and charm, it still feels consistent. I'm all for predefined RPG characters, with The Witcher's Geralt really representing the ideal here, but you ain't no Geralt. The White Wolf is an incredibly rich protagonist who you can subtly nudge and develop. Vriden Gerr is just nice. They don't have the distinctiveness that a predefined hero really needs. So they end up feeling like they're in a weird spot between a blank slate and an established character, without the advantages of either.

The dialogue, whether it's the incidental comments made by party members or part of a quest, does the job. It provides context and a bit of flavour, but it can be a touch stilted at times, and it's never really evocative. Moments of anger feel impotent, and the few attempts at comedy have left me cringing, but outside of conversation the story being told is one I'm keen to continue, and it definitely has me dangling on its hook. Equal parts epic and intimate, it positions you as a naive stranger in a land embroiled in conflict and complex politics with 1,000 years of history propping it up. There's a lot of lore, and while I often find this kind of world building to be a tiresome crutch, it works here. You're a newcomer stolen from your home, forced to figure out who to trust, how all of these cultures and nations relate to each other, and why that matters to you. It's not just fluff.

While BioWare-style RPGs absolutely remain a touchstone for Spiders, GreedFall 2 also has a clear identity that isn't beholden to games like DAO, even as it apes its combat system and challenging themes. GreedFall 2 could have easily become lost in the darkness, delving deeper and deeper into the gloom as you face plagues, slavery and racism. But there's a lightness to it, a sense of adventure that says "Yes, this is a world that can be extremely grim, and your circumstances are awful, but this is also a videogame and not misery porn". The vibrant colour palette gives GreedFall a more fantastical vibe, eschewing the muddy browns and greys of DAO, while Vriden Gerr manages to be optimistic and upbeat even when faced with so much misfortune.

(Image credit: Nacon)
The quest design also sets it apart from BioWare's oeuvre. Instead of your adventures taking you through a gauntlet of enemies as you fight your way towards your latest goal, they're more investigative in nature. This is established right at the start, where nearly every quest involves you uncovering problems and finding clever ways to resolve them. Sometimes fights break out, but less than you might expect. Before leaving Teer Fradee, I resolved every quest largely without getting bloody. I closed down a mine by stealing a seal and getting a foreign friend to create a forged letter. I discovered a stolen gift for my chief by investigating the crime and questioning people. I used my reputation with a fort's captain to get his assistance in driving off poachers with words.

I've been fighting more now that I'm in the old world, but in most cases that's been a choice, where I've decided to eschew stealth or diplomacy for good old fashioned murder and mayhem. But even then, this is accompanied by extended periods where I'm investigating problems and using my tracking skills or guile to complete my goals. Spiders recognises that a compelling adventure doesn't need to involve violence and that the best RPGs are ones that champion flexibility.

GreedFall 2 is already quite chunky even in this early access stage, with Spiders saying that it represents about a quarter of the game. There's already a lot to explore, then, and clearly I've been enjoying myself, but I do recommend caution. Saves will not be transferable after major updates, and starting over and over again before the game even hits 1.0 is a surefire way to burn out before it's finished. I do have a good feeling about this one, though. It needs a lot of work, but I find myself uncharacteristically optimistic and excited to see if Spiders keeps it going in the right direction.

 

[Tyranicon]

Time to mess up some colonisers.

fa·tigue
/fəˈtēɡ/

1. extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.

2. weakness in materials, especially metal, caused by repeated variations of stress.

 

[Raghar]

What?

 

[Padzi]

I'd play it, but not in the EA version and not at the price they're asking for. For slightly more, I got Baldur's Gate 3's Early Access.

Besides, the reviews on Steam rule. The negative ones are from people who played for only 20 minutes.

 

[Silverfish]

It was so bad that I remember reading reviews where people were like "I had to turn the combat difficulty down, it was too hard!" and I was like motherfuckers, what are you talking about? Am I on crazy pills?

In fairness, there were a handful of crazy difficulty spikes for non-gun builds at various points in the game.

 

[rojay]

Time to mess up some colonisers.

fa·tigue
/fəˈtēɡ/

1. extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.

2. weakness in materials, especially metal, caused by repeated variations of stress.

It's nice of the author to provide a sub-heading that lets me know I don't need to read the review.

 

[Jaesun]

It's almost like they decided to abandon the core audience for this game and go for a more broader appeal. Let's watch and see how that turns out...

 

[processdaemon]

I've played for a few hours and so far it's basically just like the original but with even easier combat and a less compelling background (I really liked the Congregation of Merchants and thought it set up your interactions with other factions well, playing as a native feels like a downgrade). It's fun enough to keep playing and don't think it's bad enough to warrant some of the Steam reviews but if you didn't like previous Spiders games I don't think it's going to win you over.

I also wanted to note for anyone else considering playing that if you load from autosaves it seems to cause the game to crash a lot, haven't had any problems when loading from normal saves or quicksaves so not sure what the issue could be. Otherwise it seems more stable than I thought it would be, although that could change as I play more.

 

[Roguey]

It's almost like they decided to abandon the core audience for this game and go for a more broader appeal. Let's watch and see how that turns out...

How is going from an action game to rtwp something going for broader appeal?

 

[Lord_Potato]

Sad to watch this shitstorm. I genuinely enjoyed most games from Spiders, mostly for their ambition and worldbuilding.

But I guess its 2024. This year is not yet done with the game industry and requires more blood.