Greedfall. (2019) Where to begin? This was a very interesting experience for me. I was pleasantly surprised to have liked this one as much as I did. Although it is pretty rough around the edges, it was a great game none the less.
The main character is the Legate of the Merchant Congregation, named De Sardet (either male/female, with options to customize appearance) who is chosen to serve their cousin Constantin D'Orsay in the new settled colony of the island of Teer Fradee, as well as seek out a cure for the horrific plague called the Malichor spreading across the lands.
Greedfall was pretty different from other games of the fantasy adventure RPG genre, namely because, although there is some strong fantasy aspects (fictional world and races, magic usage, mythic creatures, spirituality, lore etc.) there is less focus on fantasy elements so much as it focuses on human connection and interaction. Bridging the divides, understanding other cultures and politics, resolving conflict etc. This game is very racially and ethnically diverse and focuses heavily on social political cultural diplomacies rather than merely battling monsters and thoughtlessly exploring and questing. For some, that specific edge of realism (shall we say?) gives the game an edge over others and makes the game far more compelling in many ways. For others, it might make it feel slow or unexciting. Less action/suspense etc.
If I have to complain, a few downfalls would have been fairly smaller issues, such as too few cutscenes / main story quests, some repetitive side quests, too few city quests and scenes, limited melee moves and skills (compared to magic, firearms, traps etc), repetitive creature fights (not the boss fights but the general creatures you fight while traversing the wilderness began to feel tedious. You fight so many of the same creatures. Ie. Bats, wolves, etc.), lack of alternative transport such as mounts etc. (there are carriages and fast travel points but some kind of mounts or speed running/teleportation ability might have spiced up traveling esp. Through extended wilderness maps. Felt like half the game was walking/running.), minor lip syncing / animation improvements etc. Lastly, repetition in city design (ie palace layout and coin guard barracks etc.).
While there were times that it did feel a bit slow, overall I really enjoyed it and more than that, I appreciated the mentality behind it. The world building, the concepts, the diversity, the characters and plots. I loved the intelligent, and empathic nature of the game. It did a good job of portraying misunderstood cultures enduring the harsh reality of colonization. The dialogue often required intuitive, thoughtful decisions. The game doesn't rely too heavily on action and battles sequences but rather wit and understanding. There were many things that make you think, heavy on choices and consequences, alternative endings and interesting side plots.
The writing was really great and often portrayed realistic scenarios. The stories were fascinating and compelling. The quests were mostly intriguing if not a bit repetitive at times. I really loved the main cast as well, they were very vivid, unique, and memorable (specifically DeSardet, Vasco, Siora, and Petrus.) The romance options added a fun layer to the game and made for interesting breaks between other questing. The gameplay was pretty fun and there was plenty of room to get creative with characters and class builds.
The art, design, music and graphics were all top notch and memorable. The devs definitely set high standards and put a lot of effort into this game. It really felt like so much more, in the end. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and was pretty hooked on it for a while. Great game that made a lasting impression.
GAMEPLAY: 8/10
GRAPHICS: 9/10
ART DESIGN: 9/10
MUSIC: 8/10
OVERALL RATING: 9.
