GreedFall Reviews

Greedfall is the kind of game where you really need to be into the story to be able to look past its faults and still enjoy it. That can be an issue because while the plot is generally well written and does a good job of tying its side stories into the main thread, the overall subject matter is going to be uncomfortable for some. Its design and gameplay elements are competent but nothing amazing, nor does it really do anything that stands it apart from others in its genre. There's also a fair amount of technical issues to deal with throughout. If the story does grab you, however, it's easy to invest quite a bit of time in the game. If nothing else, Greedfall does tackle the kind of story that few games are willing to discuss.

GreedFall boasts a unique, semi-open world in which to immerse yourself, but is held back by the limitations of its game engine.

Republished on Wednesday 30th December, 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of January 2021's PS Plus lineup. The original text follows.

Greedfall is a frustrating experience: there are some firm foundations to build from and it has all the makings of the next great action-RPG series. But the game lacks depth to really take it to lofty heights where it could knock the very best off their perch.

Spiders has been creating lower-key RPG releases for a while and GreedFall is perhaps the developer's best title to date. Teer Fradee is a world worth exploring and proves that medium-budget titles have a place in the game industry.

De Sardet’s exploits dance around many themes and topics that provide interesting possible outcomes but often end up feeling too familiar. It’s a genuine shame there isn’t more room for diplomacy or results that feel morally ambiguous. That being said, Greedfall is still a good game. A good game that could have been great.

We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a “Good” game.

By telling an ambitious story in a unique world GreedFall rises above its nagging issues to become an RPG well worth diving into.

Overly ambitious, GreedFall fails more than it seems to succeed, yet the games heart and Spiders passion shines through, making the game an enjoyable experience.

Spiders’ last couple of games, Bound by Flame and The Technomancer, have been flawed but showed signs of promise and originality. Greedfall, the studio’s new title, is not only a step forward in terms of ambition, but also in terms of quality.

Discovering a lost world, again.

If there’s a developer I truly respect, even though they hadn’t developed a lot of fantastic games in the past, it’s Spiders. This team is comprised of just over twenty people according to their site, but they still try to craft large action RPGs with a lot of content and even an engine of their own, even if they don’t have Bioware levels of budget to make them. I knew it was just a matter of them until they released something truly special, even though I’m one of the few people out...

I enjoyed myself just about every step of the way through GreedFall’s epic, morally complex tale of exploration and swashbuckling. The Technomancer was disappointing, but I still wanted to see other games try the ambitious things it was attempting with more success - and GreedFall delivers on that promise. There are still glitches, awkward character models, immersion-breaking re-use of assets, and a general bugginess that keep it from being unambiguously excellent, but I have a feeling this is going to be a crowd-pleaser for those of us who still shake our canes and talk about how the genre peaked a decade ago. We may have to eat our words before long.

And I'm greed, greedfallin'.

The enemy troops outnumber mine three to one. Defeat is inevitable, and we have our backs to the wall with no escape in sight. In a last-ditch plea, I convince their leader to at least have the honor of felling me with a sword, and we exchange metal. He’s no match for me and I gain the upper hand after a few well-placed strikes. My knife is now pressed firmly against his throat. I can set him free and try more diplomacy, but my best play may be spilling his blood to scare his troops into retreat.

Spider’s latest RPG is one that follows a privileged hero on a quest to cure the disease plaguing his people. The combat is solid, borrowing the best elements from some of the more popular games that came before it, such as The Witcher. The story is set on a fresh foundation, although it doesn’t do much to build upon it. The skill tree and list of talents allows for a wide variety of playstyles, even if the character customizer doesn’t offer the same freedom. GreedFall is a good RPG with enough content to keep players exploring and engaged.

Developed by Spiders, a French studio known for Bound by Flame and Technomancer, Greedfall takes the notion of the third person RPG to an entirely new level. Blending together a variety of mechanics and features from titles like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Dragon Age : Inquisition, the resulting product is a truly fresh adventure we haven’t quite seen before. Does that make Greedfall a beautiful mosaic or a dreaded monster? That depends on what you hope to get out of it.

