GreedFall: The Dying World, let's find out if Nacon's RPG has made the leap in quality!

The story of GreedFall: The Dying World and the return to Teer Fradee

The return of the Spiders team to the scene means only one thing: it's time to read our review of GreedFall: The Dying World! We're talking about an RPG that focuses heavily on strategic combat, narrative choices, and a fascinating world to explore, immersed in a very particular atmosphere inspired by the 17th century. We are facing the second episode of the GreedFall saga, but we will not be playing a sequel to the original title, but rather a prequel that takes place 3 years earlier. In fact, although the title GreedFall 2 was used during the first period of early access on PC, we now refer to the game simply as GreedFall: The Dying World. The French team Spiders, part of Nacon, has been dedicated to developing RPGs with several interesting ideas for years, but none of them have ever managed to "break through", remaining in the limbo of those "double A" games that could have done more, but for one reason or another never succeeded. While at the time I found good ideas in The Technomancer and Bound By Flame, without a doubt the first GreedFall and Steelrising (the latter not exactly an RPG) have shown that, over time, Spiders' productions have made significant progress. I was able to test the Xbox Series X version of GreedFall: The Dying World to see if the French developers managed to make the proverbial leap in quality or if we are once again facing a product that has remained, in a sense, unfinished. 

GreedFall: The Dying World puts us in the shoes of Rootless, a native of the island of Teer Frade

The story of GreedFall: The Dying World and the return to Teer Fradee

The return of the Spiders team to the scene means only one thing: it's time to read our review of GreedFall: The Dying World! We're talking about an RPG that focuses heavily on strategic combat, narrative choices, and a fascinating world to explore, immersed in a very particular atmosphere inspired by the 17th century. We are facing the second episode of the GreedFall saga, but we will not be playing a sequel to the original title, but rather a prequel that takes place 3 years earlier. In fact, although the title GreedFall 2 was used during the first period of early access on PC, we now refer to the game simply as GreedFall: The Dying World. The French team Spiders, part of Nacon, has been dedicated to developing RPGs with several interesting ideas for years, but none of them have ever managed to "break through", remaining in the limbo of those "double A" games that could have done more, but for one reason or another never succeeded. While at the time I found good ideas in The Technomancer and Bound By Flame, without a doubt the first GreedFall and Steelrising (the latter not exactly an RPG) have shown that, over time, Spiders' productions have made significant progress. I was able to test the Xbox Series X version of GreedFall: The Dying World to see if the French developers managed to make the proverbial leap in quality or if we are once again facing a product that has remained, in a sense, unfinished. 

GreedFall: The Dying World puts us in the shoes of Rootless, a native of the island of Teer Frade. After passing the trials to become a sage of our clan, we will be kidnapped and taken to the continent of Gacane, where for a short period we will remain imprisoned and serve as guinea pigs for strange experiments. As in all self-respecting RPGs, we will manage to escape from our prison and begin a great adventure where our desire to return home will intertwine with intrigues, factional struggles, and the Malicore, an unknown disease that is beginning to claim more and more victims. The plot has several echoes of the first GreedFall and as we progress through the story we will find elements that will bring to mind both the main story and the DLC "The De Vespe Conspiracy", but even if you are new to the saga, you will have no particular problems immersing yourself in this world with refined colonial overtones. The narrative has a good pace and alternates quieter moments, in which exploration is indulged, with more agitated situations, managing to keep the player's interest high and at the same time offering situations in which to discover more calmly what the setting has to offer.

The script and the writing of the game world are of a good standard, as is the characterization of the characters we will meet, although there are some already seen stereotypes, but it must be said that, undoubtedly, everything works and creates an interesting narrative system. There are several warring factions and in the background there is a particular magic system where occult arts mix with the forces of nature and it will not be at all strange to see a clash between soldiers with rifles and bayonets against warriors armed with swords and magic. Our choices will change the way factions and characters relate to us and there will be dialogues in which to make moral decisions that will have a significant impact on the development of the story, thus creating a framework that, as a role-player, I feel I can promote. Spiders have been able to draw on the strengths of more famous titles and have added their love for RPGs by creating a long main quest, many secondary missions, and a varied party where you can also experience intense romances.

The gameplay of GreedFall: The Dying World between tactics, stealth, and party

The gameplay tries to be as varied as possible and between one exploration and another we can face the situations we encounter both openly, weapons in hand, and in stealth mode. Going unnoticed can be useful on many occasions and in addition to hiding in bushes or behind walls we will also be able to wear disguises. NPCs are quite reactive, but sometimes they didn't notice us even if we were visible. Combat distances itself from that of the first episode and in GreedFall: The Dying World we have a system based on tactical pause and orders to be given to each party member. There are three selectable modes that differ from each other based on how much in-depth control we will have over companions and options in battle. My advice is to play in "Tactical" mode to have the complete experience where you can enjoy absolute control, but there are also options to give general indications to companions to streamline your task in less dangerous situations. The possibilities are truly many and our characters, based on their classes, have access to different abilities that allow different approaches. A wide variety of weapons and equipment make the situation even more varied, as does an extensive crafting system. Of course, many variables must be taken into account and the combat hub is not exactly comfortable, but for those who love tactical combat in the style of Dragon Age there is really a lot to sink your teeth into. 

