Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds / Edo Blossoms Review: History, Demons, & Love

 

This is a re-release of Hakuoki or Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Tale of the Shinsengumi. This version was broken into two halves - Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms, and sold separately. Both are needed to fully enjoy the story.

Story

Circa 1860s Japan, a girl named Chizuru Yukimura disguises herself as a boy to search for her missing father and is taken in by the Shinsengumi organization due to her father having developed a "Water of Life" elixir. This potion turns anyone who drinks it into a powerful vampire-like creature called a "Fury" or "Rakshasa", and certain rogue individuals now threaten the area. A group claiming to be "Demons" also try to periodically abduct Chizuru.

Kyoto Winds: This is the first half of the story and is comprised almost entirely of the common route which ends abruptly and on a light cliffhanger. While some might be put off by an hours long common route, I found it rather engaging and necessary to establishing the 12 love interests: who they are, their personalities, loyalties, and goals. There is a focus on slice-of-life moments in order to weave the friendships and rivalries of the massive cast. For such a large cast of characters they are all very diverse in personality and have preexisting histories with each other, giving the player multifaceted perspectives of the characters through the different routes. There is also a lot going on between multiple historic battles, 12 historic figures, and supernatural entities which can become a bit overwhelming to keep up with. Most of the major historical events and politics are only mentioned in passing, so it can be kind of hard to keep up unless you already have an existing interest in the history of Japan or are willing to do some additional research.

Edo Blossoms: This is the second half of the story which is comprised almost entirely of character routes. Edo Blossoms is where the paths of the various bachelors diverge, and unlike some other titles in the genre, the player can experience the varying sides of the guys without any of them feeling inconsistent. The stories vary widely but will usually contain the deaths of at least some of the Shinsengumi, and will resolve (at least partially) the conflict with Chizuru's father and the Demons. Edo Blossoms includes some content that was not in the original game release, such as previously skipped characters like Yamazaki, Sannan, and Nagakura. There are also three new guys: Iba, Souma, and Sakamoto (mentioned in the old game, but never appeared).

As a protagonist Chizuru Yukimura is your standard weak damsel with virtually no skills or likes and dislikes. She exists solely to be saved again and again by the men she lives with. I think what annoyed me the most was how these warriors repeatedly put themselves on the line for someone who is essentially dead weight and has no good reason to be there with them. Chizuru doesn't even have to be a badass or participate in the fights - I honestly don't think she would ever stand a chance - but a little more assertiveness or participation of some kind would've been nice. Too often she felt like an annoying child that insists on helping out their parents but only ends up preventing them from getting real work done. Perhaps the writers were worried that Chizuru having any skills outside of house work would diminish the imagine of her male protectors. I mean women had a number of restrictions imposed on them during that era, but then why did they give Chizuru a sword and have Kondou train with her? I wish they had left that part out if they weren't going to do anything with it. I could also buy Chizuru being representative of a woman from that era if Hakuoki were purely historical, but the story incorporates supernatural elements such as demons. Chizuru herself is also a "pure-blooded" Demon, but I never would've guessed she was anything other than human if the game hadn't told me otherwise. Outside of her healing abilities there is nothing remotely special about her. Even the imitation demons created from a human drinking the Water of Life serum appear to be more inhuman than Chizuru is. They possess super strength, speed, and healing abilities that surpasses anything Chizuru has. One bullet and Chizuru goes down. The "fakes" meanwhile can shrug off a firing squad.

Gameplay

Kyoto Winds is the first half of the Hakuoki visual novel, so it is an extra long common route plus one route chapter for each bachelor (starting at chapter 5) . As a result, a lot of the same events are revisited every playthrough, but can be skipped with the fast-forward feature that stops automatically whenever new content appears. There are eight to twelve points in every chapter where a choice will have to be made that will impact who Chizuru meets, which battles she'll witness, what information she becomes privy too, and what people she will bond with. Edo Blossoms is the part that actually delves into the different character paths. A Record of Service section enables the player to select a chapter or character route they have completed with either high or low romance. This feature is mostly useful for unlocking the multiple endings. There is one good ending for each bachelor, one unrequited love (bad) ending, and a handful of bad endings (mostly instant death scenarios).

