Godfall, new preview for the action looter for PS5 and PC
Index
Combination of genres The fight The progression and the loot Certainties and Doubts Godfall managed to catch the attention right away thanks to a decidedly timed timing: it was practically the first game ever to be It was specifically announced for PS5 when practically nothing was known about the console, which obviously put it immediately in the spotlight. Much more than a "looter slasher" action game of this type could have hoped for since its first appearance, not being properly a blockbuster in terms of production and target audience. However, behind the ingenious opportunism of the Counterplay developers and above all the publisher Gearbox there is also some nice substance, because Godfall seems to be an interesting game, beyond the charm given by the flavor of the next gen that has accompanied it from the first ad. Atmosphere, structure and atmospheres are not the most original at first glance, but by deepening your knowledge of the game for a moment, some outstanding features emerge, which can attract different types of audience.As we reported in our first preview of the action RPG for PS5 in question, beyond a little trash the game, there are sources of inspiration all over the building what could be a lore interesting, starting from the Foundations series by Isaac Asimov, and from the Chronicles of Folgoluce of Brandon Sanderson, and two works rather distant, such as the atmosphere and scenery, but close in some aspects, such as the catastrophes on the horizon, the decline of great civilizations, and the need to cope with the chaos looming through the actions of the force. All of this explains the presence of the powerful Valorian Knights , fighters belonging to an ancient and mythological order of knights that have the characteristic of being able to use the Valorplate, armor, legendary, able to give enormous powers to the fighters, turning them into semi-gods. Their armor and equipment have enormous importance in the dynamics of the game, both with regards to the combat system, the progression.
Combination of genres
The world of Aperion is in ruins, threatened by the evil and insane god, Macros and its kingdoms divided according to the elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Spirit are now the abode of evil creatures and fighters corrupt. Is the combat and the sense of challenge to bring forward the players from one game world to another, but not only that: the loot and the search for new elements of progression for the fighter is a major motor for the action in Godfall, which is right in the unusual combination of genres, its main characteristic. Counterplay defines it as "looter-slasher", with a rather bizarre but explicit: this is an action RPG very fast and focused on the combat as a slasher, but is also strongly focused on the search of the loot , rewards more and more rich at the end of the fighting more and more challenging. The problem, in putting together these two characteristics, is to try to find a balance between the skill of the player and the progressive increase of the power given by the evolution of the equipment.Is in fact on this point that the developers want to focus particularly: a soulslike usually focuses on the skill of the player in the construction of the gameplay and the combat system, while a "looter", if we can define games that focus on the quest rewards like Diablo or Destiny, move your attention also on the level of experience accumulated by the player and on the power of his equipment. It is not easy to find a balance between the two aspects, because above all reached a certain level, the progressive increase in the number of weapons and armor can overtake any level of challenge in terms of pure fight, but Counterplay is convinced that it is to be able to find a good amalgam of features for Godfall.
The battle
there Are several fighting styles depending on the choice of the various weapons, but the mechanics is always one of the battle melee , or melee, and with melee weapons. This determines already a particular attention to the system of confrontation, which may not be much approximate, since the direct contact with the enemies and the system of parries, dodges, attacks and counter-attacks requires a complex system. The director, Keith Lee, in particular, tends to take as examples games such as Devil May Cry 5 and God of War , and take a little distance from the cluttered comparison with Dark Souls and the like. The combat system of Godfall is less reasoned and more fast, less wait-and-see, and tactical and is based on the attack is lightning fast, while still requiring, however, considerable skill in the interpretation of the pattern of attack of more than 90 types of enemies present in the world of Aperion.The combat in Godfall is the most arrogant, even faster if not less challenging than you can find in a soulslike : this is to push forward and attack first of all. This results in a dynamism much greater than what you might expect from a game that puts us in the control of mighty warriors in armor, with the opportunity to carry on combat against multiple enemies at the same time a very spectacular and impressive. However, there are different situations: the missions pose in front of the boss to the middle and the end of the level which require changes in pace and approaches the tactical in order to survive, but the speed and the dynamism remain key aspects of the fighting style of the game.
The progression and the loot
There are 12 Valorplate to unlock Godfall, each with its own characteristics, a passive ability and an "Archon Ability" to be applied to the ability of the fighter, a sort of Ultimate that requires the loading of a bar to be unleashed in combat, therefore you might think that the choice of armour determines in a certain sense the class of the character, which, in turn, has a progression system of their own. The level of experience of the fighter increases with the advance in the game and overcoming the fights, unlocking skill points that can be applied to a skill-tree, which, in turn, unlock additional special abilities to add to the possibility of the attack of the player. The loot mainly concerns the discovery of new weapons and materials for crafting that extend the power of these.weapons are divided into five classes that determine the style of combat, but within these categories there are many advance in the game, such as loot the main along with the materials from the crafting and upgrading of these. For each one it is required a certain level of experience in order to be used, but the developers ensure that this continuous search of the loot is not limited simply to the discovery of a myriad of weapons that offer simple numerical steps on the characteristics of the base. It is above all to find their own style of combat and focusing on that, thus choosing a specific type of weapon and applying the upgrades. As this does not result in a constant increase in numbers, and as such the system does not introduce a problem of balance in the long run, in a game heavily based on combat, and melee, is one of the points doubts of Godfall, but we are really curious to see the solutions adopted by the Counterplay to this interesting title.
Started as a curiosity rather exotic, Godfall is proving more and more a game to keep an eye on, regardless of the appeal that comes from its being a title purely next gen. The combat system is dynamic and spectacular, but also quite tactical and skill-based is the element of greatest interest, together with the component of progression and loot. The difficult balance between these two elements, summarized in the new definition of "looter slasher", is what characterizes Godfall, which can be a strength but also a risk in the case in which the formula is not stable. The idea remains, however, extremely interesting, and we can't wait to see it developed in a comprehensive way.
