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Babylon’s Fall Review

May 17, 2022

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Babylon’s Fall is an action RPG developed by PlatinumGames, a team who are no strangers to the genre. In the game, you take on the role of a skilled warrior, known as a “Sentinel,” looking for redemption through the trials of combat. Your main objective is to scale a massive tower known as the “Ziggurat” to test your mettle. In order to climb the structure you’ll need to master melee and ranged attacks in order to uncover the secrets that await at the summit. Shades of PlatinumGames’ previous project Nier: Automata’s combat system are present in Babylon’s Fall. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t reach the same incredible heights with the story, gameplay and graphics. Let’s scale the Tower of Babel and uncover all the game has to offer.

Babylon’s Fall Details

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Action role-playing
Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Babylon’s tale of a tall tower

The story in Babylon’s Fall is your typical dystopian sci-fi fare, except a lot lighter on details and compelling characters. The main arc follows the Babylonians’ demise, only their enormous tower “The Ziggurat” remains. Now, a new Empire has arisen to ransack the remnants of its past and claim the legendary riches. As a conscripted warrior you are powered by a mysterious “Gideon Coffin” grafted to your back. It’s up to you to master your abilities, scale the tower and discover the mysteries at its peak.

Babylon's Fall Loot While the story is a little bare-bones, there are some interesting ideas peppered throughout. The ascension of the tower is one, where each level features a distinct environment. You go from a medieval urban areas, volcanic pits to wintery mountain tops. Another uniquely charming aspect to the game is the Gideon Coffin and the ability to mix and match gear in a seemingly infinite way. Outside of that, the game lacks a sense of urgency which makes it hard to invest in the characters or world.

Climbing in good company

One aspect of the game that does make it quite enjoyable is the co-op multiplayer. You have the ability to join forces with other Sentinels through the “Sentinel Force HQ” hub area. This system is similar to Capcom’s Monster Hunter formula, and if you’ve played those games before you’ll feel right at home. In the hub area you can form a party of up to 4 warriors before taking on quests. One area that could have used improvement in the multiplayer experience is the point and purpose of having an online squad. What I mean by this is the game simply adds in players doubling down on the same experience as the single player mode. Having more player dedicated roles, or challenge-specific enemies could go a long way in providing more longevity to the overall game. I will say hacking and slashing away with a dedicated group of online warriors is still fun.

Babylon’s Fall oil painting inspired visuals

The graphics in Babylon’s Fall are unique as they draw inspiration from medieval oil paintings. This original “brushwork filter” gives the game a classic, yet modern look as you traverse the world. Unfortunately, the overall aesthetic misses the mark, and the oil painting visuals are an interesting but just aren’t implemented well. The graphics have an undeniably dated look, under utilizing hardware like the PlayStation 5. The ancient city looks good, and there is a variety of environments but many areas feel recycled. The monsters are also designed well and look menacing, it’s unfortunate the rest of the art direction doesn’t follow these cues.

Fast and frantic gameplay

As you ascend through the world you’ll come across various enemies with larger areas culminating with a main boss. The combat is fast paced and exciting, as what you would come to expect from a PlatinumGames title. As a Sentinel, you have a specialized set of equipment to help you deal with the throngs of foes. You are able to dual-wield up to four weapons. Two in your human arms and two more in the spectral tethers that emerge from your Gideon Coffin. Babylon's Fall Gideons Coffin The game offers up some challenges through combat but it really starts to get repetitive. Many battles come down to simply button mashing, which isn’t always rewarding. Overall, Babylon’s Fall is a hack and slash RPG that checks all the boxes, but it doesn’t delve much deeper. The game has its flaws but is still an enjoyable experience, especially if you like to team up online and customizing your character.

Final thoughts on Babylon’s Fall

Babylon’s Fall is an entertaining hack and slash RPG that is hampered by an uninteresting story, middling graphics and repetitive combat sequences. While the multiplayer offers some fun, players may find themselves losing interest due to unimaginative progression and level design. Despite its flaws, the game has some fun aspects and fans of the genre are sure to find enjoyment in the piles of loot and weapon combinations.

+ A seemingly limitless amount of loot
+ Fast paced combat
+ Hours upon hours of gameplay through multiplayer mode

– Lackluster graphics
– Story isn’t very appealing
– Little to no strategy required in repetitive combat
– Repetitive, streamlined level design