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== Plot ==
== Plot ==
[[File:Babylon's Fall, featuring Sylvie (on the right, originally from Agafheim, west of Neo Babylon) next to Sophia (on the left, the Emperor's daughter).png|thumb|Babylon's Fall, a scene featuring Sophia on the left and Sylvie on the right.]]
⚫
Set in a fantasy world,<ref name="RPSCombat"/> the story of ''Babylon's Fall'' was split into three quests.


⚫
Set in a fantasy world,<ref name="RPSCombat"/> the story of ''Babylon's Fall'' was split into three main quests and smaller event quests. The main character is a character which is created by the player.
=== Liberator ===
⚫
Prisoners are taken on board from a ship, where following a guard, become tested for the Gideon Coffin. Out of the many prisoners, only three of them managed to survive its installation and are then promoted as Sentinels. On their first battle, they fight blue forces known as Gallu, where upon facing their first large force, a character named Arwia appears and unlocks their Gideon Coffin, allowing them to fight. Their main goal is to stop the plague which is being caused by the Blue Sun (which is an alien deity named Nergal). Bosses such as Zenon, Lord Bemus, Moira and Galenos with his giant dragon Antares stand in the way. At the end of the Liberator quest, the player and Arwia defeat Nergal.


=== Resurgence ===
=== The Liberator Quest ===
⚫
Prisoners are arrested and drafted and taken on board from a ship, where following guards and a character named Ishum, become tested for the device known as the Gideon Coffin. Out of the many prisoners, only three of them (Sylvie, Gallagher and the player created main character) managed to survive its installation as the other prisoners are killed. They are then drafted into Sophia's Sentinel force. On their first battle, they fight blue forces known as Gallu, where upon facing their first large force, a character named Arwia comes down and unlocks their Gideon Coffin, allowing them to fight. Their main goal is to stop the plague which is being caused by the Blue Sun (which is an alien deity named Nergal). Bosses such as Zenon, Lord Bemus, Moira and Galenos with his giant dragon Antares stand in the way. At the end of the Liberator quest, the player and another character named Arwia defeat Nergal. [[File:Babylon's Fall World Art Book on the left, showing Eleon, on the right in the background is a game screenshot of the villain known as Gallagher.jpg|thumb|Eleon of the Goat Knights on the left and the villainous Gallagher on the right]]
Released on March 22, 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=Babylon's Fall Support Will Continue As Future Changes Detailed Through Season 3 |url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/03/18/babylons-fall-support-will-continue/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=PlayStation LifeStyle}}</ref> Resurgence focuses on the Sentinel civil war, focusing on three factions struggling to win the civil war: Sophia's Sentinels (the player, Sylvie, Sophia and Eleon), Gallagher's The Creatures (alongside Elpis, Zogh, Lawi-Ghor and various dragons) and Urom-Baggel's Molzamites (alongside Ogo-Tallwa, and some unnamed Molzamites). It ends with most of The Creatures and Molzamites being murdered by the player as Urom-Baggel and Gallagher escape.


=== Tale of Two Ziggurats ===
=== The Resurgence Quest ===
The final quest released on May 31, 2022, as part of the update titled "The Light of Auru",<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-20 |title=Babylon's Fall Season 2 "The Light of Aaru" to begin May 31 |url=https://novacrystallis.com/2022/05/babylons-fall-season-2-the-light-of-aaru-to-begin-may-31/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=Nova Crystallis |language=en-US}}</ref> the Tale of Two Ziggurats serves as the conclusion to the ''Bablylon's Fall'' story. The final fates of several characters are revealed as Gallagher kills Eleon, the player killing Gallagher out of revenge, and Urom-Baggel being defeated. While the plot focuses on the new Kuftaali faction who is seeking help from the player to stop the new plague, the ending shows a Kuftaali character named Shamilka being revealed to be the true final boss of the game known as Ereshkigal (who is of the same alien deity race as Nergal). The game ends with the player killing Ereshkigal, permanently ending the plague.
Released on March 22, 2022,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=Babylon's Fall Support Will Continue As Future Changes Detailed Through Season 3 |url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/03/18/babylons-fall-support-will-continue/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=PlayStation LifeStyle}}</ref> Resurgence focuses on the Sentinel civil war, focusing on three factions struggling to win the civil war: Sophia's Sentinels (the player, Sylvie, Sophia and Eleon), Gallagher's The Creatures (alongside Elpis, Zogh, Lawi-Ghor and various dragons) and Urom-Baggel's Molzamites (alongside Ogo-Tallwa, and some unnamed Molzamites). It ends with most of The Creatures and Molzamites being murdered by the player as Urom-Baggel and Gallagher escape.
[[File:Babylon's Fall, Arwia action figure doll in the center of the pic, the background is a screenshot of the game featuring Arwia and a player created main character.jpg|thumb|Arwia on the right (with the Arwia action figure doll in the center) and a player created main character on the left.]]
=== The Tale of Two Ziggurats Quest ===
The final quest released on May 31, 2022, as part of the update titled "The Light of Auru",<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-20 |title=Babylon's Fall Season 2 "The Light of Aaru" to begin May 31 |url=https://novacrystallis.com/2022/05/babylons-fall-season-2-the-light-of-aaru-to-begin-may-31/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=Nova Crystallis |language=en-US}}</ref> the Tale of Two Ziggurats serves as the conclusion to the ''Bablylon's Fall'' story. The final fates of several characters are revealed as Gallagher kills Eleon, the player killing Gallagher out of revenge, and Urom-Baggel being defeated. While the plot focuses on the new Kuftaali faction who is seeking help from the player to stop the new plague, the ending shows a Kuftaali character named Shamilka being revealed to be the true final boss of the game known as Ereshkigal (who is of the same alien deity race as Nergal). The game ends with the player killing Ereshkigal, permanently ending the plague.