GreedFall is not a stiff spiritual successor to Gothic series. It's a well-designed unique role playing game developed with a limited budget and some great ideas borrowed straight from the best titles of this genre.

GreedFall is not a "wooden" successor to Gothic. This is a very good RPG, which complemented the modest budget and possibilities of the authors by wisely borrowing good ideas from the best models, while maintaining originality and originality.

French developer Spiders’ output can be compared to a chef trying to make a delicious five course meal with fast food ingredients; their ambition has always eclipsed their resources.  Their desire to make AAA titles has been held back by the studio’s AA budgets. Their latest endeavour, Greedfall, is an open world fantasy RPG in the vein of Dragon Age: Inquisition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Unlike many of their past outputs, Greedfall comes admirably close to achieving greatness, and w...

GreedFall is a welcome arrival in the fantasy RPG space, a space that has been bafflingly uncrowded of late. But it doesn't just impress because of a lack of alternatives. It successfully delivers nearly everything that one would want to see in a game of this genre, and does so in convincing fashion. Fans of western role playing games who have lamented the absence of many true contenders in the genre this generation, prepare yourselves: a new heir to the legacy of BioWare is here at last.

GreedFall has the elements of great RPGs before it, but not the execution.

Greedfall is a highly ambitious step for Spiders, and one that shows that they are hitting their stride. With excellent voice acting and gorgeous environments, Greedfall serves as a grand adventure in a genre that is sorely needing a fresh face. There are still some bugs to crush, but once those are gone, only a memorable RPG capable of filling the open world RPG void will remain.

It feels like Spiders have worn a particular groove for years, where they produced serviceable games that were interesting. But they’re beset by issues. With GreedFall, a lot of those issues have been improved upon, but not removed, and there is still a blatant case of Double-A status to GreedFall. A forgiving gamer will find a lot to enjoy here. People who are feeling starved for RPG action should have a hoot if they are willing to challenge themselves. However, it still doesn’t come clo...

Unfortunately, GreedFall fails to deliver a living world or an epic, engaging story. The dialog is boring and repetitive, and few characters have a unique voice or vocabulary. The story is simplistic, predictable, and dull. The multitude of flaws even overshadows the thrill of combat. GreedFall has a lot of heart, but that doesn’t make the result any less sloppy. While it’s not a disaster, the game’s highlights aren’t enough to justify the amount of time it demands.

GreedFall is Spiders' best game yet, but that does not mean it is perfect. From a gameplay standpoint, players will not get anything out of this game that they can't get in a more polished state in the Dragon Age series or The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, making GreedFall a slog to get through. That being said, the game's unique renaissance and colonization era setting and complex factions is attractive to those that love a good world and story to sink your teeth into. GreedFall shows that we are on the cusp of a truly great game from Spiders, so I'm still looking forward to whatever they do next.

Paris-based studio Spiders (acquired a couple of months ago by French publisher Bigben Interactive) is an interesting example of perfecting expertise through hard, steady work. Ever since their foundation in 2008, they have focused solely on the development of roleplaying games.

Greedfall is a blemished but imaginative and choice-filled gem that harkens back to some of our favorite western RPGs.

Greedfall, even with its flaws, is a game that’s very easy to sink time into without regret. For a game about fighting a horrible disease, it ironically grows on you. It would be difficult, even impossible, to make an unproblematic game about colonialism. But the one Spiders made is engaging and a lot more open about the sordid nature of it than expected. If you’re craving that type of BioWare-esque game and want to pretend Anthem doesn’t exist, Greedfall has you covered. It’s a wonde...

Greedfall has an ambitious story, but it's not backed up by the clearly repeated environments, simple combat and dull abilities that take ages to unlock. However, seasoned RPG players might well be able able to look past those flaws in favour of the interesting, well written stories about political manoeuvres and oppression that make up the bulk of the quests in this pretty dark, deep world.

GreedFall is a massive, open-world RPG with a ton of things for you to do. However, that world is a divisive one.