I wish I could start somehow Eldon Ring fresh. I don’t mean to simply start another game; I want to relive my first experience with this amazing game. I want to rediscover how everything started anew. Get lost in its open words without knowing what’s on every corner. I wish I could forget all the details that fascinated me so I could come across them again for the first time.
But I can’t do anything. The only thing I can think of is to put enough distance between me and the Elden Ring, long enough that I can forget most of the time, and hopefully when I get back I can recreate those magical first few Hour.
The last time it happened to me was – surprise, surprise! – with another FromSoft game: Sekiro. Once I’m done with that, I go looking for something that can provide a little hint. I didn’t really find anything that fit the bill, so I just stumbled from game to game until I finally gave in and played Sekiro from start to finish again (over and over).
The scenery was a little different this time, so after spending over 150 hours on the Elden Ring, I found myself in a similar dilemma. Knowing that nothing really comes close, I decided to revisit games that might recreate some of the feel. Maybe a game can offer similar or better combat, or another world can convince me to spend hours exploring it.
One game I’ve been wanting to re-enter and try again is the sky falls. I’ve been following Godfall since it was revealed and I’m really looking forward to its release. I was there on my first day on PC…and that was a real disappointment. Obviously, I’ve built in my mind the extent that it can’t. I found it combat fun on a basic level, but was marred by the multiple maddening decisions that kept destroying it. Its structure relies heavily on revisiting the same static map over and over to advance the story.
These narrow areas don’t encourage exploration, offer no mysteries, and don’t marvel at their sheer beauty. They’re all closed, predictable, corridors of varying sizes, spinning through the same few puzzles and enemy types that their domains allow.
Godfall is a PS5 game coming out in November 2020. A year and a half later, the game is getting its biggest (and possibly final) update ever on Xbox. I think it’s a good time to really give the game a fresh, honest take on it.
It didn’t take me long to start enjoying it again, especially since the gameplay changes since then have become apparent very quickly. One of the most infuriating mechanics in the original is how your character is knocked down by any enemy attack. Now that’s not a big deal, since it’s limited to certain attacks, and you can even get a window to shorten this interleaving.
Godfall has also gotten better at communicating upcoming attacks and clearly explaining what you can block or parry, and which ones you need to dodge. This improves the readability of the fight, but nothing more.
Pretty soon, I started having the same problem that made me yell in November 2020. Godfall’s camera is still very tight. Even after fully pulling out the FOV, the camera will keep coming close to you when you engage an enemy. It’s a bit like the problem God of War 2018 had, and the developers of Godfall implemented the same solution.
Of course, this is an indicator that warns you of off-screen attacks. While I managed to put up with this in God of War, mostly because the rest of the game was addicting enough for me to ignore such bad mechanics, I couldn’t do the same for Godfall. For one thing, Godfall’s screen is pretty busy. This is a game designed to showcase the power of the PS5, and the intent to wow players often overwhelms the rest of its design.
At every moment, the footage is filled with particle effects, excessive sheen, halos, and outrageous flares that make the game look stunning in video, but it’s actually hard to navigate. The aforementioned attack warning was overwhelmed by everything else I found myself dodging unnecessarily just to not get hit by enemies I couldn’t see.
This problem can be mitigated by making some tweaks to enemy behavior, or even adding other metrics such as audio cues. For example, Elden Ring doesn’t force too many enemies to fight you at any given moment. If you warn the entire camp, only two or three enemies will be involved, while the rest will be ready behind them. Games do this a lot, so I’m surprised to see that Godfall hasn’t changed anything about its overzealous enemies.
As I thought at the time, I still think the game’s combat works best as a duel with one or at most two enemies. By then, most of the camera and enemy aggression issues won’t be there, and you’ll be left to read and react – this is Godfall at its best.
I’m also disappointed to find that there are still many minor annoyances such as the lack of campaign matchmaking (in loot games, no less!), how your cursor always resets to the top of the inventory screen, how uneven the audio mix is, And how clumsy the menu is.
Godfall is a rare game whose individual components are often well-made, but the way they fit together creates an unbalanced and often annoying experience. Polar attacks, breach systems, soul-shattering damage, weak points, rampage modes, weapon tech, and a plethora of skills at your disposal will make Nioh envious. The game is filled with subtle combat mechanics, raised skill caps, and can make for moments that are very mechanically engaging – when you’re not cursed with heaven for other issues.
Godfall has always been the subject of jokes. It gives the impression of a gimmicky, empty game that exists to sell new consoles. But I find the whole thing frustrating rather than entertaining. Most forgotten console boot games are usually not mechanically worthwhile. Frustratingly, Godfall is so much better than its visuals.
If the developers make a sequel, I have no doubt it will be significantly better, so that’s what I’ll be waiting for.
