BABYLON'S FALL
- March 3, 2022
- PlatinumGames Inc.
- 53h median play time
Babylon's Fall has fast, flashy combat and a generally enjoyable structure, but is packed with issues, ranging from its limited co-op function to live service elements, which appear to have sealed its fate.
"BABYLON'S FALL" is a mystery role-playing game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op experiences for 2-4 players. As a Sentinel, players explore the Tower of Babel and engage in dynamic combat using up to four weapons with unique skills. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes bonus attire and capes, while the demo version allows for progress transfer to the full game with a free Square Enix account.
Reviews
- The combat system is enjoyable and offers a unique blend of mechanics, allowing players to wield multiple weapons simultaneously.
- The game features a fun and interesting story, with some players expressing excitement about the narrative twists.
- The soundtrack is praised as being excellent, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and uninspiring level design, leading to a lack of variety in missions.
- The monetization model is heavily criticized, with many players feeling that the game is overpriced and filled with microtransactions.
- The graphics and art style have been described as muddy and unappealing, detracting from the overall visual experience.
- story222 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Babylon's Fall" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it fun and engaging, while others criticize it as weak and poorly delivered through inconsistent cutscenes. Many reviewers noted that the narrative lacks depth and fails to captivate, often feeling like a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling element. Additionally, the game's structure, which relies heavily on repetitive missions and a convoluted loot system, detracts from the overall storytelling experience.
“I have enjoyed every minute so far from the story, combat, and player interaction.”
“I really thought the story was kinda crazy and I'm excited to play the updated story stuff they've included since launch.”
“The story is quite interesting as well with some neat twists.”
“The story, characters, and writing were pretty weak in my opinion.”
“The story is delivered so awkwardly in these painting-like cinematics.”
“The story never really gripped me; I rarely cared about the plot, but just got enough to understand the story.”
- graphics162 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing strong opinions about its unique oil painting art style, which some find appealing while others deem it ugly and hard on the eyes. Critics often compare the visuals to outdated PS2 graphics, citing a lack of detail and a drab color palette, though some players appreciate the stylized approach once they adjust to it. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant point of contention, overshadowing the gameplay experience for many.
“The visuals are different; I hated them at the start, but now I've come to enjoy them.”
“If you like oil-painted art, you'll get some pretty cool visuals to look at from time to time.”
“The art style is beautiful in its own right, and the gameplay is fun... but that will only get you so far.”
“The graphics are honestly kinda bad and it looks like a PS2 game, but the mechanics aren't that bad and I actually did have some fun playing it.”
“While saying this game has PS2 graphics is an exaggerated comment, it’s undeniably bland, and feels like really little effort has been made on details and the environment on top of questionable choices regarding some 'oil painting filter' that is just making everything seem out of place.”
“The oil painting graphic design looks like hot garbage.”
- gameplay99 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and lack of variety in maps and enemy encounters. While some appreciate the enjoyable combat mechanics and boss designs, others criticize the slow pacing of mechanic unlocks and the overall clunky feel of the gameplay. Despite its potential and fun elements, the game is often described as feeling stale and lacking depth, leading to a less engaging experience overall.
“Yes, but the combat is super enjoyable once you understand the mechanics.”
“That being said, I thoroughly enjoy the responsive combat and simple gameplay loop.”
“The core gameplay is fun, as you'd expect from Platinum Games.”
“Awful, boring, repetitive gameplay with levels designed with the simplicity you would expect from Super Mario, needlessly extending the linear levels with 'press B' to grapple across a pit to collect glowing orbs and then backtrack to proceed until you get to the 5th wide open room in a row for another mundane enemy fight.”
“The murky visuals, bland dungeon design, and boring gameplay overshadow the excellent boss design and a killer soundtrack, making this more of a chore to play and dampening the experience tremendously.”
“Outrageous monetization (one of the worst I've seen), dated graphics, repetitive gameplay... Square Enix has nothing to be proud of regarding what they did to PlatinumGames.”
- monetization39 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The monetization model of Babylon's Fall has been widely criticized for being excessively aggressive, featuring numerous microtransactions, a battle pass, and a pricing structure that many feel is inappropriate for its content. While some players argue that the in-game purchases are primarily cosmetic and not pay-to-win, the overall sentiment is that the game feels like a cash grab, especially given its full-price launch and barebones design. Many reviewers suggest that the game would have been better suited as a free-to-play title, given its monetization practices and gameplay shortcomings.
“The problem is Platinum Games' stated goal to move towards games as a service, which can be seen in full effect here: this fully priced AAA title contains enough microtransactions to make a gacha game blush, though at the very least it all seems to be cosmetic, early game help, or time savers - nothing quite pay to win.”