There are a few typos and repeating words, which isn't uncommon with text heavy visual novels. Multiple sentences being condensed/translated to just a few words was unusual though, and the translations didn't always make sense colloquially in English; for example: (from prologue) "However, perhaps my overconfidence in myself is what served the situation at hand to me." Sometimes I would have to read the same sentence several times to understand what the game was trying to convey.

My route suggestions are as follows, accompanied by a brief discussion of the love interests and what I liked or disliked about them.

1. Souji Okita
2. Hajime Saito
3. Sanosuke Harada
4. Heisuke Toudou
5. Shinpachi Nagakura - He was not an option in the original game release.
6. Keisuke Sannan - He was not an option in the original game release.
7. Susumu Yamazaki - He was not an option in the original game release.
8. Hachiro Iba - A completely new addition.
9. Kazue Souma - A completely new addition.
10. Ryouma Sakamoto - A completely new addition.
11. Toshizo Hijikata - The "main" according to official canon.
12. Kazama Chikage - The main "big bad evil guy".
    

Chizuru has her own non-romance route where she discovers all the same stuff as the other routes minus a partner. Her father and the Shinsengumi all die in this route. I was really hoping for some gal-pal time hanging out with Sen, but alas.

Feel Free To Skip To Conclusion:

Okita

Sweet and sour in equal measure. I enjoyed his teasing personality, such as when he tormented a child for talking bad about Kondou. Okita's route is pretty romantic but also the least historical of the bunch because the person he is based on died from tuberculosis in real-life, so most of his route is made up. His relationship with Chizuru felt the most probable, as I could see someone like Chizuru, who has basic medical know-how, choosing to take care of him and becoming closer to him in the process. It was kinda hard to get attached to Okita though, knowing his time was limited. The final words of the epilogue even sounded like his dying farewell.

Saito

Stoic and quiet, Saito has immense willpower that he uses to tough out most of the Fury side effects. He is not one to openly shower Chizuru with affection, but you can tell that he is looking out for her in his every action. Nearly every major battle is featured in Saito's route, so his personal feelings take a backseat to the war, leading to a relationship with Chizuru that progresses slowly and subtly.

Harada

Perceptive and doting, Harada is easily the "cuddliest" with Chizuru. He constantly checks on Chizuru to make sure she is fine (even in the other bachelor routes), talks her through her troubles, and sets up hangout dates with Chizuru's lady friend when she is looking like she needs some girl time. A really nice, loving guy, and it was refreshing to not have to give blood to a Fury for once. I couldn't stand Chizuru's constant angst about being a demon though, or her spur of the moment attempts to run away. Harada's spontaneous hugging and kissing also had some pretty weird (and creepy) timing, like when Chizuru was crying over a failed escape attempt or just finished talking about having to kill her father.

Toudou

Sincere and considerate, Toudou can appear upbeat on the outside but is surprisingly serious when he needs to be. His time with Chizuru at the tea house is an especially nice moment and he feels like the best fit for Chizuru. The two of them just clicked, probably because they are on relatively even footing in regards to age and skill. I was a little annoyed with his angst over choosing to become a Fury which mirrored Chizuru's demon angst in Harada's route and further emphasizes how similar Chizuru and Heisuke are. He never looks down on Chizuru and tries to coax her into finding another partner because he genuinely believes that she deserves better than what he can offer.

Nagakura

Headstrong and emotional, Nagakura is the sweet "older brother" figure and a bit of a handful. I don't think he had much chemistry with Chizuru or was ever really looking to get romantically involved with someone. I mean, he had to confirm with Chizuru what a "spouse" was. Nagakura was the least romantic and moved way too fast. He doesn't confess to liking Chizuru as more than a "little sister" until really late and proposes on the spot. Personally I think Nagakura and Chizuru are better off as platonic friends, because a romantic relationship between these two just doesn't feel organic or warranted.

