GreedFall: An Under The Radar RPG Worth Looking At

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Brandy Brown
| December 28, 2020
hello world!

GreedFall is a little known single-player Western-style RPG that was released in September 2019 by the developer Spiders. Although reviews were generally very good for this game, it’s one that I feel didn’t get enough publicity. How did I not know about this game? I was scrolling through PlayStation Now to see what they had recently added and came across this game that intrigued me, so I decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed.

The city of Theleame

GreedFall is set in what looks like colonial Europe. You play as De Sardet who is a Legate (diplomat) of a faction called the Congregation of the Merchant Guild. You can play as male or female. There aren’t a huge number of customizations, but, in the end, I was satisfied with how my character looked. 

As De Sardet, you are to accompany your cousin (the prince of Serene) to a little known island called Teer Fradee. You are colonists, and your job as Legate is to become a diplomat between all of the warring factions. They include the natives of the island, the Nauts (the seafaring faction), the coin guard (bodyguards and warriors for hire to anyone who pays), the Bridge Alliance (scholars and alchemists), and Theleame (fanatic evangelists). 

One of the wild creatures that you will be up against in GreedFall

Participate in political intrigue with these multiple factions to gain standing. As the Legate of the Merchant Guild, you and your faction are neutral but must use your wits, and sometimes strength, to bring about certain outcomes in the story. Theleame and the Bridge Alliance are at war, so you always have to tread carefully when dealing with issues that will affect one or the other. 

You can play as three different character types: a magic user that casts offensive and defensive spells, a stealth-type fighter with traps and crowd control, or a warrior type melee class. The talent trees are very RPG. There are skill trees that you can put points in as you level based on your play style. If you decide you want to use firearms instead of two-handed weapons, you can do that. And if you decide to wear heavier armor as a magic class, you can put points in that ability as well. It’s very customizable. 

An example of some of the elaborate headdresses worn by natives based on nature

In my first playthrough I went very hard into Charisma and I played as a wizard so I was able to cast spells. I was able to talk my way out of most situations and bring a diplomatic solution to a problem. But the charisma didn’t always work, and there were other ways the game had for me to solve the problem. There is also a lot of combat on the road because of strange creatures in the new world and thieves along your path. 

As you move through the storyline, you pick up five different companions. This part reminded me very much of Dragon Age, but I honestly liked this system better because each companion has different talents that let me build my party of two companions at a time as each situation requires. You don’t have to command companions as you would in other RPG games.

Two of the companions you will see in GreedFall

Each companion is also from one of each of the different factions throughout the game, so you choose them based on what faction you may have to deal with or what type of fight you’re in (if you have this information ahead of time). For example, if you are going to speak to natives, it is usually helpful to have your native companion with you. If you want to speak to the Naut faction you would have your Naut along. Switching out companions like this tends to make the factions you’re talking to a little more comfortable in the conversation. And they can sometimes do the talking for you if you choose to take that route. 

You can become close friends with your companions as you complete certain quests for them and with them. These are usually side missions, and while some of them are not always pivotal to the storyline, they can have a great effect on how your companions feel about you. You can romance companions and even lose them if you do not complete their storylines in a satisfactory way. Each dialogue option has several choices, and the way that you choose can have a great impact on how the story progresses. 

A ritual performed by the natives to speak to the island

The storyline is very interesting, and it really drew me in. While you do play as a colonist, you’re also looking to find a cure for a blood disease called the Malichor that’s claiming lives on your home continent, and this new land of Teer Fradee may be the key to finding that cure. Learn the rituals of the natives, defeat the island guardians (who are terrifying to look at), and find the heart of the island to help you in your quest. I did my playthrough on easy mode so that I could get as much of the story as possible. In the future, I will likely play in a harder mode. This game is great for multiple playthroughs as each decision you make can alter the story in a different way. The game can be glitchy in areas, but the story, scenery, and fascinating creatures make me appreciate the developers’ work immensely. If you’re a fan of fantasy single-player RPGs and are looking for a possible sleeper hit set in a pseudo-historical setting, I would recommend giving this one a try. It’s out on Game Pass for Xbox and PS Now for PlayStation. 

Check out this short game play clip to get an idea of the action and visual richness of GreedFall:

How about you? What is it about an RPG that makes you want to play it, and even multiple times? And what sleeper hits are you happy you didn’t miss out on?

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