Despite its approaching launch, feelings about the the PS5 vary. This stems from several factors, including the pre-order headaches fans went through, and the system's pricing. Both the PS5 and its games are pricey, and players are wondering if games like Godfall will be worth it.

Despite being one of the first games announced for the PS5, Godfall is still a bit of a mystery. It is billed as a "looter slasher" in a more melee-centric vein of Destiny 2. While more has become known about the game, including specifics about its combat, there are still questions. With more details added to its page on the PlayStation website, a new, troubling concern has arisen.

According to its PlayStation page, Godfall requires online play. This means that it requires an internet connection to play, all the time. Many will recognize this "always online" requirement from games where it was criticized in the past. Titles like Diablo III and Sim City were panned for requiring always online play, and for good reason. This always online requirement is arguably just one more way that Godfall is becoming its own worst enemy.


There could be several reasons behind the requirement, but none seem satisfactory. For starters, Godfall is nominally a singleplayer game with a co-op option. Having a singleplayer game with an always online requirement is very problematic. If, for any reason, the internet or servers are not working, the whole game is unavailable. Unlike a multiplayer game, where this is required to make the game work, a singleplayer game should work on its own. The always online requirement may very well be there so the game can be universally patched or changed. This would be another connection between Godfall and Duelyst, Counterplay Game's previous game. However, for Duelyst, the decision made sense, since it was multiplayer centered.

While Godfall is billed as singleplayer, the reality behind its design may be quite different. According to its PlayStation page, the bosses of Godfall were designed with co-op in mind. This was also the design philosophy for Metal Gear: Peace Walker, which had solid single-player gameplay marred only by its bosses. The design may speak to a lack of faith in the game's singleplayer. If all of Godfall's combat mechanics are similarly co-op focused, the game may be in real trouble.

There are two more problems with Godfall's online only requirement. One is that if Godfall's server support is terminated, so is the game. Anyone who bought it for singleplayer won't be able to play it anymore. This was, again, the case with Counterplay Games' previous game, Duelyst, which was canceled after a long bout of inactivity from its devs. Finally, according to the page, PS Plus is required for online play.

Godfall releases November 12, 2020 for PS5 and PC.