Sannan

He has condescending moments but is actually a gentle soul that is suffering a lot, and will go out of his way to take care of Chizuru in ways unspoken. Outside of his own route Sannan doesn't feel like someone Chizuru should be left alone with, so his personal route offers a nice change of perspective without breaking his character. For example, in all the other routes Sannan is very insistent on using Chizuru’s blood, but in his personal route he is the only Fury to do whatever Chizuru wants and experiences things with her on her terms, and so comes to change his views on it. He is not really a tsundere-type character and more of a person that is very logical and pragmatic but also unexpectedly genuine and caring. Their trip out of Japan in the ending seems to be a treacherous one though, and one they may not succeed in.

Yamazaki

He is mostly outside of the politics and battles starting in Edo Blossoms, and has some pretty good romance. He consistently looks out for Chizuru's well being (relationship or no) and in every route you will see him tailing Chizuru or taking care of her in some way; and not in a creepy possessive-stalker kind of way, but genuinely caring for her as a friend and member of the group. He is a shy, mellow guy that treats Chizuru as an equal (even when it is undeserved) and goes out of his way to include her in the group's activities. It is the only relationship without a big confession, love reveal, or second-guessing. The two of them are on the same level and know when they're officially "together" without having to say it outright.

Iba

He is the 'forgotten childhood friend' trope and very openly likes Chizuru. His route felt the most contrived and had a lot of weird stuff in it, such as grafting a demon hand onto himself that then makes him really lustful for children with Chizuru. There is another guy that does the same thing with the other demon hand and also wants children with Chizuru. This was one of the rare times when I actually feared for Chizuru's safety on account of all the torture, forced blood feeding, threats of rape, and sex slave stuff. It was just way too vulgar and fetish fueled for me. This route also had the most irredeemably disgusting villain and I am not entirely clear on how long Iba put Chizuru into a coma for during the ending... days? Months? Years? Or what happened during that time.

Souma

The young and dedicated greenhorn trying to figure out his life. He seems close in age and life experience to Chizuru, so the two of them feel like they're on the same page most of the time. He is one of the more inexperienced members of the Shinsengumi but gets a lot of plot important scenes in the form of flashbacks and stories about the origins of the Shinsengumi. It was pretty awkward for Hijikata to have to play match-maker for these two; like how young are they again? The main 'big bad' also gets over his grudge and literally just walks away.

Sakamoto

His passion and willingness to adapt to the changing times are his most admirable qualities. He is also the only one to get Chizuru to be more thoughtful by encouraging her to consider the rest of the world and the wider consequences of their decisions. Sakamoto's goals and ambitions for his country are very different from those of the Shinsengumi, making him a nice foil to Hijikata and a refreshing change of pace after 9 routes tackling similar themes. His relationship to Chizuru has no proper buildup and so feels very one-sided, but the ending where they travel the world together sounds like something both of them could get behind and enjoy.

Hijikata

It is clear in the other routes that he is a good guy at heart, just a little intimidating at first. He has a lot of serious responsibilities to the war effort and to the Shinsengumi - his true love. So he isn't really in a position where he can commit himself to a romantic relationship or be available emotionally. He knows this and tries to cut ties with Chizuru at least once. Hijikata and Chizuru don't even officially become a thing until the very last chapter of Edo Blossoms, but by that point he has almost no time left to live. This is apparently the "official canon route" but I personally don't consider it to be the best or most probable for Chizuru.

