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We have to hold on, we have to fall
When Godfall was first announced, it had a few telltale signs of an apocryphal “games as a service” crash: a gearbox and loot-based focus were enough to raise a few eyebrows.
Ultimately, there are no microtransactions in the game (that’s good!). But, it’s one of the few next-gen titles at $ 70 (that’s bad!). Let’s see how it goes.
Godfall (PC, PS5 [reviewed])
Developer: Counterplay Games
Publisher: Gearbox
Released: November 12, 2020
MSRP: $ 69.99
It’s hard to believe, but Godfall appears to be a premium game so far. $ 70 bonus? It remains to be seen, but for now, I’m having fun.
Godfall Keep it simple with a mouth-watering tale of revenge: you must take out hawkish macros in a half-knight world in shining armor, half-sci-fi. So far, with several hours of campaigning under my belt, not much has changed beyond this initial premise. But that’s a bit of a good thing in an action-centric game, given that the story never seems to really get in the way of anything.
It helps that it looks great on PS5. The load times are actually next-gen and only last a few seconds (it’s not released on PS4, so there’s nothing to compromise on), with a smooth framerate to boot. The particle effects are sometimes dazzling, the steel scraping against each other with great effect. While conceptions of the enemy and the environment can be boring at times, they look fantastic.
Overall, I dig the over-the-top ornate style of Godfall in action. It gives off a real cartoon from the 90s, Skeleton warriors ambiance: like a less edgy Darksiders. There are tradeoffs with this gambit like Darksiders is more memorable overall, but Godfall does a decent job of making this style its own. Again, everything is greatly amplified by the next generation presentation.
As an action, Godfall also slightly exceeded my expectations. There’s a dodge with iFrames, with light and heavy slashes serving as a quick combo system. It also has an indulgent parry mechanic, as well as a weapon swap (though not mid-combo). Once you start to progress through the campaign, things like “perilous attacks” arise, which temporarily stun enemies if you parry them, but stun you if you block them.
New builds and abilities also open up: like the power to stack a charge in a weapon you haven’t equipped, which can cause a shock wave and an “attack” buff after the swap. . The DualSense is there every step of the way, with enhanced haptic feedback and a growl that is fun, if a little nifty.
I can really see myself walking in Godfall if that can increase the personality a bit. I get to this point, unlocking various armors that offer new abilities. I just hope the enemy variety is here to follow suit. It’s been a while since a game has focused so much on action and less on game-as-a-service features, so maybe I’m the right audience for that.
Developer Counterplay Games is promising a full loot-based campaign as well as a series of endgame battles, which I was delighted to get to the end of Godfall. Again, the jury is out on whether or not it’s worth the next gen’s $ 70 price tag, but for now, I’m surprised.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
Godfall reviewed by Chris Carter
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