=== Nier Automata / Babylon's Fall crossover event ===
A Babylon's Fall and Nier Automata crossover event occurred in the game Babylon's Fall from March 29th, 2022 till April 26th, 2022. <ref name=":2" /> <ref name=":4" /> The Amusement Park Rabbit from Nier Automata serves as the main boss of this crossover event.

=== The Festival of the Sun event ===
A short epilogue story taking place after the defeat of Ereshkigal, taking place during July 19th, 2022 till August 16th, 2022, <ref name=":3" /> this final story features the player created main character with Sophia, Sylvie, and Lycus who are putting together a celebration known as the Festival of the Sun. Introducing characters such as Gaselne from Sentinel unit 2 and the evil Governor Magrabus (appointed by the emperor, Sophia's father), the epilogue story ends with the arrest of Magrabus and all the heroic characters standing by the water as the celebration draws to a close.


==Development==
==Development==
''Babylon's Fall'' was developed by [[PlatinumGames]]. According to producer Junichi Ehara, the team wanted to expand on the combat system of ''[[Nier: Automata]]'' and experiment with [[multiplayer]] with ''Babylon's Fall''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/babylons-fall-aims-to-be-a-nier-automata-that-never-ends|title=Babylon's Fall aims to be a Nier Automata that never ends|first=Graham|last=Smith|work=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The game's brushstroke visual art-style was inspired by classic European oil paintings, and the graphics were created using canvas-like texture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/22533136/babylons-fall-platinum-games-kenji-saito|title=Babylon's Fall could be good, actually|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=June 14, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The game also borrowed assets from ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'', a [[massively multiplayer online]] video game created by publisher [[Square Enix]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-27-babylons-fall-contains-gear-and-emote-data-borrowed-from-final-fantasy-14-platinum-confirms|title=Babylon's Fall contains gear and emote assets "borrowed" from Final Fantasy 14, Platinum confirms|first=Wesley|last=Yin-Poole|work=[[Eurogamer]]|date=November 27, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The protagonist of the story was compared to a Roman gladiator by scenario writer Kenichi Iwao.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/babylons-fall/gameplay-beta|title=The Babylon's Fall beta is promising: why am I still not excited for it?|first=Iain|last=Harris|work=[[PCGamesN]]|date=November 19, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The first closed beta was held in July 2021 in Japan and August 2021 in Europe and North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/babylons-fall-beta-dates-and-contents-outlined/|title=Babylon's Fall beta dates and contents outlined|first=Hirun|last=Cyer|work=[[GamesRadar]]|date=July 26, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The beta received a lukewarm reception, with players complaining about the game's illegible visual style. The development team evaluated players feedback and adjusted the game's graphics to ensure that they are less blurry and pixelated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/babylons-fall-blurry-graphics-update-feedback-platinum-games|title=Babylon's Fall updates visuals so they're no longer a blurry mess|first=Sherif|last=Saed|work=[[VG 247]]|date=October 7, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref>
''Babylon's Fall'' was developed by [[PlatinumGames]]. According to producer Junichi Ehara, the team wanted to expand on the combat system of ''[[Nier: Automata]]'' and experiment with [[multiplayer]] with ''Babylon's Fall''.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/babylons-fall-aims-to-be-a-nier-automata-that-never-ends|title=Babylon's Fall aims to be a Nier Automata that never ends|first=Graham|last=Smith|work=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The game's brushstroke visual art-style was inspired by classic European oil paintings, and the graphics were created using canvas-like texture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/22533136/babylons-fall-platinum-games-kenji-saito|title=Babylon's Fall could be good, actually|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=June 14, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The game also borrowed assets from ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'', a [[massively multiplayer online]] video game created by publisher [[Square Enix]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-27-babylons-fall-contains-gear-and-emote-data-borrowed-from-final-fantasy-14-platinum-confirms|title=Babylon's Fall contains gear and emote assets "borrowed" from Final Fantasy 14, Platinum confirms|first=Wesley|last=Yin-Poole|work=[[Eurogamer]]|date=November 27, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The protagonist of the story was compared to a Roman gladiator by scenario writer Kenichi Iwao.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/babylons-fall/gameplay-beta|title=The Babylon's Fall beta is promising: why am I still not excited for it?|first=Iain|last=Harris|work=[[PCGamesN]]|date=November 19, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The first closed beta was held in July 2021 in Japan and August 2021 in Europe and North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/babylons-fall-beta-dates-and-contents-outlined/|title=Babylon's Fall beta dates and contents outlined|first=Hirun|last=Cyer|work=[[GamesRadar]]|date=July 26, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The beta received a lukewarm reception, with players complaining about the game's illegible visual style. The development team evaluated players feedback and adjusted the game's graphics to ensure that they are less blurry and pixelated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/babylons-fall-blurry-graphics-update-feedback-platinum-games|title=Babylon's Fall updates visuals so they're no longer a blurry mess|first=Sherif|last=Saed|work=[[VG 247]]|date=October 7, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref>


