Game review: Godfall (PS5)

There have been many next-gen games that have been released, although some of them have been from famously known IPs. One fresh new game out of the gate is Godfall which is an all-new IP releasing on the PS5 and PC.

To my knowledge, I think Godfall was the first officially announced PS5 game. The reveal showed a CG trailer of what PS5 graphics could look like. Many months later, we now know what the game actually looks like running on a PS5.

As I am a reviewer, I've played many great looking games on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles this month. The ones that stand out to me the most, graphically, have been the next-gen version of NBA 2K21 as well as Demon's Souls.

Well I have finally played Godfall, and I can easily say it's the best looking next-gen video game I have played so far. This game's glossy and shiny graphics look truly next-gen and it looks wonderful when you are playing it on a 4K capable TV.

Much like many other next-gen games, there are two graphical settings that you can choose from. You can choose 'Fidelity' which enhances the graphics running at native 4K, although the gameplay is running at 30fps I believe.

The other setting is 'Performance' and this allows you to play the game at a buttery smooth 60fps at all times. Even playing at this setting, I didn't notice any knockbacks to the graphics as both settings look pretty gorgeous to me. I will say I preferred playing at 60fps though since this is a fast-paced action game.

The level design is also pretty because the realms you visit are based on the elements of Earth, Water and Air. Sure the levels are linear, although they're easy to navigate through because this game has a really helpful waypoint feature. It was much easier finding where to go in this game compared to the waypoint system used in Assassin's Creed Vahalla!

Story-wise, Godfall centres around two brothers named Orin and Macros. Macros is the evil brother and he wants to become a literal God. It's up to you as the player playing as Orin to try and stop him and his cronies from executing their evil plan. Sure the game's narrative isn't going to win any awards, but I thought the story was enjoyable enough to follow until the very end.

In terms of gameplay, Godfallactually has a fun combat system that is easy to learn, but can be difficult to master at the same time. Thankfully, the game has three difficulty settings to choose from so the game is much easier to play through compared to the recently released Demon's Souls.

You can use a melee attack by simply pressing down on the R1 button. If you press the R2 button, you can execute a slower but much stronger attack than the one used with R1. Alternating between the two buttons allow you to do some cool looking combos. It's also helpful to keep on attacking your enemies as they can be relentless in large groups.

As for defence strategies, the main character named Orin is able to dodge attacks by using the X button. It's more of a dodge nudge more than a roll, so it's pretty fast and very useful to use during the many boss battles you have to endure.

Another thing you can use in battle is a really helpful shield. Not only can you use the shield to block attacks, but you can also throw the shield at enemies like you're being Captain America. The best part about the shield throw is that it actually does a lot of damage!

There are at least five weapon types that are available to use in Godfall. The weapons you can use include a longsword, dual blades, a polearm, and two-handed hammers and swords. Sadly, there are no ranged weapons in this game like guns or bows and arrows. You cannot even use magic so this is strictly a melee only type of game.

As you play through the game, you can earn loot to upgrade your weapons and equipment. When you level up, you can also use many skills to increase your repertoire of moves. You can even change your whole armour and this slightly changes the way you move and attack in battle.

Another useful thing about this game is that some bosses have checkpoints, so you don't have to kill them all in one go. This game also allows you to cooperate with two other players online if you feel that it's getting too hard to play by yourself.

The only negative thing I can say about the game is that it can get really repetitive after several hours. The missions are all the same and the level design is quite monotonous too. Not to mention the 'endgame' content does not differ that much after you finish the main story.

Anyway, Godfallmay have some of its flaws, but I still enjoyed the majority of what this game has to offer. Not to mention it arguably has the best graphics that you will see on the PS5 thus far. Despite its repetitive nature, this game is still worth playing if you love action games.

Verdict: 8.0/10