Chikage

He initially comes off as arrogant and aggressive, but is actually quite knowledgeable and honest. He holds insightful discussions with Chizuru, considers her perspective, asks her about her plans, respects her wishes, acknowledges her strengths (especially when others try to bring her down), and gives her space when it's needed. He doesn't force her to do anything that she doesn't want too and goes out of his way to keep her safe and happy; to the extent that he spends over a year trying to find a way into a dangerous war-zone just to reunite Chizuru with the Shinsengumi, whom he dislikes and is antagonistic towards. Chikage is a surprisingly grounded and caring person, but the relationship felt kinda one-sided.Chizuru never seemed to be all that into him and only gave-in at the end due to a lack of other options for a partner. There also isn't much happening for long stretches of time and all the major battles and deaths happen off-screen.

Conclusion

I don't like or understand why they broke a re-re-re-re-release of Hakuoki into separate parts when all previous versions have been a single title. The fact that you are buying just one part of a two part narrative should have been more prominent in the marketing for the game. When taken together though, there is a lot of content here. Perhaps too much? I had to dip in and out of this game for four years before I finally managed to finish every route. The design and color scheme for each character is very unique, ensuring that they visually stand out from each other. Fan lists for favorite Hakuoki characters online seem to vary a lot from person to person, so the writers did a good job of accommodating for different tastes. And with such a large and diverse mix of personalities present, gamers are bound to find at least one character they really like.

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Subnautica: Below Zero Review: Keep on Surviving

Story

The Alterra Corporation (a Trans-Goverment) claims Sam Ayou - one of their employees - perished in an accident caused by "human negligence" on planet 4546B. Suspecting that Alterra may be hiding something and wanting to know more about her sister's death, Robin travels to planet 4546B to investigate the accident site herself. Over the course of her investigation Robin gains an unlikely ally and uncovers buried secrets that could impact the fate of a sentient race.

Below Zero has two (or three, depending on how lookat it) story-lines going on at once. While the Aurora ship, Degasi wreck, and kharaa bacterium were all connected to how Ryley (Subnauntica protagonist) crash landed on 4546B and his fate afterwards, the individual plot threads of Below Zero are disjointed from each other and in some cases never properly get resolved. Too often Sam's story felt like a side mission rather than the main reason why Robin came to 4546B. The player learns about Sam primarily through data pads and Robin's own recollections of her. Fearing Alterra would use the frozen kharaa samples for ill purposes, Sam tried to cure something that already been cured (thanks to Ryley), and intentionally set the explosives that ultimately killed her and a co-worker (as Alterra said). The worst thing about Sam's character is how meaningless her actions are. She could've just secretly injected the antibody like Robin does. There was no need for the destruction. Oddly, the most important of the Sam data pads - the ones revealing her final moments, can be missed. Meaning it is possible to finish the game without ever finding out what happened to Sam.

Even with every data pad collected, Sam's story still took a backseat to Al-An (an alien) who was much more fleshed out. He is also a thematic continuation of Subnautica's story; a cyborg curious about humanity as much as the player probably was about the Architects in Subnautica. Assembling his body is mandatory and comparable to building the rocket in the first Subnautica. Marguerit was a great, if unnecessary addition. I don't know why Robin leaves her behind in the ending though. Marguerit is probably content with where she is. I just would have liked to say farewell or ask if she needed a ride. The Mercury II wreckage is one of the few non-organic points-of-interest underwater, I just wish it had been relevant to Robin's mission the same way the Degasi was to Ryley's. Where are its infected crew anyway? They are said to have been left in a cave somewhere, but where is it?

Gameplay

Subnautica is a survival game with four modes that will effect the difficulty:

• Survival: Health, hunger, thirst and oxygen have to be managed. Certain items are removed from the players inventory upon death.
• Freedom: Identical to Survival, but without hunger and thirst.
• Hardcore: Includes permadeath - save file is deleted.
• Creative: All depleting characteristics are removed, all blueprints are unlocked, and the player can craft without needing resources.

During the normal survival mode the player will need to surface for oxygen, or enter a base or vehicle with an air supply. Like most survival games, food will need to acquired from catching small fish and drinkable water will be obtained with filtration systems. The world size is a fraction of the first game's, but Below Zero makes up for it by having more densely populated and vibrant environments. The downside is that the water is no longer "open". The player is usually going to have an ice wall to either side of them and will be able to see the ocean floor, creating a sense of safety. In addition to being less open, the environments have a good amount of verticallity, with some having upper and lower regions. However, these have a tendency to become needlessly labyrinthine.