Production on the game began in 2017, around the time of ''Nier: Automata''{{'}}s release.<ref>{{Cite web |title=『バビロンズフォール』開発インタビュー。紆余曲々々々折ありつつ、4つの武器を同時にブン回せるプラチナゲームズらしい尖ったオンラインアクションとして完成 {{!}} ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/202203/04253476.html |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=ファミ通.com |language=ja}}</ref> The game was revealed at [[E3 2018]] during Square Enix's own press conference and was originally slated to release in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/11/17449562/babylons-fall-platinumgames-e3-2018-square-enix|title=Babylon's Fall is a new game coming from the creator of Bayonetta|first=Megan|last=Farokhmanesh|work=[[The Verge]]|date=June 11, 2018|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The first look at gameplay would be seen at Sony's December 2019 State of Play presentation. It was shown again at [[E3 2021]], now labeled a "[[game as a service]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/e3-2021/2021/06/13/babylons-fall-rerevealed-is-a-live-service-game|title=Babylon's Fall Rerevealed, Is A Live Service Game|first=Blake|last=Hester|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> This means that the game would be supported with free updates, new gameplay modes and content upon release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/22532269/babylons-fall-platinum-games-live-service-ps5-beta|title=Babylon's Fall from PlatinumGames is now a live-service game|first=Austen|last=Gosling|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> PlatinumGames opened a new Tokyo studio in 2020 to help the studio make live service games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/platinumgames-tokyo-studio-to-develop-live-service-games-for-consoles/|title=PlatinumGames' Tokyo studio to develop live service games for consoles|first=Tom|last=Ivan|work=Video Games Chronicle|date=February 27, 2020|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The developers have stated that the game was always envisioned as a multiplayer, live service title, and expressed regret over some players having the false impression that it was a single player game because of previous footage only showing solo combat.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://jpgames.de/2022/02/interview-with-kenji-saito-and-takahisa-sugiyama-on-babylons-fall-from-platinumgames/|title=Interview with: Kenji Saito and Takahisa Sugiyama on Babylon's Fall from PlatinumGames|last=Tony|work=JPGames|date=February 24, 2022|accessdate=April 8, 2022}}</ref> One of the game's directors, Takahisa Sugiyama, stated that the challenge of creating an online, live-service game was "a lot harder to do than we thought". This, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of new hardware, are cited as reasons for the game's lengthy delay.<ref name=":0" />
Production on the game began in 2017, around the time of ''Nier: Automata''{{'}}s release.<ref>{{Cite web |title=『バビロンズフォール』開発インタビュー。紆余曲々々々折ありつつ、4つの武器を同時にブン回せるプラチナゲームズらしい尖ったオンラインアクションとして完成 {{!}} ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/202203/04253476.html |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=ファミ通.com |language=ja}}</ref> The game was revealed at [[E3 2018]] during Square Enix's own press conference and was originally slated to release in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/11/17449562/babylons-fall-platinumgames-e3-2018-square-enix|title=Babylon's Fall is a new game coming from the creator of Bayonetta|first=Megan|last=Farokhmanesh|work=[[The Verge]]|date=June 11, 2018|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The first look at gameplay would be seen at Sony's December 2019 State of Play presentation. It was shown again at [[E3 2021]], now labeled a "[[game as a service]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/e3-2021/2021/06/13/babylons-fall-rerevealed-is-a-live-service-game|title=Babylon's Fall Rerevealed, Is A Live Service Game|first=Blake|last=Hester|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> This means that the game would be supported with free updates, new gameplay modes and content upon release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/22532269/babylons-fall-platinum-games-live-service-ps5-beta|title=Babylon's Fall from PlatinumGames is now a live-service game|first=Austen|last=Gosling|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=June 13, 2021|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> PlatinumGames opened a new Tokyo studio in 2020 to help the studio make live service games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/platinumgames-tokyo-studio-to-develop-live-service-games-for-consoles/|title=PlatinumGames' Tokyo studio to develop live service games for consoles|first=Tom|last=Ivan|work=Video Games Chronicle|date=February 27, 2020|accessdate=December 26, 2021}}</ref> The developers have stated that the game was always envisioned as a multiplayer, live service title, and expressed regret over some players having the false impression that it was a single player game because of previous footage only showing solo combat.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://jpgames.de/2022/02/interview-with-kenji-saito-and-takahisa-sugiyama-on-babylons-fall-from-platinumgames/|title=Interview with: Kenji Saito and Takahisa Sugiyama on Babylon's Fall from PlatinumGames|last=Tony|work=JPGames|date=February 24, 2022|accessdate=April 8, 2022}}</ref> One of the game's directors, Takahisa Sugiyama, stated that the challenge of creating an online, live-service game was "a lot harder to do than we thought". This, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of new hardware, are cited as reasons for the game's lengthy delay.<ref name=":0" />

