GreedFall 2 Struggles to Break a Trademark Tradition in Spiders’ Games

The renowned French studio Spiders has built a reputation for crafting mid-budget action RPGs, and their upcoming release, GreedFall 2: The Dying World, doesn’t veer far from this established formula. Set as a follow-up to the 2019 hit GreedFall, this new game is steeped in an intriguing 18th-century colonial backdrop with a twist of fantasy. While both titles bear similarities in gameplay, GreedFall 2 leans heavily on inspirations from early BioWare RPGs, especially in the combat arena. What sets this new game apart, though, is a significantly different storyline from its predecessor.

Even though it’s branded as a sequel, GreedFall 2: The Dying World doesn’t pick up from the storyline of the original GreedFall. Instead, it acts more like a prequel, much like how Red Dead Redemption 2 serves as a prequel to its predecessor. Featuring an entirely new cast, this storyline remains distant, with scant references to the original plot, making it accessible to new players. For those hoping for a direct narrative continuation, GreedFall 2 might slightly surprise, as it continues Spiders’ tradition of creating standalone stories rather than direct sequels.

Now, let’s delve deeper. Despite Spiders being a relatively small team—boasting fewer than 100 employees—their portfolio is quite respectable, consisting of seven distinct games over 15 years, along with various console ports. Yet, until the advent of GreedFall 2, the studio has never released a game with a “2” in its title. For whatever reason, Spiders prefers venturing into new intellectual properties rather than expanding on existing ones, leading to an absence of traditional sequels in its history.

Though some titles from Spiders have seen the light of follow-up games, there’s a twist to it. The first of their games to get something akin to a sequel was 2012’s Of Orcs and Men, co-developed with Cyanide Studio, which later introduced the prequels Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness. These follow-ups, however, were Cyanide projects, not Spiders’. Another exception comes from the cyberpunk RPG Mars: War Logs, followed by The Technomancer three years later. Despite their different titles suggesting otherwise, Spiders considers The Technomancer a “paraquel” to Mars: War Logs, set within the same universe and timeline, but with distinct characters.

The reality that Spiders has dabbled with every other narrative tool except direct sequels is intriguing. Prequels and paraquels have become their specialty, yet a classic sequel remains elusive. Even GreedFall 2, which might sound like a continuation, doesn’t fulfill that role. While creating original self-contained tales offers creative flexibility, a traditional sequel could reinvigorate fan interest, especially for RPG lovers. GreedFall 2 promises excitement on its own, but a sequel that directly picked up from where GreedFall ended—considering players’ choices—could have delivered an enthralling story arc.

To add to GreedFall 2, which kicks off three years before the events of the original, your journey as a native of Teer Fradee begins as you’re forcefully taken to the continent of Gacane. In a world scarred by conflict and political manipulations, you’ll navigate with diplomacy, wit, or sheer strength to reclaim your destiny and thwart a man’s grandiose conquest plans. As you traverse this once-familiar world, you’ll make allies, engage in their quests, and discover their personal tales—building friendships, rivalries, or even romances. You mold your character and team, controlling them in combat, making choices that resonate throughout the gameplay. The game promises a compelling RPG journey where every decision truly shapes your fate.