Materials are more abundant but ore veins and recipes have been altered, and in some cases have become unbalanced. For example, caves full of large deposits of silver, gold, and kyanite are not uncommon. But lead, which is used in most sea truck modules, advanced base construction (moonpool, modification station, nuclear reactor), and in the new recipe for enameled glass, is difficult to find. Large deposits of lead have also been removed. Mid/late-game recipes often require ingredients from the starting areas, usually in their raw state - not processed into a chemical or electronic.

The base building is where Below Zero excels. Most of the previous game's base modules have been supplemented with a host of new ones: clear roofs, larger rooms, dividing walls, bathroom items, and a jukebox. The added customization options are a welcome addition, even if very few serve a function other than as decoration. Blueprints for new tools, vehicles, and items are acquired by scanning the junk Alterra left behind. Unfortunately, Below Zero is not as dependent on player crafted items as its predecessor was. Many functional craftables, such as the first-aid dispenser, radio, cyclops, stasis rifle, and non-craftable decorative items (beakers, plush toys) have been stripped out. What advanced materials were left-in have pitifully few uses, with some, such as Benzene and Hydraulic Acid, required in only a single recipe.

The new sea truck vehicle takes the best aspects of the cyclops submarine and seamoth and crams them into one. The player can not build inside of the seatruck like you could with the cyclops, so it can not be customized to the same extent, but the player can pick and choose which modules they wish to attach - storage, fabricator, aquarium, bedroom, or vehicle dock, allowing it to serve as a base-on-the-go. The seatruck is small and fast on its own, similar to the seamoth. However, the more modules the player attaches the longer and slower it gets. Although, this can be mitigated with upgrades. The prawn suit returns, but outside of mining ore it is largely irrelevant.

Unlike in Subnautica where the story progression was limited by depth, Below Zero has no such progression barriers, making it possible to proceed out of order or to miss things entirely. The few deep caverns that exist are not interconnected with the rest of the world and do not house anything particularly interesting. Aside from the pretty crystalline formations and kyanite, the player has no reason to visit to this region other than for quest reasons (which easily could have been moved elsewhere). The variety of Subnautica's deeper depths: alkaline brine pools, lava zone, and bioluminescent tree, just aren't here. I wish the developers hadn't bothered with it. It's clear that they either had no passion or resources for the 600 to 1000 meter range habitat and that it was included only because the fans expected it. Below Zero is more about exploring the surface world and life around ice floes rather than the ocean depths.

20% of the game takes place on land, where the new hypothermia mechanic comes into play. To stay warm above water, Robin needs to stand near heat-generating plants or steam vents. The hovering snowfox vehicle also provides protection against the cold and swift transportation around the snowy landscape. However, the snowfox can be finicky over uneven surfaces. Ice Worms, found in only one area the player has to visit for a single story-related scan, feel like they were included arbitrarily to force the player to use the new land vehicle. This was easily my least favorite part of Below Zero, because every time the worm attacks, the player is ejected from the snowfox in the oddest way. For a while I thought I was pressing a wrong button by accident or that the game might be bugged.

Conclusion

Subnautica was about desperation and surviving the unknown; the protagonist was thrust onto an unfamiliar planet unprepared. Below Zero is about exploration and discovery; the protagonist voluntarily arrives well prepared and with some skill/knowledge of what they are getting into. The story wasn't as mysterious or gripping as the first Subnautica, and may have suffered from a change of writers, but it serves its purpose. It should have been longer, more involved and ended more cleanly. There are a lot of dangling pieces left over from various story re-writes, such as Sam's necklace and her room "not being right" that leave the plot feeling unfinished or as if something had been missed.

