More Diablo than Dark Souls, Godfall is a breathtakingly gorgeous third-person action title boasting satisfying gameplay but a repetitiveness some players will shy away from.
Godfall, a PS5 launch title also available on PC through the Epic Games store, is a gorgeous game. The environments are divine, a perfect companion to constant in-game reminders that you’re in a world built for gods and demons. These high fantasy scenes will tickle any fan of the genre, even if the story wears a little thin at times.
As Orin you’re charged with defeating your evil brother Macros before he ascends to godhood and, in the process, destroys the world. You’re armed with a sci-fi meets fantasy arsenal consisting of Valorplates – powerful suits of armour that grant you superhuman strength and speed – and a suite of weapons that make for flashy, entertaining combat sequences.
Godfall has many boons but it also has its drawbacks, and depending on what class of games you’ve historically enjoyed, it may or may not be for you. Before you charge headfirst into Godfall yourself, here’s what you need to know.
God-like visuals
First and foremost, this game is wonderful to behold. Three hub worlds – the Air Realm, Water Realm, and Earth Realm – serve as the framework for practically every mission you’ll embark on. This can be a repetitive process, so thankfully each world comes with a decent degree of variation, plus many different pathways and subsections to explore.
Your character, Orin, never ceases to look the part of the warrior king/queen. The 12 Valorplates you’ll collect throughout your playthrough are exquisitely designed – a glance will reveal which Valorplate comes with tank-friendly stats, for instance, with solid shoulder plates and a helmet that looks like it’d stop a battering ram.
A neat, inclusionary note is that depending on which Valorplate you wear, Orin’s voice will change between male and female. That’s right, our armour-clad hero is non-binary.
The enemy design is refreshing, combining a few brick-and-mortar stereotypes such as soldiers or lizard-men with much more unique, otherworldly models. Things get especially weird in the Water Realm, where enemies such as gigantic Medusas await around every slippery corner.
Combine this with an ostentatious combat style, and Godfall never gets boring to look at. Whether you’re zipping around the battlefield with Dual Blades or crushing enemies with your enormous Warhammer, you’re going to look damn fine.
Loot, slash, repeat
In their marketing material Counterplay Games dubbed Godfall the first looter/slasher, a combination of classic loot-driven hack and slash titles like Diablo with the third-person combat of Dark Souls or PS4-era God of War. Which is an apt description, having played it for some time.
The missions of Godfall are less a framework and more a cage for a fairly basic gameplay loop of loot/slash/repeat. Find the enemies, beat the everliving dust out of them, follow the waypoint, and do it all again. If you’re a slave to a shiny loot chest, you’ll enjoy Godfall immensely – the gratification of destroying a boss and receiving a legendary weapon is up there with the best of the genre.
If you’re the kind to cream through a campaign, or the type of gamer that ticks off titles like tasks on a checklist, you’ll probably become fatigued with Godfall rather quickly. That said, the foundation this game lays down is incredibly solid, and some subtle tweaks in forthcoming updates could remedy most of the problems players are having.
When gearing up, there are plenty of outlets that’ll cater to your number-crunching needs. The gear you’ll find in Godfall isn’t revolutionary in itself– you have weapons, an amulet, rings, a charm, and a banner which you can place in arenas for temporary buffs. No need to fix what isn’t broken.
However within the loot are a myriad of different stat upgrades, catering to all sorts of build – damage mitigation, critical strikes, elemental damage, and more. Depending on which Skill upgrades you take and which weapons you find, you’ll spend plenty of time ironing out that perfect build.
The Skill tree does a great job of providing meaningful changes to your combat tactics, opening up powerful new techniques no matter which path you choose to take. Unlock Timing Attacks to spice up your classic light-light-light-heavy combos, or learn to Overload your shield for a massive damage boost to ground pounds or ruthless shield uppercuts.
You can refund and reallocate your Skill points at any time for free, meaning it’s easy to sample the range and find your favourites.
There’s miles of fun to be had within Godfall, despite a few drawbacks. The combat is insanely good; it feels heavy, striking a solid balance between crushing your everyday foes and providing some gnarly challenges with bosses and end-game content.
And god damn, have I mentioned how pretty it is? As you ascend from the Earth Realm to the Air Realm you’ll be treated to a wealth of diverse and spectacular landscapes, replicating your own ascension from fallen warlord to mighty, unstoppable warrior.
Underneath the engaging gameplay and next-gen sheen you’ll experience a degree of repetition that will turn some players off, and keep others itching for the next juicy loot drop. If you’re in the latter team, Godfall is a game you’ll love.
Godfall is out now on PS5 and PC via the Epic Games Store. Find out more here.
