Greedfall 2 has so far struggled to live up to its predecessor. The open-world RPG follows in the footsteps of the first with a party-driven blend of tactical combat and character-led dialogue, a la Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dragon Age, but its early access launch was met with a decidedly negative reception. Currently, just 55% of its reviews on Steam are positive – a far cry from the original. As it aims to recover that reputation, developer Spiders launches its first major update, which includes a new region and companion.
The first update for Greedfall 2: The Dying World arrives six months on from the RPG’s early access launch, after Spiders said it would work on gradual changes rather than attempting to rush to meet a release date. The update allows your party to head to Olima, known as the ‘City of Stars’ due to the giant observatory that overlooks it. There, you’ll have the option to meet Safia, a veteran explorer and firearms expert who can join you as a new companion. Bringing bullets and buffs to the battlefield, she’ll prove a valuable ally if you do.
Alongside this comes a rework to combat based on player feedback, which Spiders lists as one of its main priorities. It calls the new update “a major step in that direction,” with improvements to reactivity, visual clarity, and close-quarters combat in particular. Attacks are snappier and chain together in faster, smoother ways, rather than forcing you back to the idle state between strikes. Strafing, faster turning, and new gap-closing mechanics give you more ways to fight, and improved target locking should make it easier to focus on your intended opponent.
To complement this, visual feedback and a redesigned UI should make it easier to keep track of critical hits, status effects, positional bonuses such as flanking and verticality, afflictions, and enemy immunities. There are new ability icons, clearer health and armor indicators, and an overhaul for tactical mode that enables you to issue group commands and more clearly spot when allies are in danger. Spiders adds that more changes are coming, with a particular focus on making real-time combat “more engaging and fun.”
As part of the new update, you’ll gain access to your own ship, which acts as a hub much like Mass Effect’s Normandy. It’s the ideal place to check in with your party members between missions and set out to your next destination, especially as the first set of companion quests have now arrived. You can manage your squad and their equipment, rest, and access the workshop and storage chests. You’ll even encounter NPC interactions such as watching Sybille and Ludwig face off in a game of cards.
Along with these changes comes a level cap increase to 30, a new disguise system to help you infiltrate behind enemy lines, more regional quests and events, and a consumable that allows you to respec your build. While there’s still a long journey ahead, this first round of changes feel like a step in the right direction for Greedfall 2, and should prove a worthwhile reason to check in if you were left disappointed at launch.
Greedfall 2 update 1 is out now. You can read through the patch notes courtesy of Spiders for the full list of changes and bug fixes. Unfortunately, because of the dramatic overhaul, you’ll need to start a fresh save to experience all the new additions, as old files won’t be compatible with the update.
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