Highlights
- GreedFall 2 aims to improve combat, exploration, and customization through an early access approach with player feedback.
- Players will only access 30% of the game in early access, potentially leading to disinterest but allowing room for improvement.
- While some may frown upon the 30% formula, it's a smart way for Spiders to develop the game efficiently.
GreedFall 2: The Dying World is the upcoming sequel to Spiders' 2019 cult hit, GreedFall. Although GreedFall 2 is technically a prequel, it aims to improve upon its predecessor in several ways, including its combat, exploration, and customization. One of the ways Spiders is addressing these improvements is by giving the game an early access period, as opposed to releasing the full game all at once. With this system, Spiders can develop GreedFall 2 alongside its players, receiving feedback from them as it progresses, until it becomes the game that its fans want it to be. Spiders has been outspoken about its excitement to involve players in the development process, so it could turn out to be a very good maneuver for the game.
Since GreedFall 2: The Dying World will only be entering early access this summer, Spiders has confirmed players will only be given access to 30% of the full game during the early access period. This means players will likely be allowed to experience no more than the game's first act, though it's currently unclear if that percentage refers solely to the game's story or if it will simply be 30% of the final game's content. Furthermore, players will not be able to use their GreedFall 2 early access save in the final build of the game, so it might feel like a waste to some for them to invest time in a character and story that they only get to experience a third of. However, this formula may be the best route for Spiders to take, as the benefits far outweigh the risks.
GreedFall 2 Could Benefit From Copying Dragon Dogma 2's Interior Homework
GreedFall 2 should take a note from Dragon's Dogma 2's infrastructure and improve upon its predecessor's copy-and-paste approach to interior design.
The Pros and Cons of GreedFall 2's "30% Formula"
GreedFall 2's "30% Formula" Gives the Developer Plenty of Room to Perfect the Game
GreedFall 2's early access only allowing players to experience 30% of the game may seem like a letdown for those who have been waiting nearly five years for a sequel to arrive, but it's arguably what is best for the game. GreedFall certainly scratched that classic BioWare RPG itch, but it wasn't perfect by any means. Exploring its world often felt less rewarding than it should have, and its combat was largely underwhelming due to its simple mechanics. On the contrary, with GreedFall 2, Spiders now has a chance to make sure its highly anticipated sequel is the game that fans want, and only allowing them access to 30% of it right off the bat leaves them plenty of room to perfect the game. Any more than that, and the developer could risk giving too much away too quickly.
GreedFall 2's "30% Formula" Could Lead to Disinterested Players
The downside to GreedFall 2's 30% development formula is that it could eventually lead to disinterested players, especially since saves won't carry over from early access to the finished game. Additionally, Spiders has confirmed that progress will be reset after each large update made to the game. Players may initially enjoy the 30% of GreedFall 2 that they get to experience, but repeating that over and over again with every update may result in a general disinterest in it. That being said, Baldur's Gate 3 early access followed a similar model and wound up winning 2023's illustrious Game of the Year award, so GreedFall 2's 30% formula isn't at all inherently bad.
There are credible reasons why players might frown upon GreedFall 2: The Dying World's "30% formula" approach to early access, but the benefit of it eventually becoming the game that fans want is worth the risk of some who might lose interest in it over time. Spiders is a small game development studio, so the fact that it will involve players in the development of GreedFall 2, in a sense, makes it an even larger studio. Time will tell whether this early access approach pays off, but Spiders' conservative early access model seems like a smart way to improve on GreedFall.
GreedFall 2: The Dying World
Spiders' GreedFall 2: The Dying World is an in-development action RPG that is slated to enter early access in the Summer of 2024.
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Developer(s)
- Spiders
- Publisher(s)
- Nacon
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
