An island paradise has been discovered by colonial forces from several distinct nations from fictional lands, but with magic and monsters. Players assume the role of De Sardet, a neutral Human who recently arrived at the island, able to ally with either the natives who inhabit the land, or any of the foreign nations competing to conquer and colonize the "new" land, while also trying to find a cure to a mysterious illness that plagues De Sardet and their family.
Plot
De Sardet, a noble of the Merchant Congregation, prepares to travel to the newly-settled island of Teer Fradee. De Sardet's cousin, Prince Constantin d'Orsay, has been named governor of New Serene, the Congregation's capital on the island, with De Sardet to act as his Legate. The Congregation hopes that the exotic environment of Teer Fradee will yield a cure for the malichor, a deadly plague spreading on the continent. The group arrive on Teer Fradee and De Sardet is quickly dispatched to establish diplomatic relations with the island natives and two neighboring countries with a presence on the island. In the process, De Sardet gains several new allies and learns of the doneigada, native islanders with a supernatural bond to the earth that grants them mystical abilities. Tasked to find a cure for the malichor, De Sardet's investigation is unsuccessful, but reveals that the natives worship a being known as "en on mil frichtimen" which has a connection to the island. De Sardet believes en on mil frichtimen to be real, and capable of curing the malichor with its power, and begins seeking a way to speak with it. Constantin's health begins to decline and he soon learns he is infected with the malichor. As Constantin begins to panic, he and De Sardet are warned of an imminent coup by the city's guards, who plan to kill the leaders of the cities and take control of the entire island. De Sardet manages to protect Constantin, apprehend the conspirators, and warn the other cities of the plot. Although order is restored, Constantin's health continues to worsen dramatically. De Sardet contacts a native healer named Catasach to relieve Constantin's pain while the search for a cure continues. De Sardet learns that en on mil frichtimens sanctuary can only be opened by the high king of the natives, Vinbarr, who has been missing for months. Upon returning to New Serene, De Sardet learns that Catasach and Constantin are missing, having left on an expedition for unknown reasons. De Sardet finds Catasach dead and soon learns that Constantin has been taken by Vinbarr into the mountains. De Sardet tracks Vinbarr to his lair and kills him before bringing Constantin back to New Serene. Three days later, Constantin's sickness is cured, but his physical appearance has changed, becoming similar to that of the natives. He reveals that Catasach took him to perform a ritual to turn him into a doneigad, making him resistant to the malichor. With Vinbarr dead, De Sardet intervenes in the native's election of the new high king and gets the winning candidate to promise entry into en on mil frichtimens sanctuary. De Sardet is allowed to enter and speaks to the being, who says that the malichor is a poison generated by the island in response to its exploitation by the settlers. It promises to help cure the malichor, but warns that Constantin's actions are weakening it. Confused and horrified by the warning, De Sardet discovers that Constantin has become addicted to the power of the doneigad, and is performing more rituals to steal more of the island's power from en on mil frichtimen. Now able to control the island's wildlife, Constantin plots to destroy the natives and the settlers and rule the island alone. De Sardet turns to the island's factions for assistance in stopping Constantin from attacking en on mil frichtimens sanctuary, but they are unable to keep him at bay. De Sardet confronts Constantin alone in the sanctuary, and is given the choice to either kill him and leave the island's fate in the hands of the factions, or join him in conquering the island. If the player chooses to kill Constantin, the ending that follows will vary depending on the elected High King and the player's relationship with their companions and the various factions on Teer Fradee. If the player chooses to join Constantin, the two cousins steal en on mil frichtimens power and become godlike beings, unleashing a reign of terror upon the world.
Gameplay
The player, alongside other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters, explore a remote island where the locals, who are fighting off invading settlers, are protected by supernatural beings. The game includes combat, diplomacy, and stealth. The player's decisions influence and affect the game's story, as well as the relationship between the different factions established on the island. The game also supports enhanced graphical capabilities on the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X.
Reception
GreedFall received "mixed or average reviews" on review aggregatorMetacritic for the PC and PlayStation 4 versions based on 38 and 37 reviews respectively, while the Xbox One version received "generally favorable reviews" based on 14 reviews. The game was nominated for "Best RPG" at the 2019 Titanium Awards, for "Game, Original Role Playing" at the NAVGTR Awards, and for "Best Message-Bearer Game", "Best Artistic Design", and "Best Game Setting" at the Pégases Awards 2020.
