Spiders is a weird studio. Honestly, I mean that as a massive compliment. While every other mid-sized developer is trying to chase the latest trend or make a bland open-world map filled with repetitive icons, this French team just doubles down on what they love: crunchy, political, slightly janky European RPGs. They found lightning in a bottle with the first game back in 2019. It was basically the Dragon Age game that BioWare forgot how to make. Now, we have GreedFall 2: The Dying World, and it is confusing a lot of people.
It’s not a direct sequel in the way you’d think. You aren't De Sardet anymore. You aren't even on Teer Fradee for most of it. Instead, Spiders flipped the script. You play as a native Teer Fradeen who is forcibly taken back to the "Old Continent" of Gacane. It is a reverse-colonialism narrative that feels incredibly fresh, even if the Early Access launch has been a bit of a rollercoaster for long-time fans.
✨ Don't miss: Punish the Wicked BG3: Why This Quest is the Ultimate Moral Headache
Why the Combat Change is Actually the Biggest Risk
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the combat. If you loved the first game’s action-RPG, parry-heavy system, GreedFall 2: The Dying World is going to give you some serious whiplash. They moved to a Real-Time with Pause (RTwP) system. Think Pillars of Eternity or Dragon Age: Origins.
It’s tactical. It’s slower.
You’re managing an entire party’s positioning and ability queues rather than just twitch-reacting to an enemy’s swing. For some, this feels like a step backward into "old school" clunkiness. For others, it’s exactly what the series needed to differentiate itself from the sea of mediocre action games. The tactical camera allows you to zoom out and actually see the battlefield. You have to care about "Action Points" now.
Is it perfect? No. In its current state, the pathfinding can be a nightmare. Your companions sometimes decide that walking into a wall is more productive than healing you. But the intent is clear: Spiders wants you to think like a strategist, not just a brawler. This shift highlights the "dying" part of the world—every encounter feels desperate and messy.
A Story of Displacement and Despair
The narrative hook here is genuinely bold. In the first game, you were the one exploring a "new" land. Now, you are the "savage" (in the eyes of the colonizers) being dragged into a decaying, plague-ridden civilization. Gacane is a mess. It's overpopulated, filthy, and suffocating under the weight of the Malichor plague.
Seeing the "civilized" world through the eyes of a protagonist who values nature and spiritual balance creates a fantastic tension. You aren't just a hero; you're an outsider trying to survive a culture that views you as a curiosity or a threat. The writing stays true to that "Spiders" DNA—heavy on political intrigue, faction infighting, and moral gray areas.
You’ll deal with:
- The Bridge Alliance and their obsessive, often cruel scientific pursuits.
- The Coin Guard’s shifting loyalties.
- The sheer, crushing poverty of the urban centers compared to the lush forests of your home.
The voice acting brings a lot of this to life, though you can tell it’s a smaller budget than a AAA title. There’s a certain soul here that you don't get in polished corporate products. It’s earnest. It’s trying to say something about how we treat "the other."
Early Access: The Good, The Bad, and The Buggy
GreedFall 2: The Dying World launched in Early Access, which was a first for the studio. They needed the feedback. They really needed it.
The initial release was missing a lot of features people expected. Character customization was limited, and the performance on anything but a high-end rig was... let’s say "optimistic." But the roadmap has been steady. We’ve seen updates addressing the tactical AI and adding new regions like the shimmering city of Olima.
👉 See also: Why the Ronin Set Elden Ring Players Love is Actually Kind of a Tragedy
One thing people get wrong is thinking this is a finished game you should judge by 2024 standards. It’s a work in progress. If you buy it now, you’re basically a playtester. You are seeing the bones of a great RPG, but the skin hasn't quite grown over it yet. The developers have been surprisingly transparent about the "The Dying World"'s development cycle, acknowledging that the new combat system needs a lot of tuning based on player frustration.
Breaking Down the Mechanics
| Feature | GreedFall (2019) | GreedFall 2 (2026/Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Perspective | Third-person Action | Tactical/Top-down Optional |
| Combat Style | Real-time Hack & Slash | Real-time with Pause (Tactical) |
| Setting | Teer Fradee (The Frontier) | Gacane (The Old World) |
| Protagonist | Fixed background (De Sardet) | Customizable Native |
Understanding the "Dying World" Setting
The title isn't just flavor text. The world of Gacane is literally rotting. The Malichor isn't just a disease; it's a symptom of a world that has been exploited beyond its breaking point. This creates a much darker atmosphere than the first game. There’s a sense of "too little, too late" in many of the side quests.
You aren't there to save the world in a traditional "Chosen One" sense. Often, you’re just trying to find a way to mitigate the suffering of your people or find a cure that might not even exist. It's bleak. But that bleakness makes the small victories—saving a companion, navigating a diplomatic crisis without bloodshed—feel significantly more impactful.
The environmental design is where Spiders has improved the most. The architecture in Gacane is soaring and oppressive. It feels ancient and heavy. You can almost smell the soot and the sickness in the air of the city streets. It’s a stark contrast to the vibrant, magical hues of the Teer Fradee wilds we saw in the prologue.
✨ Don't miss: A Token of Gratitude Arceus: Why This Shaymin Quest is Still Giving Players a Headache
How to Approach Greedfall 2 Right Now
If you are looking for a polished, 60-hour epic today, you might want to wait. GreedFall 2: The Dying World is currently for the "Spiders" devotees and the RPG nerds who love seeing a vision evolve.
To get the most out of it, you have to lean into the tactical side. Stop trying to play it like Dark Souls. Use the pause button. Space out your party. Use the environment. If you try to brute-force the combat, you will hate it. The game punishes mindless clicking.
Also, pay attention to the dialogue. This isn't a game to skip through. The "Diplomacy" skill is just as important as your "Strength" or "Agility." Sometimes, talking your way out of a fight is the only way to keep your party's reputation intact with the various factions.
Final Practical Steps for New Players
Before jumping into the dying world, keep these specific points in mind:
- Check the Roadmap: Spiders is adding content in chunks. If you want the full story, wait for the version 1.0 release later in 2025 or 2026. If you want to shape the game's direction, jump in now.
- Embrace the Pause: Rebind your "Pause" key to something comfortable. You will be hitting it every few seconds during a fight.
- Focus on Crowd Control: Because of the new tactical system, abilities that stun or slow enemies are far more valuable than raw damage in the early hours.
- Explore Olima Thoroughly: The city of Olima is a highlight of the current build. It’s where the political complexity of the world really starts to shine. Talk to everyone.
- Manage Expectations: This is an AA game. There will be lip-sync issues. There will be some weird animations. Look past the jank to find the brilliant world-building underneath.
The journey of GreedFall 2: The Dying World is about the collision of two very different ways of life. It’s about loss, adaptation, and the messy reality of a world on the brink of collapse. It’s ambitious, flawed, and deeply fascinating.