Remember when PS5 was released and we were all insanely excited to witness what the next generation of gaming would look like and feel like to play? Those feelings of giddy wonder were quickly shot out of the sky by a game called Godfall aka one of the supposed “system sellers” for the new generation for PS5. The game was lifeless, the graphics were oversold and mostly just looked shiny and the loot grind that sold us Destiny meets Warframe meets Dark Souls ran stale very quickly as environments were recycled an egregious amount. But hey, plenty of titles these days launch in a disastrous fashion only to climb their way out of the pit of despair with updates and implementing user feedback. No Man’s Sky, Destiny 2, and Final Fantasy 14 are the best examples of this kind of resurrection. So, is Godfall on the same path?
What’s New?
With the recent Fire and Darkness expansion, we get a $20 expansion that adds in the ability to play on PS4 as well as cross-play with your friends. That means we FINALLY get matchmaking. This might seem like something you would think a multiplayer game would have right off the bat, but nope, Godfall was without matchmaking until this very update. In addition to this, we’ve got a new Lightbringer mode that lets you team up with friends to experience the level 50 endgame levels which add a heap of new content. Not only is there new content available, but there have been little refinements to combat like giving you the new ability to cancel your swings mid-attack in order to create more flow to the combat. This is a huge update because honestly, the initial combat at launch was rocky at best and felt incredibly robotic compared to the games it was trying to emulate.
Is the New Story Fun?
That’s going to be the biggest selling point of the update obviously and whether Godfall recovers the countless gamers it left scorned at launch depends upon how much different the content added feels compared to the main game. Immediately in the new area, the most noticeable thing is the visuals. Gone are the super shiny environments that made everything look like it was made of chrome. Instead, we have a much darker and moodier feel akin to something in Destiny 2. For starters, we’ve got a new story to follow as the new villain Moirox has attacked The Seventh Sanctum and stolen her life force. Naturally, it’s on Orin to get it back. The big addition here is the new Fire Realm. The base game had the Earth Realm, Wind Realm, and Water Realm covered, so the natural addition of fire makes sense at least. For the Fire Realm though, things are pretty dark and don’t really feel like the name of the place would imply.
Are There New Enemies?
If the new environments and story aren’t enough to bring you back, then at least you’ll be glad to know that the foes you’ll be facing have a new look to them. They’re not visually astounding or anything, but the demon-like enemies you’ll find here are at least a breath of fresh air compared to the shiny nightmare that came at you in the main game. While there are new enemies like Gargoyle who flies around and a total of 12 other monstrosities I won’t spoil, none of this really serves to make this feel like anything other than more Godfall. Yes, there are 5 new bosses, five new hunts as well, but the point of all of this is it just doesn’t change anything all that much from what you already experienced, or refrained from experiencing in the first place.
What is the Lightbringer Mode Like?
The promise of new endgame content is very important to a looter like Godfall and luckily, there is a ton to consume here in this regard. The newest addition to the endgame is the addition of cursed items, which require you to remove the curse to unleash the true devastating potential of them. The main objective in Lightbringer mode is to recapture the Light of the Sanctum back from the forces of the Heart of Darkness. You do this by remaining in the light in this mode will start to drain your health. Killing enemies causes them to drop light orbs that reverse the countdown a bit, adding an interesting wrinkle into how you approach the combat here. Making things even more complicated is that after defeating the onslaught of enemies, you will be given a choice to choose to activate a boon to get amazing loot. The trick here is that banes come along with these and sometimes it can be something as truly cruel as giving you half as much resistance as normal. Do you want the legendary item no matter what the cost? Then be prepared to deal with some of the consequences. This mode is tough, there are no two ways about that and enemies here can quickly out-level you the more loot you decide to scavenge. It almost feels like it’s punishing you at times for wanting to see its new equipment which is strange, to say the least.
Is it Worth Coming Back To?
Honestly, if you played Godfall at release and got your fill of it then, I don’t see how anything in the Fire and Darkness expansion will bring you back. It’s a $20 expansion to a game that was a sinking ship and while it does provide a sizable amount of content, none of it feels particularly different. This is not Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, this is more of a basic expansion that just adds more of the same to the base game. If you haven’t played Godfall yet, there really is nothing here to compel you to spend $90 to experience everything it has to offer. Most games aren’t worth that much and the content here does not turn one of the most disappointing titles of the past year into a must-have. The appeal to do this all with your friends might satiate some and those hungry for a looter game will find plenty to like here, but those seeking a game of substance should still continue their search.
Godfall is available for $69.99 on PS5 and $64.99 on PS4. Godfall: Fire and Darkness is available for $20 on PS4 and PS5.
