The combat has its moments but is largely bleh.
The story is meh.
And it’s all yours for 60 - heh?!
The story’s not bad in places, with some touching human elements here and there.
Otherwise, though, it’s a trip upwards that feels more like a trip up.
Successful live service games have nice, easy rhythms.
They put on a spread of activities, all with rewards that feed back into the power grind.
Babylon’s Fall doesn’t have a rhythm, really.
I’d say it’s more of a wobble.
I know that by completing quests I earn gear.
But that’s about the extent of my understanding.
I earn EXP and level up, but there’s no discernible benefit.
Chests and bosses drop Relics, sort of like Engrams from Destiny.
I know what these do!
They can be cracked open for loot of various rarities: brightest colours are goodest.
Instead, they’re just extra ghost limbs that flail about over your head.
I’m talking underwater sections that only serve to slow your movement and attack speed down.
No collectible Dory helmet, just a sod of a time being sodden.
Maybe, I thought, the game would spring to life with two mates in tow.
Perhaps they’d enlighten me as to how things in Babylon worked and brighten up the questing experience.
Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
You’d think we’d recorded a podcast, not hopped into PlatinumGames' latest release.
And that’s not something you want, trust me.
The act of replaying the missions are fun, as is drawing closer to that loot.
It’s easy to see why the game feels flat in comparison to what’s already out there.
Sadly, it shows.
Even more upsetting are the momentary flashes of Platinum brilliance that shine through.
Somewhere, deep down, there’s a sliver of the fantastic Platinum.
But it’s mired in what itthinksmakes a live service game tick and loses itself as a result.
