Greedfall review — A novel RPG with grand ambitions that stumbles

Greedfall, the latest action-RPG from French development studio Spiders, makes no real claim to the RPG crown. It is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (I reviewed the game on PC). It’s not as massive in scope as The Elder Scrolls series, and it’s not as rich with lore and intrigue as The Witcher. And to be honest, it doesn’t really pretend to be either of those things. Instead, it sets it sights a little lower in the hopes of capturing what has made those games such endearing favorites on a smaller scale, while carving out an identity of its own.

In some ways it does. In my early hours, I could feel its reduced scope but didn’t mind it, as I traveled to new locations regularly and found quests that took curious twists, all set against a novel backdrop. Its characters have a heart despite some wonky animations and lip-syncing, and while I liked some companions more than others, I understood their allegiances and motivations.