Like MMOs before them, live service games, particularly in the quasi-MMO ARPG “looter” genre, have been rife with disappointment. Sure, this can apply to games in general, but these genres seem particularly tough nuts to crack. Despite being disappointed over and over, even as recently as Marvel’s Avengers, I’m still curious to see if the next one will succeed where others have failed. And that’s where Godfall comes in.
Godfall is releasing just next week and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you are hearing about it for the first time today. The lowkey marketing and dearth of information have me skeptical for sure, but what we do know and what we have seen about the game, is interesting to me at least on a surface level. The game is a bit over the top for me in its aesthetic, but some of the Valorplates (Godfall’s collectible classes, think Warframe) are pretty snazzy. Phoenix, in particular, caught my attention and yet I know nothing about what her gameplay is like.
While I’m not a huge fan of Warframe, I do like the idea of collecting or crafting new suits that are effectively classes with different ways to play the game. I also like that some of these can be unlocked earlier than normal if you’re willing to grind it out for them, like Godfall’s Hinterclaw Valorplate, which the developers say has a prohibitively high crafting cost, but it is possible to unlock before endgame. Combat looks slick, though maybe somewhat basic, at least from what I can tell so far. As a polearm fan (Dragoons FTW!) I do appreciate that Godfall’s polearms seem to be focused on thrusting over slashing.
Counterplay Games did a gameplay reveal and Q&A recently that shed some light on some of the game’s systems and features and I was glad to hear that the studio appears to have put some significant thought and effort towards the endgame. Players can expect to find a series of 18 roguelike “Dreamstones” once they complete the campaign. These are pieces of replayable content where you select a boss to fight and must complete a number of different randomized scenarios with differing effects to eventually face the final boss. Each scenario you complete along the way rewards you with bonus loot and a buff that will help with the boss. Failing these only means you lose the extra loot and buff, but that will make the final fight harder. Defeating the boss unlocks the next Dreamstone, but failing means you’ll need to start over. Completing the first nine Dreamstones will unlock the Tower of Trials, a never ending tower of increasing difficulty where the best (and most unique) loot can be found.
It sounds like Godfall’s got a lot going for it, but as I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty apprehensive about the fact we know so little about the game before launch. I’m definitely waiting for reviews on this one and I would encourage you to do the same, but it looks to be something worth keeping an eye on if nothing else.
What are your thoughts on the game? Share 'em with us in the comments below!
