Since it was confirmed during the Nacon Connect event in February 2024, GreedFall 2: The Dying World, the prequel to the 2019 cult classic, has finally gotten an official early access release date of September 24, 2024. During GreedFall 2's indefinite early access period, developer Spiders hopes to obtain enough feedback that it can build the game alongside players until it becomes the GreedFall experience they have wanted since the release of the first game in 2019. This is a far cry from the developer's approach to the first GreedFall, as its full version was released outright rather than it also going through early access. However, this may prove to be the best route for GreedFall 2 to take, as the first game was well-received by many but not enough to become more than a cult classic.
Some have questioned Spiders' decision to place GreedFall 2: The Dying World in early access, especially with it being a single-player game. After all, it's not common for single-player games to go through a period of early access development, since there are no multiplayer or competitive elements that may require balance fixes identified through testing. Even so, Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 is proof that early access can be a highly beneficial experience for a game if it is modeled correctly. Thankfully, GreedFall 2 seems to be copying Baldur's Gate 3's approach to early access, which bodes well for the prequel, considering Baldur's Gate 3 won 2023's coveted Game of the Year award.
GreedFall 2 Modeling Its Early Access Launch After Baldur's Gate 3 Is a Good Omen
Like Baldur's Gate 3, Only a Third of GreedFall 2 Will Be Available During Early Access
While it might be disappointing to some, Spiders has confirmed that only 30% of GreedFall 2 will be available during early access. It's currently impossible to know just how long it will take players to get through 30% of the game, but that may be beside the point. When Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 went into early access, only the game's first act was available, and it went on to win Game of the Year in 2023. This means that GreedFall 2 is adopting nearly the same approach to early access as the three-act Baldur's Gate 3, with only a third of its story being made available — although some consider Baldur's Gate 3 to have four acts when including its prologue.
GreedFall 2's 30% Model Is More Than Enough to Polish the Full Release
If Baldur's Gate 3 has proven anything, it's that a developer can take feedback gained from only a third of a game and use it to produce a polished experience for the game's full release. It is already abundantly clear that this is Spiders' ultimate goal with GreedFall 2, as it won't even allow players to carry over their progress from the game's early access version to its full release because it expects GreedFall 2's developmental milestones to be drastic. Some players might consider that to be a downside of GreedFall 2's early access period, but they may have wanted to start a new game anyway with all the updates and changes that will be present at the time of its full release.
Fans have now waited nearly five years for GreedFall 2, so learning that it will be heading into early access for an indefinite period may have been disheartening news. However, as the first GreedFall has left many players wanting more from its gameplay, placing GreedFall 2 in early access ahead of its full release is arguably the best decision Spiders could have made for it. Additionally, it makes GreedFall 2's early access all the more exciting after seeing what Larian Studios was able to do with Baldur's Gate 3.
WHERE TO PLAY
The story starts three years before the events of the first chapter and the adventures of De Sardet.
This time you play as a native of Teer Fradee, snatched from your island and taken to the continent of Gacane, the homeland of the colonists. In this old world ravaged by war and scarred by the Malichor plague and the political scheming of the different factions, you need to regain your freedom and take back control of your own destiny. Using diplomacy, cunning or combat, as well as help from allies you find along the way, it's up to you to end one man's ambitions of conquest, which could spell the end for both the continent and your island.
Dive back into the unique world of GreedFall, this time exploring the old continent! Travel across new landscapes, from Olima – the city of stars of the Bridge Alliance – to the shores of Uxantis, and uncover the secrets of these ancient lands. Meet all the factions that share control over these nations and navigate the treacherous waters of their schemes and conspiracies.
Create your own character and find allies to join your team. Help them with their quests, uncover their secrets and make them your friends, rivals or even lovers. As well as equipping them the way you want, you can also take control of them in combat.
Immerse yourself in an ever deeper RPG experience where every choice you makes has an impact on your adventure, and where diplomacy, manipulation, infiltration and combat are all viable ways to achieve your ends.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
