Greedfall is an ambitious game set in a fantastical landscape and is heavily based on a very dark time of our history. Other role-playing games within the genre heavily influence this role-playing action game. It is developed by Spiders and published by Focus Home Interactive.
Some might be scratching their heads as to how a small-time developer can do so much with this game. Released in September of 2019, Greedfall lets players explore a lush island with a promising new beginning. What truly makes Greedfall shine is its take on colonialism and how it affects the colonizer and the people being colonized.
With its superb dialogue and voice acting as well as a great action combat system, Greedfall is one of the better games released in a few years, especially when it goes heavy with its central plot. The game is currently available in Steam for PC and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Story
Greedfall story follows the titular character named De Sardet as the travels to a mysterious island in search of a cure for a plague known as malichor. While on the island, he encounters natives that hold power to the cure.
He also takes his cousin Constantin on the journey, and together they try to explore the island. However, Constantin is kidnapped. De Sardet rescues him and kills his cousin's captor only to find out that it was the native tribe's leader.
De Sardet intercepts the election of the new leader of the island in hopes of restoring its mystical power, but his cousin has other plans. In the end, the game lets you choose whether to stop Constantin from ascending to become the island's leader or kill him.
Gameplay and Design
The game has an extensive option when it comes to the narrative of the story. Every choice the player makes influence the outcome of the overall arch of the story and affects the destiny of each character.
Players will have to balance diplomacy with the natives as well as the other factions that are trying to take hold of the island. Greedfall also uses stealth as with many other games in the genre.
Most of the game's aesthetics are heavily influenced by the Baroque designs of the 17th Century. The game even pulls a lot of its storyline from the exploration and colonization did within that period, albeit in a more supernatural backdrop. Greedfall's most remarkable feat is its complex questing system that is highly influenced by the decision made by the player.
Taking Inspiration from History
The game does not shy away from the harsh reality that colonization and its effects bring to the native people. In the game, natives are captured and are forced to quickly adapt the certain religious activities and tradition of the colonizer or are killed.
This heavy-handed implication mirrors the reality of the time that this game was inspired by. This makes the game have a sense of grounded realism, even though there is a major supernatural theme to its story.
The political intrigues concerning the different factions of the game are also very similar to the period. With each faction rallying their forces and usurping the power from whoever has it, this allows players to follow through a convoluted yet very fulfilling plot. However, the game slowly descends into a more fantastical approach and leans towards its mystical storyline.
Conclusion
Greedfall offers a lot of things to the table even though a smaller company produces it. The myriad of choices that the characters make alongside different factions, each with their political agenda makes for a colorful take against real history.
It is a refreshing venture for a small-time company. The action RPG is very ambitious, and while it does need more ground to cover, it is satisfying enough for gamers to try and enjoy.
