GreedFall 2: The Dying World launched in early access today, making the sequel available to play on PC. However, early reviews are largely negative, as players complain about performance issues, bugs, and frustrating combat.

Now, GreedFall 2 sits at "mostly negative" reviews on Steam. While some players say that they see the potential here, many aren't pleased with the current state of the game, mostly citing technical difficulties, and a rough jump to a more tactical combat system.

"If you liked the first game, this feels totally different but not in a good way," says Steam user upuaut2. "Movement in the first one was smooth, in this one you will likely get motion sickness just walking around."

Other reviews are much the same, with many citing issues with the new combat system. "Combat needs a lot of work to be fun as they changed it to RTS style similar to Dragon Age: Origins," reads a review from xGarbett. "Right now, I do not enjoy the combat. Lots of potential but right now I recommend waiting a few updates or waiting for full release."

One review speaks even more negatively about the changes. "Stay away from this game at least until release, is my recommendation. Probably after as well," says SergeantAmerica. "I don't think it can be saved. It is as if they took the money from the first game and ran, leaving two people behind to continue working. But even that scenario insults what two people can do."

It isn't surprising to hear that GreedFall 2 is struggling to excite fans. Before launch, we had a major warning sign that something was wrong when staff at the developer, Spiders, published an open letter to management. This letter shares complaints of mismanagement, refusal to engage in negotiations with workers, and "unacceptable delays in achieving gender equality and parity."

The letter also referenced GreedFall 2. "As a direct consequence of these problems, there is widespread anxiety and a loss of interest among employees," the letter reads. "For many, it translates into a fear of releasing a disappointing game at the end and/or a feeling of shame over their own work. For some, it's the last straw that pushes them to look for work elsewhere."

In a statement to IGN, Spiders said that these allegations are "false and even defamatory" and "in no way reflect the reality of the day-to-day working life of the company's employees".

This comes five years after the launch of the first GreedFall in 2019, which sits at mostly positive reviews on Steam. At the time, it was favourably compared to BioWare games, particularly the Dragon Age series.

However, unlike the first game, GreedFall 2 isn't launching as a full game. Instead, it's being made available in early access, so Spiders can collect player feedback on the new game, particularly in regards to its combat system. It remains to be seen if launching in early access allows the team to act on this feedback, and if workers can negotiate with Spiders management.

Posted: Sep 29, 2024 1:05 pm
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/greedfall-2-the-dying-world-early-access-reviews-steam/