GreedFall, the 2019 action RPG by Spiders, introduced players to a captivating world plagued by a deadly disease called Malichor. While the first game eventually uncovers the dark origins of the disease, GreedFall 2 gets into the early days of the Malichor outbreak and revisits the island from the original game.
In the first GreedFall, players took on the role of a neutral newcomer to the island. But in GreedFall 2, you play as a member of Teer Fradee’s Indigenous tribes, who have been removed and forcibly relocated to Gacane.
Set three years before the original game, Spiders insists that GreedFall 2 is not a prequel due to its focus on new factions and characters. Never mind, the story provides greater insight into the setting of the first game.
The combat in GreedFall 2 is more team-oriented, drawing heavily from the tactical side of RPGs rather than action. The gameplay is somewhat similar of Baldur’s Gate 3, which saw significant mainstream success last year, making it a well-timed follow-up for the studio.
Also, it draws strong inspiration from Dragon Age: Origins, a timely choice given the current interest in the Dragon Age franchise.
At this point in the timeline, the Malichor disease is beginning to destroy the continent, and the island’s Indigenous population and other settlers are desperately hoping it hasn’t reached their shores.
However, paranoia is evident in conversations as people report acquaintances falling ill. Furthermore, your tribe harbors concern about the settlers’ true intentions.
Before getting into the exploration that Spiders aims to enhance, there is a need to complete an initiation ritual, essentially a combat tutorial.
GreedFall 2 adopts a tactical combat system that can be played in real-time or in a slowed-down tactical mode, giving you to dictate actions to each squad member. This adds significant depth to the combat mechanics of this quasi-prequel.
After successfully completing the initiation ritual by defeating two beasts, a higher-ranking tribe member tasks players with finding of the disappearance of local animals.
Shortly into the journey, players encountered a man and his two dogs. Using the new combat system, players have to command the archer to hang back while a warrior archetype and player charged in with melee weapons.
After defeating them, players will use Tracking Mode to follow footprints, highlighting objects of interest such as crates and plants to loot, as well as tracks.
Then you will come across another group of humans under attack by dogs. After defeating the dogs, you learn from these people that a nearby encampment was setting steel traps, harming both animals and people. Two members of their party were currently trapped.
After approaching the camp, you will meet a rude leader who dismiss your request to stop trapping and killing the local animals, citing the lucrative nature of the skins business.
Your attempts to walk in and negotiate, sneak in and bribe, and ultimately threaten them all met with varying degrees of resistance. In the end, your threat of bringing in tribe warriors was taken seriously, and they promised to pack up and leave soon.
After the conclusion it’s for sure that players will thoroughly enjoy exploring Spiders’ richly detailed world. With an interactive Early Access period planned, where player feedback will be key in refining the game, this tactical approach seems to be a promising direction for the studio’s second entry in the franchise.
GreedFall 2: The Dying World is ready to enter the early access on PC this summer, with a probable console release when the game is fully launched after the end of 2024.
Also read: The Top Board Games in 2024