“I like this game, but it should not be a full price $60 release with microtransactions and a battle pass.”
“Really thought that game companies would learn a thing or two from backlashes like Battlefront 2; whoever thought that a battle pass and a gacha style loot drop mechanic with microtransactions was a good idea must have been learning the wrong things from EA.”
“Had potential but excessive monetization and baffling game design choices ruined what could have been a really fun co-op RPG.”
“The problem is Platinum Games' stated goal to move towards games as a service, which can be seen in full effect here: this fully priced AAA title contains enough microtransactions to make a gacha game blush, though at the very least it all seems to be cosmetic, early game help or time savers - nothing quite pay to win.”
“Outrageous monetization (one of the worst I've seen), dated graphics, repetitive gameplay... Square Enix have nothing to be proud about what they did to PlatinumGames.”
- music29 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as phenomenal and reminiscent of high-quality orchestral scores, particularly during boss encounters. However, some players found the music annoying or unremarkable, feeling it detracted from the overall experience due to the game's other shortcomings. Overall, while the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, opinions vary on its impact within the game's context.
“Just beat the main story and I will say that the bosses and boss music alone is what made the purchase worth it for me.”
“Co-op works like a charm for the most part and it's fun going into quick play and re-fighting campaign bosses because the soundtrack is phenomenal.”
“Simply put, the musical direction is excellent; the orchestra that was leveraged for it was a wonderful idea.”
“With insane micro-transactions, stupid daily log-in rewards, slow and bad gameplay, dumb ranking, annoying music, uninteresting premise, disruptive UI and UX, constant pop-ups, dumb AI, and a horrible painting-like filter ruining any and all visual aesthetic the game otherwise would have had.”
“The music I turned off; I found it annoying, but there are your basic hack and slash sounds, explosions, etc., and really... it's nothing special at all to the audio of this game, which is very strange.”
“The graphic style is annoying and blurry at the beginning, but you get used to it pretty fast, and the music will not be for everybody as it is mostly a classical score.”
- grinding27 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players enjoying the loot and character progression while others find it tedious and overly time-consuming. Many reviews highlight the grindy nature of farming gear and the repetitive nature of battles, particularly due to high enemy health and lengthy cutscenes. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable cooperative play and dungeon-crawling experiences, the grind can detract from the overall enjoyment for those less inclined towards extensive grinding.
“Never liked grinding for drops in games; however, I have the same issues with this game that I do with Dark Alliance and Destiny.”
“Going through slaying monsters is fun, but having to wait through cutscenes or going alone to avoid them is tedious.”
“This only makes the game even more tedious due to the ridiculously high amount of HP some fights have.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed, with some users noting that it runs well on consoles without performance issues, while others criticize the PC version for lacking proper optimization at launch. There is a consensus that further improvements could be made, particularly for the PC platform.
“Also a huge surprise, the game is well optimized!”
“- no performance issues”
“However they chose to focus on the console optimization so it would run correctly on PS4/PS5.”
“Should Platinum have made sure that the PC version was properly optimized before launch?”
“However, they chose to focus on the console optimization so it would run correctly on PS4/PS5.”
“This could easily be optimized.”
- character development3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth and expression, with characters often feeling flat and unengaging. While some users appreciate the fun designs reminiscent of Bayonetta, the overall execution is marred by linear storytelling and poorly integrated NPC interactions that fail to enhance the narrative. Additionally, essential gameplay elements are locked behind significant story progression, further detracting from character engagement.
“Character design is awful and leaves everyone devoid of expression.”
“Level design is almost nothing with linear paths and no exploration.”
“Typically essential services like equipment enhancement are locked until way too far into the story.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly, attributing its stability to the effective art style and well-executed gameplay evolution.
“Runs great thanks to the art style; the gameplay is the kind of evolution I expect Platinum to nail, and I feel like there's an onion here I am peeling.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is hindered by a strange art style and a boring story, which detracts from player engagement. Additionally, the poor balance between solo and co-op play, along with a low player count, further diminishes the overall emotional experience.
Critic Reviews
Babylon’s Fall PC Review
While Babylon's Fall had several good ideas and had a lot of potential, it shot itself in the foot with its intrusive live service model and its painfully obvious lack of polish, making it that much harder to recommend to anyone, especially at the ludicrous price of $60
50%Babylon’s Fall review
That Babylon's Fall comes from Platinum Games is perhaps the biggest surprise here. A banal, uninspired hack 'n' slasher with no imagination or personality.
30%Babylon's Fall review
An overpriced game with a solid combat system that's buried under a mountain of banality and monetisation.
45%