While there was some eyebrow-raising over the version of Godfall that is coming to PlayStation Plus this month, the game's developer says that it is not the "trial" version that some have claimed. Having said that, Counterplay Games did admit that Godfall: Challenger Edition is not the full retail game either.
When Godfall was first leaked as a possible PS Plus game for December, those who are fans of Dark Souls-like games started getting excited about the offering. However, when the game was later confirmed, it became clear users were not going to get the full experience. This edition even comes with an advertisement saying users can purchase the whole game for $45. However, Counterplay says that the title still isn't a demo or trial, but rather a different version of the game entirely.
Instead, the PS Plus version of Godfall is a lower-priced edition of the game that is geared towards allowing people to get a feel for the endgame and the power that can come with the title. While it's free for PS Plus subscribers now, it will also be coming to the Epic Games Store from December 9 to December 16. Once these free periods are over, this stripped down version of the game will be on sale for $14.99 a copy.
The Godfall: Challenger Edition lets players try three different endgame modes while also allowing players to get at least a sampling of some of the title's higher-end loot. Users also get some of the more powerful skill points so they can play the game at max level through those end-game modes.
Despite the explanation that the PS Plus version of Godfall isn't actually aimed at being nothing more than a demo, it seems unlikely that Sony fans are going to be thrilled with the offering, or explanation. Since hearing about the Challenger Edition, users have pointed out that this seems to break the PS Plus tradition of not offering anything less than the full game. While that's certainly not a stated rule from Sony, it's one that's been at least unofficially adhered to since the subscription service launched.
Offering a portion of a game for a lesser charge is not an unheard approach in industry these days. The most famous version of this kind of thing was when Rockstar Games began offering the standalone Red Dead Redemption Online for a bit more than half the price of the full game. Though there are obvious difference between that game and what Godfall is doing.
Godfall is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
Source: Eurogamer