Babylon's Fall takes place in a world based on reality. After the fall of Babylon, a society sprung up to get it back. Unlike ancient history, this version sees demonic guardians, called Gallows, haunt the dwelling. Now, only the chosen Sentinels can embark inside Babylon to reclaim it. That’s where players come in.
That’s the basic premise for Babylon's Fall. It’s an interesting concept but it is not doing well in reviews. With an average around the 40s on Metacritic, it’s safe to say that this game may end up being one of the worst-reviewed titles in 2022. It’s not all bad though. This is a Square Enix and PlatinumGames title after all. There is plenty to love amidst a pile of strange decisions.
8 Love: Co-Op With Four Players
Babylon’s Fall may be rocky around the edges. However, most games can become more tolerable with a friend or three around. This game supports four-player co-op and it makes everything better. The constant horde of enemies becomes less frustrating and in turn, levels can be completed in a shorter amount of time.
Players can also incorporate more ways of strategy into battle such as distracting enemies in the front to have a partner back attack them. It’s the kind of action RPG that is relaxing in a monotonous way with friends.
7 Didn’t Love: The Online Architecture
As fun as co-op can be, getting a match together is tricky. Players can choose a mission from their menu and then wait patiently in the hopes someone will randomly join. Otherwise, players can try to randomize as well but it seems that option fails more often than not.
If someone in the town portal is about to go on a mission, players can join that way as well. There is not as much curation as some players may enjoy in their online experiences. Wait and see what happens is seemingly the motto for Babylon’s Fall.
6 Love: The Weapons System
Players can equip four weapons at a time. Where they are equipped will determine how they act. For example, using a shield with normal arms will have it act as a weapon. If it is equipped to the back then it becomes an actual shield with a walled barrier.
Experimenting fun in Babylon’s Fall. There are so many combos to toy around with that there is assuredly some arrangement for all types of players. It’s also great that gear is shared among all created characters and that there are no level requirements.
5 Didn’t Love: The Level Design
There was seemingly not much thought put into the level design. There are separate areas of Babylon, with a few missions placed in each. It can be hard to tell the difference between stages within areas. For example, the second cloister of Babylon is flooded with some of the most aggravating underwater battles players have seen since the 90s. There are no puzzles to solve or any real obstacles to overcome. Players simply jump in and kill things as they make their way to the exit. Boring is an appropriate word.
4 Love: The Monster Design
The monster design, on the other hand, should be applauded. Most enemies are angelic-like, which feels like an intentional call out to Bayonetta. This is PlatinumGames after all and they know a thing or two about creating horrific monsters.
The music also holds up to both their standards and Square Enix’s. While levels may not hold the interest of players, the enemies and music should engage them enough to care. Add in a few friends and it can be the perfect multiplayer experience.
3 Didn’t Love: The Graphics
It can be hard to tell what a video game will look like before players get to boot it up themselves. Trailers can hide a lot. For example, the graphics in the trailers for this game made it look more pristine than it is.
Without any kind of hyperbole whatsoever, Babylon’s Fall looks like it came from the PS2 era which was quickly converted into HD via a bad AI program. To call it rough would be an understatement. Textures are pixelated and most things look like they have a layer of Vaseline smoothed over them. Some textures don’t even seem to ever load properly, like outfits in the gear menu.
2 Love: Low Death Penalty
Some quality-of-life things should be praised since they aren’t always common in even the biggest AAA games. For example, players can quit missions and they will retain any items they have acquired along the way. Death is not that punishing in this way, plus it can be hard to fail a level anyway. Players have a good amount of potions and resurrections at their disposal in single-player matches. The survivability rate increases tenfold when even one partner joins the fray in co-op.
1 Didn’t Love: The Story
The narrative is almost as bad as the graphics. The main character is silent, making them the third party to their own story. The plot instead follows two other newly formed Sentinels, Gallagher and Sylvi. They join you on your quest to free Babylon from the demons within. They will even accompany players on missions but as voices only. It can be disorienting. The acting is also not up to par with anything from Square Enix or PlatinumGames. The oddball that is Ishum has a voice in English that is at least so bad that it is good.
Babylon's Fall is currently available on PC, PS4, and PS5.