GreedFall explained

GreedFall
Developer:Spiders
Publisher:Focus Home Interactive
Designer:Romain Meyer
Programmer:Wilfried Mallet
Artist:Cyril Tahmassebi
Composer:Olivier Deriviere
Genre:Action role-playing
Modes:Single-player

GreedFall is an action role-playing game developed by Spiders and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game is set in an early 18th century-styled fantasy setting and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 10, 2019,[1] and subsequently in a graphically uplifted and performance enhanced version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 30, 2021.[2]

GreedFall was met with a mixed, but generally positive critical reception. A prequel is in development.

Gameplay

The player, alongside other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters, explores a remote island where the locals, who are fighting off invading settlers, are protected by supernatural beings. The game includes combat, diplomacy, and stealth. The player's decisions influence and affect the game's story, as well as the relationship between the different factions established on the island.[3] The game also supports enhanced graphical capabilities on the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X.[4]

Synopsis

Setting

An island paradise has been discovered by colonial forces from several distinct nations from fictional lands, but with magic and monsters.[5] Players assume the role of De Sardet, a neutral Human who recently arrived at the island, able to ally with either the natives who inhabit the land, or any of the foreign nations competing to conquer and colonize the "new" land, while also trying to find a cure to a mysterious illness that plagues De Sardet and their homeland.[6]

Plot

De Sardet, a noble of the Merchant Congregation, prepares to travel to the newly-settled island of Teer Fradee to serve as Legate to Prince Constantin d'Orsay, De Sardet's cousin and the newly-appointed governor of New Serene, the Congregation's capital on the island. The Congregation hopes that the exotic environment of Teer Fradee will yield a cure for the malichor, a deadly plague spreading on the continent.

The group arrives on Teer Fradee and De Sardet is quickly dispatched to establish diplomatic relations with the island natives and two neighboring countries with a presence on the island. De Sardet gains several new allies and learns of the doneigada, native islanders with a supernatural bond to the earth that grants them mystical abilities. De Sardet's investigations into the malichor reveal that the natives worship a being known as "en on mil frichtimen" which has a connection to the island. De Sardet believes en on mil frichtimen to be real, and capable of curing the malichor with its power, and begins seeking a way to speak with it.

Constantin's health begins to decline and he soon learns he is infected with the malichor. After thwarting an attempted coup by the Congregation's mercenary guards, De Sardet contacts a native healer named Catasach to relieve Constantin's pain while the search for a cure continues. De Sardet learns that en on mil frichtimens sanctuary can only be opened by the high king of the natives, Vinbarr, who has been missing for months. Upon returning to New Serene, De Sardet learns that Catasach and Constantin are missing. De Sardet finds Catasach dead and learns that Constantin has been taken by Vinbarr into the mountains. De Sardet tracks Vinbarr to his lair and kills him before bringing Constantin back to New Serene.

Three days later, Constantin's sickness is cured, but his physical appearance has changed, becoming similar to that of the natives. He reveals that Catasach took him to perform a ritual to turn him into a doneigad, making him resistant to the malichor. With Vinbarr dead, De Sardet intervenes in the native's election of the new high king and gets the winning candidate to promise entry into en on mil frichtimens sanctuary. De Sardet is allowed to enter and speaks to the being, who reveals that the malichor is not a disease, but a poison generated by the continent in response to its exploitation by its people. It promises to help cure the malichor, but warns that Constantin's actions are weakening it.

Confused and horrified by the warning, De Sardet discovers that Constantin has become addicted to the power of the doneigad, and is performing more rituals to steal more of the island's power from en on mil frichtimen, intending to destroy both the natives and the settlers and rule the island alone. De Sardet confronts Constantin alone in the sanctuary, and is given the choice to either kill him and leave the island's fate in the hands of the factions, or join him in conquering the island.

If the player chooses to kill Constantin, the ending that follows will vary depending on the elected High King and the player's relationship with their companions and the various factions on Teer Fradee.

If the player chooses to join Constantin, the two cousins steal en on mil frichtimen power and become godlike beings, unleashing a reign of terror upon the world.

Reception

GreedFall received "mixed or average reviews" on review aggregator Metacritic for the PC and PlayStation 4 versions based on 38 and 37 reviews respectively, while the Xbox One version received "generally favorable reviews" based on 14 reviews.