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Greedfall Review: An Ambitious Journey

 

An island paradise in the 17th century is discovered by colonial forces. De Sardet, a noble of the Merchant Congregation, travels to the newly-settled island of Teer Fradee to act as the capital's diplomat and to find a cure for the "malichor", a deadly plague on the continent.

Right out of the gate, I loved that the protagonist had a name and presence in the world - a family, obligations, friends... they weren't some random person with amnesia that shows up under mysterious circumstances. Companions were mostly just there. They have distinct personalities and start out interesting, but nothing ever really changes with them. Each one has an individual questline that opens up new conversation options with De Sardet. Of the five party members the player is given (one from each faction), only Kurt's quest added some depth to him by exposing a softer side to the hardened mercenary. Outside of their personal story quest, party members rarely interacted with De Sardet, each other, or their own faction. If the developers had added even just a few extra scenes to establish some sort of friendship with Sardet or slice-of-life moments, it would have gone a long way in terms of fleshing out the cast and making the world feel alive and connected.

The game has romance options but they were clearly an afterthought. I honestly only felt a loving 'familial' bond between Sardet and Constantin (Sardet's cousin). It is shown in-game that the two have a history as childhood friends and support each other unconditionally: Sardet is often stuck cleaning up after Constantin or having to save him from danger, but doesn't resent him for it. Sardet also comforts Constantin in sickness and anxiety, particularly during his "fear of dying" break down. In turn, Constantin verbally expresses his endearment for Sardet and appreciation for what s/he accomplishes. Constantin even continues to think of Sardet as family after learning they are an adopted Native, and after going mad he spares Sardet (and only Sardet) from harm, offering them a place beside him as a deity.

The story started out strong, then petered out during the latter half when it started getting a little heavy handed with the mysticism and environmental message: pollution as the source of the malichor. I mean pollution will cause any number of health problems in real life so pollution causing the malichor is grounded but a little underwhelming for this kind of fantasy setting. The starting objective of diplomacy and finding a cure for the malichor even gets lost (dropped?) in favor of a new plot thread involving Constantin going mad with power stolen from the island deities. I was also a little disappointed with how much Teer Fradee is made out to be this untouched, unexplored land, only to arrive and find that it has already been settled with some buildings having been constructed over eight years ago.

Aside from how to approach a quest objective there weren't any major plot choices and with a reputation system and a diplomat for a protagonist you'd think siding with different factions would have more of an impact. I mean there are colonists and natives against each other, and two large private guilds both vying for power and influence. Why are there no spies, alliances, pacts, wars, or sabotages? The writing also seemed afraid to paint any of the faction leaders as nefarious. Whenever a scientist in their employ is caught performing immoral experiments or a religious leader they follow is caught persecuting "heretics", the faction leader is always conveniently oblivious to it.

Some quests had a little too much legwork. I loved them, but some could have been condensed. For example, to complete the side quest "Logging Expedition" you have to jump between several maps and loading screens multiple times:

(map 1) Talk to a Native Elder.
(map 2) Travel to logging camp.
(map 2) Speak to Doctor.
(map 2) Examine bodies.
(map 2) Speak to Doctor again.
(map 2) Speak to Hunters.
(map 3) Speak to De Couracillon.
(map 3) Speak to Laurine de Morange.
(map 3) Return to De Couracillon.
(map 1) Return to Native Elder.
(map 2) Visit mine.
(map 3) Return to De Couracillon.
(map 3) Speak to Laurine de Morange again.
(map 3) Speak to Master Maillard.
(map 3) Return to De Couracillon.
(map 2) Return to mine.
(map 1) Return to Native Elder.

This is one of the worst offenders in the game, and my problem isn't with the interactions themselves, but how often you need to jump between maps and the amount of time spent walking to the quest objective on each map. Roughly 90% of the time spent on this one quest is spent on traveling.

The environments are gorgeous to look at.