The combat system works, but the artificial intelligence has some flaws that leave a bitter taste, both regarding the opponents and our companions. Sometimes some party members remain motionless, both during exploration and battle, and we are forced to retrieve them to bring them into the center of the action. In the same way, during a combat, I saw a companion defeat the opponent in front of him and remain still, without automatically looking for another enemy. The antagonists, then, in some cases do not seem to have many tactical notions, so much so that more than once my party and I attacked a rifleman head-on who, instead of moving away to find an advantageous position, remained to face us face to face trying to shoot us from a few centimeters away. It is precisely the artificial intelligence that has some shortcomings and changing the difficulty does not help, since only the parameters related to damage taken and inflicted can be varied, but the opponent's behavior remains identical. That said, there are some challenging encounters, especially against classic bosses. It seems quite clear that GreedFall: The Dying World is a title that does not aim to innovate, but seeks to expand by following elements already seen in other famous RPGs, mixing Dragon Age-style combat with a multiple-choice dialogue system and setting everything in a very vast map where you also travel by ship and visit different environments, including deserts, forests, and cities. 

Graphics and technical compartment of GreedFall: The Dying World

From a technical point of view, GreedFall: The Dying World certainly couldn't boast triple-A graphics, also given the size of the explorable areas and a budget that we don't know, but it certainly wasn't stratospheric. Despite this, the game still manages to show a decent visual impact, especially if played in "Graphics" mode. Of course, choosing the "Performance" option gains a better frame rate, but my advice is to get used to a few less FPS for the first few hours of play and enjoy better textures and more defined views. Of course, the difference in fluidity is noticeable, but I assure you that in this case, given a gameplay with not too high rhythms, it's better to focus on visual details. As for the sound, apart from the beautiful main theme, nothing memorable is reported and even the English dubbing settles on a sufficiency without particular praise. I would like to point out, however, a decent Italian translation of all the texts and given the enormous amount of lines to read, the effort made by Nacon for our audience must be absolutely appreciated. 

Unfortunately, however, despite a long period of early access, it is quite clear that the optimization of GreedFall: The Dying World is still far from an appreciable level. Let's start with the on-screen texts which are really very small and difficult to read, even when playing on large screens. The dialogue subtitles are saved, where you can choose to enlarge the characters, but all other information to read will make your eyes pop out and this is joined by hubs and menus that are not always very clear. If these are still minor flaws, unfortunately several bugs and glitches appear that undermine the gaming experience. Objects that disappear or appear suddenly, incorrect polygon interpenetrations, unmanageable camera when fighting on a slope (for example on stairs), characters that start to "jump" during cutscenes and even some crashes: these are the situations that happened to me during my tests and that, unfortunately, make the gaming experience less pleasant. 

A real shame, because once again the guys at Spiders demonstrate that they have a good understanding of what it takes to create a role-playing game that can appeal to the public of enthusiasts, but the final rendering of GreedFall: The Dying World suffers from several points that prevent the title from rising as much as it deserves. The hope is that with some substantial updates, GreedFall: The Dying World will be able to improve further given that, in any case, it offers a respectable role-playing and narrative structure. Both gamers and Spiders and Nacon deserve this new GreedFall to be able to demonstrate its full potential, also because a self-respecting enthusiast always wants to get their hands on a good RPG. Perhaps GreedFall: The Dying World will succeed in becoming one, but for now it remains a decent title recommended for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook its problems.

e. After passing the trials to become a sage of our clan, we will be kidnapped and taken to the continent of Gacane, where for a short period we will remain imprisoned and serve as guinea pigs for strange experiments. As in all self-respecting RPGs, we will manage to escape from our prison and begin a great adventure where our desire to return home will intertwine with intrigues, factional struggles, and the Malicore, an unknown disease that is beginning to claim more and more victims. The plot has several echoes of the first GreedFall and as we progress through the story we will find elements that will bring to mind both the main story and the DLC “The De Vespe Conspiracy”, but even if you are new to the saga, you will have no particular problems immersing yourself in this world with refined colonial overtones. The narrative has a good pace and alternates quieter moments, in which exploration is indulged, with more agitated situations, managing to keep the player's interest high and at the same time offering situations in which to discover more calmly what the setting has to offer.

