Since 2007, PlatinumGames have carved out a niche as a developer that almost always brings quality action games to the table. You could even argue that two of their most popular titles, Nier Automata and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, have loyal fandoms on their own despite being spin-offs of franchises created by other developers. Sure, they've had a few misses among the hits, likeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan and the Legend of Korra game, but nothing as bad as Babylon's Fall.
Released on March 3, Babylon's Fall is a fantasy action RPG for the PS4, PS5 and PC, published by Square Enix. It follows Avengers and precedes Chocobo GP as another one of Square Enix's attempts at live-service. Directed by Kenji Saito, who also helmed Revengeance, you play as a conscripted soldier known as a Sentinel who gets a magic talking box implanted in their back before getting sent off to fight monsters and gather treasure in a huge, mysterious tower. And that's pretty much all you do: fight monsters, gather treasure, go to the next room to fight more monsters and gather more treasure, ad infinitum.
Unfortunately, it commits just about every live-service sin in the book. Firstly, good luck trying to play without a PS+ subscription. Even if you just want to play alone, the game refuses to load unless you have an internet connection and PS+. That's right, you can't even play offline. Then you're made to sign up for a Square Enix account like you're signing a consent form for a lobotomy. Make sure you've got your phone or computer handy so you can fish that verification code out of your emails! Then you can finally start the game only to get assaulted with reminders about login bonuses, battle passes, various types of currency and microtransactions. That coupled with seeing other players running around the hub town while getting intrusive messages about people you've never heard of doing quests you know nothing make it feel like you're playing a cheap MMO from 2007 rather than a AAA eighth gen title by a prestiged developer.
Speaking of which, this is by FAR the ugliest game I've played on PS5. It tries to go for a oil painting brushstroke kinda aesthetic but that doesn't save how chunky and low res everything looks, especially the character models. That coupled with the everpresent shit-brown filter and bloom out the ass make it seem like this game came straight out the PS3 dark ages.
Not even 4K HDR can save these graphics
The best thing I can say about this sorry excuse for a game is the core combat feels very Platinum. The way you can equip four weapons at once - one for light attacks, one for heavy and two reserved for special meter burn moves - feels like an expansion on Nier Automata's weapons system. The way they float around behind your character feels kinda 2B-esque and allows for decent amount of combo experimentation, plus pulling off a dodge in time feels just as satisfying as it did in Bayonetta. What's not satisfying is fighting waves upon waves of slow, brainless fodder enemies that are more often than not uninspired dudes in armor. called "Gallu". Or the massive receipt that appears on the screen after every fight with your style ranking that gets in the way of healing or pausing the game.
Exactly how I feel about this game overloading you with silly terminology
Honestly, this game is a disgrace to the Platinum name and I advise you to stay well away. This isn't a Ride to Hell or Balan Wonderworld "so bad it's good" type game where you can have fun with how strange the design choices are; this is more along the lines of Anthem or the aformentioned Avengers, a bland skinner box where you can see the potential before it was overruled by corporate greed. I only played the demo and saw firsthand that this is worthy of all the roasts and bad reviews it's getting. I can only feel sorry for the poor souls who paid full price for this, especially if they chose this over a much better game released this month like Elden Ring or Horizon Forbidden West. At least Square Enix are making an attempt to fix their, releasing a survey asking players how they could improve the graphics. But they'll have to work on much more than the graphics to win the fans back.
Babylon's Fall? More like BABY shit FALLing out an overfilled diaper!
Have you guys played Babylon's Fall? What did you think? Do Square and Platinum have a chance of salvaging this dumpster fire? Drop your thoughts below!