 

 

Your Character's personality is mostly predefined; you will always play a diplomatic noble with a somewhat amiable attitude. You can choose your gender, class (warrior, technician, mage, or hybrid), attributes, and talent set. "Class" determines what combat abilities you have, like trap setting or stasis (paralysis), and what weapons you can use (blade, gun, or ring). "Attributes" are divided into six trees: strength, agility, endurance, willpower, mental power, and accuracy. They effect your character's overall stats, like the size of your health and mana pool or your damage output, and determine what medium or heavy gear De Sardet can wear. If you create a warrior, it makes sense to focus on endurance and strength. If you want to play as a mage, you will need willpower and mental power. "Talents" are also divided into six trees: vigor, charisma, science, lockpicking, craftsmanship, and intuition. They can also be used outside of battle to open up new paths in the environment, quests, and conversations.

Your chosen skill set and how you choose to approach a quest objective are at the forefront of GreedFall's gameplay. General quest design (besides the occasional spotty scripting) is very good - no fetch quests, some clue collecting, pulling rank, and fixing things by talking to people. The combat is secondary to the role-playing elements, and that is probably GreedFall's strongest selling point. Skill checks are everywhere, from conversations to the environment. Intuition for example, allows Sardet to make astute observations. Science is used to analyze evidence, lockpicking can find hidden evidence, and vigor can open new pathways in the environment. You can even wear faction armor as a disguise to sneak in through the front door of tightly controlled faction locations. Sardet's five companions are also associated with different factions, so bringing the correct companion along on a quest can help in avoiding conflict, passing skill checks, and avoiding reputation loss. It isn't a good idea for example, to bring Petrus, who is allied with Saint Matheus, to the palace of their enemy in the region of Hikmet. Taking Aphra, a Hikmet scientist, to the palace instead will make them more cooperative and willing to share sensitive information.

Increasing reputation with the different factions and allies is a major element in the game. There are two types of reputation in GreedFall: "Faction Reputation" and "Companion Reputation". Both function in similar ways but with subtle differences. Faction reputation effects an entire group of people, usually influenced by quest choices and the resulting consequences. Every time the player increases their reputation level with a faction, special rewards are shipped to the player house or camp chest. That faction may become more willing to assist Sardet in the future, negating some skill checks. Companion Reputation as you would assume, is tied directly to an individual. They are rarely influenced outside of their personal questline and dialogue choices. Improving relationships with your companions provides an added bonus in the form of a talent boost whenever they are in the active party: Siora (vigor), Petrus (charisma), Aphra (science), Kurt (craftsmanship), and Vasco (intuition). It makes them extremely useful in the beginning, given how rare talent points are (1 every five levels).

How you interact with each faction, who you travel with, and the choices you make all effect your reputation.

The map is made up of multiple open zones that are connected by a fast travel system. Quests eventually take the player through every area of the game, so there are no rewarding surprise side quests, encounters, or places to find in the world. As an avid explorer, I was especially disappointment by all the areas with no quests or objectives, just explorable little alleys and cliffs that served no purpose. The maps also felt large for the sake of being large, leading to a lot of time spent running around empty spaces. The aesthetics, especially the wooded environments, are stunning the first few times you see them, but by the fourth or fifth area they start to get stale. More variety, like beach or basalt columns, would have alleviated some of the visual monotony. At some point I even started running past monsters because they were re-used one too many times, including the bosses. Considering Spider's small team size, it is understandable but noticeable.

There are about 7 enemies in total, not counting re-colors.

 

There are some rough edges, including at least one game breaking bug, but where GreedFall shines is the not-so-generic stuff. The colonial fantasy setting is fresh and the skill-based story system is solid. The social skills of the protagonist aren't just a sideshow but a core part of the game and the side quests all feature unique little adventures with multiple approaches. There is no doubt that lots of love and care went into making Greedfall. At times I couldn't believe I wasn't playing a triple A budget title. Spiders hit their stride here. Greedfall feels like their best work so far and it was a completely enjoyable and impressive experience from such a small team.

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