The looter is a well-known style of game that fits into all kinds of other genres, and because of that, it's seen plenty of experimentation over the years -- some successful, some less so. Looters aren't going anywhere anytime soon, knowing that games like Destiny 2 will be made available on next-gen consoles once they come out this year. However, perhaps more importantly, there's brand new looters for the next generation like Godfall. This high fantasy action RPG is promising a plentiful loot system. The more that Counterplay Games and Gearbox reveal about Godfall's equipment and settings, the more exciting the loot possibilities become.
Thinking about Godfall is especially interesting when one considers the high profile looters that this looter-slasher might have taken inspiration from, or decidedly didn't. When it comes to games that might have shown Counterplay what not to do, it's hard not to think about Anthem, the controversial 2019 looter-shooter. Although it showed a lot of promise at first, Anthem got a lot of criticism for thin content and a tedious, grind-based loot system (with lackluster loot to boot). The two games are looking increasingly different, so odds are one is a crucial data point informing the other. There's a lot of things Godfall might have tried to do if it hadn't had the chance to learn from Anthem's failures first.
The Lure of Live Service
Before Anthem or Godfall, there was Destiny. These games were Bungie's big break back into the game market after parting ways with Halo. The studio designed a "shared-world shooter" with looting and RPG elements, all wrapped together in a live service. The Destiny games have seen quite a few high profile expansions, and overall, the series has done well for itself, generally receiving praise from critics and players. Such a high profile looter-shooter was bound to leave an impact on the genre, and certainly looks like it did so with Anthem.
A lot of similarities can be found between Anthem and Destiny. It's also a live service shooter in which players choose a class with special abilities and get involved in science fiction adventures in outer space. Loot is intended to be a key draw to keep playing the game even after the game is beaten. There's clearly a lot of similarities -- and ultimately, that was Anthem's downfall. In the process in trying to be the next Destiny, it failed to ensure the basics of the game were balanced, rich, and satisfying. Now BioWare has to use the live service model of the game to overhaul it, rather than rolling out exciting updates and new adventures.
Back to Basics
In contrast, Godfall is content doing the looter-slasher its own way. The impressive shining armor and elaborate settings might shake loose some memories of these other games, but ultimately, the game has a new story to tell and its own gameplay structure to offer potential fans. It's not a live service like these other high profile looters, and knows it doesn't need to be. While the team at Counterplay is open about taking inspiration from all kinds of sources for their game, they're not trying to imitate any one game, instead finding just the right tidbits to push their setting, aesthetics, and mechanics in the right direction.
That's definitely for the best. Frankly, it just wouldn't be healthy if Godfall tried to be the next Destiny or Borderlands too. It's better that the developers keep focused on their own ideas rather than constantly looking at other sources, because the more attention they pay to the unique aspects of Godfall, the more in tune they'll be at identifying the game's strengths and areas for improvement. Basic details are bound to slip through the cracks if a developer spends all its time looking at the big picture comparing its idea to someone else's. Instead, it's better to buckle down, try something new, and focus on making every little thing just right.
Godfall releases in holiday 2020 for PC and PS5.