It seems like every time GreedFall gets mentioned, there has to be a mandatory warning about how you shouldn’t expect a AAA experience. Though it can definitely compete in many ways within that market, the developers don’t have the man-power or budget to give GreedFall that level of polish and features. I was hesitant to try it out because I feared that meant it would be buggy or clunky, a game that would be admired more for the effort a small studio put into it or the old-school feel it delivered. But after having played it myself I can say that yes, it doesn’t feel AAA, and yes, knowing that a small studio developed it made me be in awe several times while playing. And I can also say that I love this game, not 'despite its flaws', but because of its many and genuine strengths.

The setting and story are refreshingly unique and the writing and pacing keep you grounded in this strange world. The different ways to influence the story and build your character deepen the role-playing experience in a meaningful way. Regarding the latter, every level up and every point spent feels important. Your decisions also affect the relationships you have with whole factions and individual people. In general, the game gives you the sense that everything you do or that does happen is part of a greater whole, e.g. the side stories that usually tie in to the main plot, as do your companions' personal quests. Speaking of companions, if your relationship level is high enough, they strengthen specific skills of yours. In that way, that narrative inter-connection even reaches the gameplay.

There are other reviews here that go into more detail about the positives and negatives, so I’ll just add some final thoughts: Although the animation is wooden, the great voice acting makes up for it. (And I personally prefer wooden faces over whatever happened to the faces in Mass Effect: Andromeda, yes, even post-patch.) And lastly, on my base PS4 I encountered no bugs and had an overall smooth experience.