GreedFall is an epic, semi open-world RPG that feels about as removed from the modern day as its pseudo colonial-era European setting. Mind you, this is by no means a bad thing, as the prospect of a game designed to either intentionally or inadvertently hearken back to a time when Bioware still ruled the genre is a most welcome return to form.
However, such a designation comes a great deal of expectation, and unfortunately GreedFall doesn't always hold up to scrutiny when viewed through that lens. This is because GreedFall's gameplay systems aren't as fleshed out as a more polished RPG might be, and therefore many of its features feel unfinished and hollow.
Not to say that I didn't enjoy my time playing GreedFall, because I most definitely did. It's just that at any given moment I felt as though the game just needed a few minutes more to bake before coming out of the oven.
Though, as far as premises go, GreedFall is certainly up there for me in terms of draw and appeal. Perhaps it's the grossly underserved colonial-era setting that is rarely touched on in video games, or that it tackles the borderline taboo subject of colonization itself. Either way, GreedFall feels unique in its own right, which makes its mechanical short-comings seem less damning because I so thoroughly enjoy its lore.
Players assume the role of De Sardet, legate of the Congregation of Merchants. As chief diplomat, you are sent to the newly-discovered continent of Teer Fradee to join in your home country's colonization efforts. While De Sardet was primarily tasked overseeing relations between its government and those of neighboring nations who are also carving out their own piece of the island, the character is quickly swept up in an ongoing feud between the colonists and the island's natives.
Despite being an RPG through-and-through, GreedFall's combat system feels more reminiscent of the Arkham and Dark Souls series. Combat has players alternate between blunt weapons, used to weaken an opponent's armor and open them up to take damage, then finishing them off with a blade. Defensively, the parry mechanic is entirely OP in that you can pretty much spam it to avoid all damage, or you can leap out of the way of oncoming attacks and dodge hits entirely.
There are also a few types of magic that players can learn, should they go that route in their skill tree. My character is able to use stasis to briefly freeze opponents in place, as well as a heal that allows me to keep myself and my party in tip-top shape. All in all, I found that being able to use melee, ranged, and magic attacks fluidly and without interruption made combat feel methodical and seamless.
As per tradition with any self-respecting RPG, crafting is present in GreedFall and can be done at any conveniently placed workbench across Teer Fradee. It's a bit shallow, but certainly gets the job done. You can imbue amor and weapons with enhancements found throughout your travels, which serves to increase stats for your gear. It's a neat system, but one that I found to be entirely optional. Though, as I came to find out much later in the game, investing in my character's scientific abilities by way of the skill tree would allow me to sometimes craft items that would greatly simplify missions. I appreciate that crafting is present, but it may have been more impactful had it been given a second coat of paint - if you know what I mean.
Again, GreedFall is a good game and absolutely deserves the attention of any fan of Bioware-esque RPGs, or simply single-player RPGs in general. However, had it received some additional polish, it could have been great.