The script and the writing of the game world are of a good standard, as is the characterization of the characters we will meet, although there are some already seen stereotypes, but it must be said that, undoubtedly, everything works and creates an interesting narrative system. There are several warring factions and in the background there is a particular magic system where occult arts mix with the forces of nature and it will not be at all strange to see a clash between soldiers with rifles and bayonets against warriors armed with swords and magic. Our choices will change the way factions and characters relate to us and there will be dialogues in which to make moral decisions that will have a significant impact on the development of the story, thus creating a framework that, as a role-player, I feel I can promote. Spiders have been able to draw on the strengths of more famous titles and have added their love for RPGs by creating a long main quest, many secondary missions, and a varied party where you can also experience intense romances.

The gameplay of GreedFall: The Dying World between tactics, stealth, and party

The gameplay tries to be as varied as possible and between one exploration and another we can face the situations we encounter both openly, weapons in hand, and in stealth mode. Going unnoticed can be useful on many occasions and in addition to hiding in bushes or behind walls we will also be able to wear disguises. NPCs are quite reactive, but sometimes they didn't notice us even if we were visible. The combat distances itself from that of the first episode and in GreedFall: The Dying World we have a system based on tactical pause and orders to be given to each party member. There are three selectable modes that differ from each other based on how much in-depth control we will have over companions and options in battle. My advice is to play in “Tactical” mode to have the complete experience where you can enjoy absolute control, but there are also options to give general indications to companions to streamline your task in less dangerous situations. The possibilities are truly many and our characters, based on their classes, have access to different abilities that allow different approaches. A wide variety of weapons and equipment make the situation even more varied, as does an extensive crafting system. Of course, many variables must be taken into account and the combat hub is not exactly comfortable, but for those who love tactical combat in the style of Dragon Age there is really a lot to sink your teeth into. 

The combat system works, but the artificial intelligence has some flaws that leave a bitter taste, both regarding the opponents and our companions. Sometimes some party members remain motionless, both during exploration and battle, and we are forced to retrieve them to bring them into the center of the action. In the same way, during a combat, I saw a companion defeat the opponent in front of him and remain still, without automatically looking for another enemy. The antagonists, then, do not seem to have many tactical notions, so much so that more than once my party and I attacked a rifleman head-on who, instead of moving away to find an advantageous position, remained to face us face to face trying to shoot us from a few centimeters away. It is precisely the artificial intelligence that has some shortcomings and changing the difficulty does not help, since only the parameters related to damage taken and inflicted can be varied, but the opponent's behavior remains identical. It seems quite clear that GreedFall: The Dying World is a title that does not aim to innovate, but seeks to expand by following elements already seen in other famous RPGs, mixing Dragon Age-style combat with a multiple-choice dialogue system and setting everything in a very vast map where you also travel by ship and visit different environments, including deserts, forests, and cities. 

Graphics and technical compartment of GreedFall: The Dying World

From a technical point of view, GreedFall: The Dying World certainly couldn't boast triple-A graphics, also given the size of the explorable areas and a budget that we don't know, but it certainly wasn't stratospheric. Despite this, the game still manages to show a decent visual impact, especially if played in “Graphics” mode. Of course, choosing the “Performance” option gains a better frame rate, but my advice is to get used to a few less FPS for the first few hours of play and enjoy better textures and more defined views. Of course, the difference in fluidity is noticeable, but I assure you that in this case, given a gameplay with not too high rhythms, it's better to focus on visual details. As for the sound, apart from the beautiful main theme, nothing memorable is reported and even the English dubbing settles on a sufficiency without particular praise. I would like to point out, however, a decent Italian translation of all the texts and given the enormous amount of lines to read, the effort made by Nacon for our audience must be absolutely appreciated. 

Unfortunately, however, despite a long period of early access, it is quite clear that the optimization of GreedFall: The Dying World is still far from an appreciable level. Let's start with the on-screen texts which are really very small and difficult to read, even when playing on large screens. The dialogue subtitles are saved, where you can choose to enlarge the characters, but all other information to read will make your eyes pop out and this is joined by hubs and menus that are not always very clear. If these are still minor flaws, punfortunately several bugs and glitches appear that undermine the gaming experience. Objects that disappear or appear suddenly, incorrect polygon interpenetrations, unmanageable camera when fighting on a slope (for example on stairs), characters that start to “jump” during cutscenes and even some crashes: these are the situations that happened to me during my tests and that, unfortunately, make the gaming experience less pleasant. 

GreedFall: The Dying World is an ambitious RPG that focuses on narrative, moral choices, and tactical combat, but still suffers from some technical limitations. A real shame, because once again the guys at Spiders demonstrate that they have a good understanding of what it takes to create a role-playing game that can appeal to the public of enthusiasts, but the final rendering of GreedFall: The Dying World suffers from several points that prevent the title from rising as much as it deserves. The hope is that with some substantial updates, GreedFall: The Dying World will be able to improve further given that, in any case, it offers a respectable role-playing and narrative structure. Both gamers and Spiders and Nacon deserve this new GreedFall to be able to demonstrate its full potential, also because a self-respecting enthusiast always wants to get their hands on a good RPG. Perhaps GreedFall: The Dying World will succeed in becoming one, but for now it remains a decent title recommended for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook its problems.