Godfall Ultimate Edition review - A redemption with some minor hiccups

Godfall made its entry to Xbox consoles after a year and a half following its PS5 and PC debut. It's one of the earliest games built from the ground up for Sony's next-generation console and carried high hopes.

Developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox, the experience was mixed at launch. The majority consensus was that while it had its positives, the quality was not there.

I was definitely excited when I heard about the game's entry into Microsoft's console. Given that Gearbox has released the Ultimate Edition, it is a bonus for new players as they can get every bit of additional improvement that has ever been made to Godfall. The Ultimate Edition unlocks the entire experience for new players.

I am a fan of games with a looter system built, and with the mechanics of Godfall, it offers the same differently. A game with a rocky launch also requires jumping back strong. There is no lack of content when someone gets the Ultimate Edition. The bigger question is if the developers have listened to the fans and made the required improvements.

While Godfall hasn't revamped the game entirely, I got to experience the Exalted update firsthand. It's one thing for a change to be good on paper and another to work. So how does Godfall's Ultimate Edition work on an Xbox, and how have the mechanics changed? Let's find out.

Godfall Ultimate Edition: A tale of improvement based on constructive feedback

When talking about the Ultimate Edition, it's pretty natural that there will always be a comparison with the launch edition. Since its original release, there have been several updates, including a major expansion titled Fire and Darkness.

The Ultimate Edition also brings the Exalted update, which has been claimed to be the game's largest update. However, some things stay the same to a large extent, including the story.

Story

You play as Orin, who is on a quest against his brother Macros. Aperion has fallen under the latter, and you're one of the last remaining Valorian Knights. Your mission is to take on your nemesis, and the job is easier said than done.

You will have a small band of support who will guide you in your quest on your journey. Naturally, Ultimate Edition owners will encounter Moirax once Macros is taken care of.

I won't go into too many details as it could act as spoilers. However, one central point of complaint earlier was with the story. While there are no radical changes, a few additions have been made work well. Ravenna and Soros joining your journey feel better. Macros are said to have a more prominent presence, but I think it could have been tweaked a bit.

As players journey across the three realms, they will have many tasks. The maps sometimes feel repetitive, which was a problem with the original launch.

However, the Exalted update makes the rhythm of battles faster, making the sessions more engaging. Overall, the story feels like a more refined version, but it still has some scope for improvements.

Gameplay

What is a game without its gameplay! Godfall is a hybrid of Action-RPG with melee combat punched with looter elements. It becomes clear very quickly that there is ample loot to acquire. Gearbox brings in their expertise of looter-shooters in this game, and it shows right on the surface.

There's an incredible amount of loot to be found, and there are no microtransactions. So every piece of weapon and gear can be obtained by playing the game.

The basics remain the same, and players have several options for going around with combat. I am more of a fan of going straight in, and that's not a problem at lower difficulties. However, if you crank it up, you will need a certain degree of patience to avoid dying at all times.

The customization options have significantly improved, especially when one considers the valorplates. These are legendary armor sets that completely change the way you play. Each valorplate has a unique style of play about them that helps players enjoy different gameplay experiences. Godfall has 12 valorplates to be unlocked, which can be done with cores found across maps.

The customization screen now offers a lot more scope for tinkering, which helps justify its "tinkerer's dream" phrase. The positive thing about the new system is that loot feels more valuable since I can enjoy many more options. This allowed me to customize differently from the typical sense and made my gameplay sessions more engaging.

I appreciate the simple ability to keep more than one loadout for a valorplate. It allowed me to save time when I decided to change my builds based on the enemies. The customization options increase more in Godfall now with the skills and different gears. The Exalted update has added Knockdown 2.0 and timed attacks, which are two positives again.

On top of all this is the shard system that now allows new passives. It just offers that extra bit that was missed the first time around. Players will need to collect four shards to unlock the Ascendant form, and these shards can then be maxed out. Entering Exalted mode with a valorplate unlocks a third passive, which feels fantastic.

The combat system in the game was always a big positive for me. It has been further improved with timed attacks and the new Knockdown 2.0. To top it all off is the vastly-improved customization ability. I don't remember the last time I had so much fun in a melee-focused game, and the Ultimate Edition gets major brownie points for this.

End-game

Before I delve into this further, you might think it will take a long time to get to the end-game. Well, that's where the developers have done something brilliant. If you play Godfall Ultimate Edition, you can create a character that will be at level 50 straight away and can access all the end-game content.

What's even better is that I can switch between multiple characters so enjoying the campaign and accessing the end-game wasn't a problem. In addition, leveling up isn't slow, so it shouldn't take players too much to level up.

The most significant addition to the Ultimate Edition is Spirit Realms in the end-game. What's even better is that Spirit Realms can reward players with augments with two primary traits. Augments are beneficial things in Godfall, and their potential improves with an extra primary attribute.

I loved using spirit vision in this mode to find items and enemies. Overall, the new end-game mode feels nice, and I loved how it has been designed and executed. It has six-player matchmaking, perfect for those who may not have friends playing Godfall. The end-game doesn't end here as there is the Tower of Trials.

With the Exalted update, players will get to enjoy the harder towers. Enemies will rise to level 150 and will spawn multiple ones simultaneously. This will be a true test of anybody's skills, and it's better to play this mode with friends. However, the rewards will be worth the effort, and this mode is highly recommended for anyone who wants to play co-op.

Performance

I tested the game on an Xbox Series S, and Godfall is known for pushing the machines. Online gameplay was smooth, and there were no lag or latency issues. As far as frames are concerned, I went in with the default.

There were no consistent stuttering or frame skips, which is a definite positive. However, in certain special moves, there are momentary stutters. I didn't exactly measure the drop, but it was noticeable.

The VRR of my hardware helped the stutters to be minimal, but I hope that this will be resolved in post-launch patches. Aside from this, I haven't encountered any concerning bugs across my journey in the campaign and end-game modes.

In Conclusion

Godfall Ultimate Edition has improved since the state it launched in 2020. A major part of this improvement has been the content updates that the game has received since its launch. The Exalted update also helps improve the game further. The new additions to this update to the end-game, in particular, are a plus point.

Players have requested a new loadout system and end-game modes for a long time. So it's welcome to see that the developers are keen to improve the game, and the Ultimate Edition is a testament to that. The new system makes the loot feel more critical, and it kept me engaged for "just one more run."

However, the weak points of the original story still exist. There are times when some runs can feel repetitive, and some areas will feel recycled. A complete overhaul wouldn't have been possible. Changes to the story that the developers have worked on, but the original weaknesses show up and can be disappointing for some.

Overall, I loved playing the Ultimate Edition of Godfall. Gearbox has bundled every piece of content in a competitively-priced edition, perfect for newer players. Barring the story, I feel that Godfall has improved from what it once was. The melee looter has grabbed my attention greatly, and I am looking to invest more hours in its campaign and end-game.