The game was nominated for "Best RPG" at the 2019 Titanium Awards,[7] for "Game, Original Role Playing" at the NAVGTR Awards,[8] and for "Best Message-Bearer Game", "Best Artistic Design", and "Best Game Setting" at the Pégases Awards 2020.[9]

Sales

The PlayStation 4 version of GreedFall sold 13,292 physical copies within its first week on sale in Japan, making it the seventh bestselling retail game of the week in the country.[10] It was confirmed in November 2020 that Greedfall had sold over one million copies worldwide.[11] By May 2022, the game had shipped two million copies.[12]

Prequel

A prequel titled GreedFall 2: The Dying World was announced on May 18, 2022.[13] [14] It is expected to be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Polanco. Tony. 2019-08-19. Hands-On: 'Greedfall' Brings New Life to Western RPGs. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190821011407/https://www.geek.com/games/hands-on-greedfall-brings-new-life-to-western-rpgs-1800505/. 2019-08-21. 19 August 2019. Geek.com.
  2. Web site: Sheehan . Gavin . 26 November 2020 . GreedFall Will Be Coming To PS5 & Xbox Series X . https://web.archive.org/web/20220528145337/https://bleedingcool.com/games/greedfall-will-be-coming-to-ps5-xbox-series-x/ . May 28, 2022 . November 26, 2020 . Bleeding Cool.
  3. Web site: 9 February 2017 . GreedFall is a fantasy RPG inspired by Baroque art from 17th Century Europe . https://web.archive.org/web/20180320001247/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-09-greedfall-is-a-fantasy-rpg-inspired-by-baroque-art-from-17th-century-europe . March 20, 2018 . 2017-02-14 . Eurogamer.
  4. Web site: Rejoice, console players and explorers! GreedFall is coming to you in HDR and 4K on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro! . 2019-07-31.
  5. Web site: 9 February 2017 . Greedfall teaser reveals a Baroque-inspired RPG about the perils of colonization . https://web.archive.org/web/20170212052155/http://www.pcgamer.com/greedfall-teaser-reveals-a-baroque-inspired-rpg-about-the-perils-of-colonization/ . February 12, 2017 . 2017-02-14 . PC Gamer.
  6. News: 8 February 2017 . Greedfall is Spiders' colonial fantasy RPG . . 2017-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190406071457/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/08/greedfall-spiders-rpg/ . April 6, 2019.
  7. Web site: Titanium Awards 2019 . . 9 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191121193654/https://en.funandseriousgamefestival.com/awards/ . 21 November 2019 . live . 26 November 2019.
  8. Web site: 13 January 2020 . 2019 Nominees . https://web.archive.org/web/20220301135609/https://navgtr.org/2019-nominees/ . March 1, 2022 . 24 January 2020 . National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.
  9. Web site: 7 February 2020 . All the categories (2020) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220331121128/https://soumission-pegases.academiejeuvideo.org/en/public . March 31, 2022 . 5 March 2020 . Pégases Awards.
  10. Web site: Romano . Sal . November 5, 2020 . Famitsu Sales: 10/26/20 – 11/1/20 [Update] ]. https://web.archive.org/web/20220528100147/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/11/famitsu-sales-10-26-20-11-1-20 . May 28, 2022 . November 7, 2020 . Gematsu.
  11. Web site: Bayliss . Ben . November 28, 2020 . GreedFall Sells Over 1 Million Copies, Heading to PS5 and Xbox Series X / S . https://web.archive.org/web/20220602083901/https://www.dualshockers.com/greedfall-sells-1-million-copies-heading-to-ps5-xbox-series-x/ . June 2, 2022 . November 28, 2020 . Dualshockers.
  12. Web site: CARANTS! DRAW CLOSER AND SEE THE FIRST IMAGES OF GREEDFALL 2 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220621023918/https://corporate.nacongaming.com/en/press/gfii/ . June 21, 2022 . 2022-05-19 . Nacon Corporate . en-US.
  13. Web site: CARANTS! DRAW CLOSER AND SEE THE FIRST IMAGES OF GREEDFALL 2 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220518174122/https://corporate.nacongaming.com/en/press/gfii/ . May 18, 2022 . 2022-05-19 . Nacon Corporate . en-US.
  14. Web site: Reeves . Brianna . GreedFall 2 is a Prequel Set in a Dying World . Screen Rant . 18 May 2022 . 28 January 2023.
  15. Web site: Romano . Sal . GreedFall II: The Dying World 'Doneigada' trailer, Early Access roadmap . Gematsu . 16 May 2024 . 22 May 2024.