Spiders is one of those RPG studios that I can't help but appreciate even as I consistently bounce off its games. From the odd-couple orc and goblin shenanigans of 2012's Of Orcs and Men to its more recent steampunk French Revolution soulslike Steel Rising, it's got a penchant for trying new things and taking big swings. But it's only now, with GreedFall 2, that I'm really starting to vibe with what it's trying to do. 

I should note that I've only played a wee bit of the original GreedFall, which GreedFall 2 is set a few years before, swapping perspectives from a coloniser exploring a fantasy realm to a kidnapping victim indigenous to it, who's been brought to the old world against their will. Familiarity with the setting might be helpful, and the prequel does share some of its predecessor's traits, but as per usual Spiders is not content to just do the same thing again. 

GreedFall 2, which is out now in early access, initially piqued my interest because, where some developers have ditched their party-based, turn-based legacy in favour of flashy action, Spiders has gone the other way. Gone is the dodge-heavy action combat, replaced instead by a four-person party and a combat system that's more than a little evocative of my beloved Dragon Age: Origins. “Yeah,” I thought to myself, “this sounds more like my shit”. And I'm pleased to discover that GreedFall 2 is indeed my shit, though it is absolutely still a Spiders game, and thus there are some substantial caveats. 

A traditional RPG opening sees you embarking on an adventure as Vriden Gerr, a young inhabitant of the forested land of Teer Fradee who, along with his BFF Nilan, is about to become one of his clan's sages—a protector and keeper of knowledge. But before that happens, there are some trials. Because of course there are. So off you go with Nilan and another childhood friend, tasked with solving some problems afflicting your people. 

Painfully familiar though it may be, GreedFall 2's promise is clear right from the get go. OK, maybe not right from the get go—the character creator is absolutely dire, incapable of letting you make anything resembling a character you might want to inhabit for 50+ hours, but I'm hoping more options will appear as the early access phase progresses. As soon as you set off on your first adventure, though, the good stuff starts rolling in. 

There's a workmanlike stealth system (and lots of grass to hide in) that means these first hours can be experienced sans conflict, if you wish, especially if you also go out of your way to talk through problems instead of just—understandably—battering colonisers. These foreigners, who have only recently set up shop on the island, are the source of the clan's woes, though that's not immediately clear from the outset (though it's heavily hinted at and, you know, of course they bloody are), but they're not all cartoon villains, and GreedFall 2 absolutely encourages not getting into fights at the drop of a hat. 

Mind you, I could understand why you might be rather keen to get some blood on your hands. GreedFall 2's combat isn't what I'd call polished—the animations need work, the feedback is a bit of a mess, and the UI is dreadful—but honestly? I'm digging it. Every scrap can be played out in real-time, and you can automate your companions and just focus on managing your own attacks and abilities. Hit the spacebar, though, and you'll enter tactical mode, pausing the action and letting you queue up three moves at a time for each member of your party.

So you can set up a plan of attack, get all your ducks in a row, and then watch everything unfold in real-time when you're content with your strategy. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but it's still immensely satisfying to create a sequence of attacks and moves before sitting back and seeing your party mop up. You can have your spellcaster root a group of enemies, and then let your tank charge in before pulling off a big sweeping attack, breaking the enemy armour, after which your archers—who you've sent up to the high ground, naturally—can go in for the kill.

It's a risky gamble for Spiders, though. First of all, the system is rough. It's functional and promising and, like I said, I've been having fun with it, but it lacks the user friendliness of DAO's version. And to not only fundamentally change the series' combat mechanics, but to reveal it to players initially in an in-development state, well it's kinda jarring. And then there's the elephant in the room, and it goes by Baldur's Gate 3. While GreedFall 2's combat boasts a bit more tactical complexity than DAO's, it doesn't compare nearly as favourably to BG3, which offers an absurd degree of flexibility—albeit without the option to play in real-time, at least not without a mod. What GreedFall 2 does have, though, is a strong foundation to build on, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Spiders evolves the system as more players get to fiddle around with it. 

