The current gaming landscape features numerous titles centered around challenging deities. The title Gods Will Fall bears a resemblance to Godfall, a AAA title from Gearbox. In contrast, Gods Will Fall is an indie endeavor from the Finnish studio Clever Beans, perhaps best known for their work on the WipeOut remaster for the PS4 several years ago.
Gods Will Fall places the player in control of eight Celtic warriors, managing them as a group and sending them individually into cave systems and dungeon-like environments to complete objectives. The gameplay shifts to a dungeon crawler, evoking elements of Diablo, where players combat enemies, acquire loot, and navigate platforming challenges. While the concept of blending genres holds promise, the execution falls short.
While the visuals may not represent the cutting edge of 2021 graphics, the art direction remains aesthetically pleasing. The sound design is functional for the genre, although unremarkable. However, the initial positive impression diminishes due to unwieldy controls, a poorly implemented fixed camera perspective, and repetitive gameplay. The mechanic of restarting a mission with a different character upon death, coupled with the recurrence of identical tutorial prompts, further detracts from the experience. An attempt has been made to implement a system where character death or capture impacts the remaining squad, but this fails to translate into meaningful gameplay differences. Inconsistencies arise from mistimed jumps or steering errors exacerbated by the camera angle, leading to frequent restarts. While a high level of difficulty can be rewarding, the necessity to replay sections due to the restrictive camera feels unwarranted.
The procedurally generated level layouts and difficulty (reminiscent of roguelikes), combined with the random character generation (resulting in largely similar characters), introduce an element of chance that undermines the game’s challenge. In comparison to titles from From Software, which also feature a steep learning curve, Gods Will Fall lacks the sense of fairness and predictability crucial for mastering the game. In From Software’s titles, it is possible to learn level layouts and develop effective strategies; this is not the case here.
Ultimately, Gods Will Fall is a disappointment, despite its initial promise. While the core concept possesses some merit and the presentation is appealing, the game’s components fail to coalesce into a cohesive and well-balanced experience.
The adage states that pride precedes a fall. In this instance, the gods remain standing, while the game falters.