Talent scout

Outside of combat, you can pick locks, disable traps, blow up walls, create alternate paths—like constructing a makeshift bridge—and engage in the refined art of diplomacy, most of which necessitates a skill check, where you're rolling against your character's talents. Exploration, then, is an engaging endeavour, letting you take advantage of your character build in plenty of ways every time you set out on an adventure.

Of this suite of talents there's one I'd love to see expanded a bit more, and it's the deployment of your silver tongue. See, diplomacy covers all speech checks, and when they crop up you don't get to choose the tone. So you can't just decide “I'm going to charm the pants off everyone”. One conversation might force you to use intimidation, while another might let you use a gentler touch. The choice isn't up to you, and that feels like a misstep in an RPG.

I should note, though, that even when you're trying to be intimidating, you're not an arsehole. Broadly, Vriden Gerr is a friendly, open-minded sort with a penchant for heroics, so when you switch between intimidation and charm, it still feels consistent. I'm all for predefined RPG characters, with The Witcher's Geralt really representing the ideal here, but you ain't no Geralt. The White Wolf is an incredibly rich protagonist who you can subtly nudge and develop. Vriden Gerr is just nice. They don't have the distinctiveness that a predefined hero really needs. So they end up feeling like they're in a weird spot between a blank slate and an established character, without the advantages of either.

The dialogue, whether it's the incidental comments made by party members or part of a quest, does the job. It provides context and a bit of flavour, but it can be a touch stilted at times, and it's never really evocative. Moments of anger feel impotent, and the few attempts at comedy have left me cringing, but outside of conversation the story being told is one I'm keen to continue, and it definitely has me dangling on its hook. Equal parts epic and intimate, it positions you as a naive stranger in a land embroiled in conflict and complex politics with 1,000 years of history propping it up. There's a lot of lore, and while I often find this kind of world building to be a tiresome crutch, it works here. You're a newcomer stolen from your home, forced to figure out who to trust, how all of these cultures and nations relate to each other, and why that matters to you. It's not just fluff.

While BioWare-style RPGs absolutely remain a touchstone for Spiders, GreedFall 2 also has a clear identity that isn't beholden to games like DAO, even as it apes its combat system and challenging themes. GreedFall 2 could have easily become lost in the darkness, delving deeper and deeper into the gloom as you face plagues, slavery and racism. But there's a lightness to it, a sense of adventure that says “Yes, this is a world that can be extremely grim, and your circumstances are awful, but this is also a videogame and not misery porn”. The vibrant colour palette gives GreedFall a more fantastical vibe, eschewing the muddy browns and greys of DAO, while Vriden Gerr manages to be optimistic and upbeat even when faced with so much misfortune.

The quest design also sets it apart from BioWare's oeuvre. Instead of your adventures taking you through a gauntlet of enemies as you fight your way towards your latest goal, they're more investigative in nature. This is established right at the start, where nearly every quest involves you uncovering problems and finding clever ways to resolve them. Sometimes fights break out, but less than you might expect. Before leaving Teer Fradee, I resolved every quest largely without getting bloody. I closed down a mine by stealing a seal and getting a foreign friend to create a forged letter. I discovered a stolen gift for my chief by investigating the crime and questioning people. I used my reputation with a fort's captain to get his assistance in driving off poachers with words. 

I've been fighting more now that I'm in the old world, but in most cases that's been a choice, where I've decided to eschew stealth or diplomacy for good old fashioned murder and mayhem. But even then, this is accompanied by extended periods where I'm investigating problems and using my tracking skills or guile to complete my goals. Spiders recognises that a compelling adventure doesn't need to involve violence and that the best RPGs are ones that champion flexibility. 

GreedFall 2 is already quite chunky even in this early access stage, with Spiders saying that it represents about a quarter of the game. There's already a lot to explore, then, and clearly I've been enjoying myself, but I do recommend caution. Saves will not be transferable after major updates, and starting over and over again before the game even hits 1.0 is a surefire way to burn out before it's finished. I do have a good feeling about this one, though. It needs a lot of work, but I find myself uncharacteristically optimistic and excited to see if Spiders keeps it going in the right direction.