Revision as of 21:19, 1 April 2023

Babylon's Fall
Developer(s)PlatinumGames
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)
  • Kenji Saito
  • Takahisa Sugiyama
Producer(s)
  • Junichi Ehara
  • Yosuke Saito
Designer(s)
  • Isao Negishi
  • Kazuma Fujii
Artist(s)Kouji Tajima
Writer(s)Kenichi Iwao
Composer(s)Hiroshi Yamaguchi[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseMarch 3, 2022
Genre(s)Action role-playing, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Babylon's Fall[a] was an action role-playing game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows on March 3, 2022. It received generally negative reviews from critics, and was a significant commercial failure for Square Enix, with the game only reaching a concurrent player count of less than 1,200 on release day and declining sharply afterwards.[2][3] Six months after the game's release, Square Enix announced that they would be ceasing support of the game's servers, which later shut down on February 27, 2023.[4][5]

Gameplay

Babylon's Fall was an action role-playing hack and slash video game played from a third-person perspective. The player assumes control of a Sentinel, who must scale a massive tower known as the Ziggurat.[6] Players started at a hub area known as Sentinel Force HQ where they can interact with other players, visit shops or blacksmiths to purchase gear and upgrades, and access quests. Each quest can be played solo, though the game also supports four-player cooperative multiplayer. Players ascend three to four floors in each quest until they reach the summit of the tower. Along the way, players will unlock loot which can be used to enhance the strength of the characters.[7]

Each sentinel is equipped with two weapons. However, the player is also equipped with a device known as Gideon's Coffin. The coffin allows players to carry two more spectral weapons. These weapons can no longer be used once the spectral energy bar is depleted, though it will gradually refill over time. The game features seven different weapons types, including sword, hammer, bow, rod, shield,[8] axe,[9] and pistol.[10] At the end of each level, players would be awarded with loot and gear. The quality of the gear depends on the player's performance in a level. Players can achieve better performance by varying their attack style, eliminating enemies quickly, and dodging attacks.[7]

Plot

File:Babylon's Fall, featuring Sylvie (on the right, originally from Agafheim, west of Neo Babylon) next to Sophia (on the left, the Emperor's daughter).png
Babylon's Fall, a scene featuring Sophia on the left and Sylvie on the right.

Set in a fantasy world,[6] the story of Babylon's Fall was split into three main quests and smaller event quests. The main character is a character which is created by the player.

The Liberator Quest

Prisoners are arrested and drafted and taken on board from a ship, where following guards and a character named Ishum, become tested for the device known as the Gideon Coffin. Out of the many prisoners, only three of them (Sylvie, Gallagher and the player created main character) managed to survive its installation as the other prisoners are killed. They are then drafted into Sophia's Sentinel force. On their first battle, they fight blue forces known as Gallu, where upon facing their first large force, a character named Arwia comes down and unlocks their Gideon Coffin, allowing them to fight. Their main goal is to stop the plague which is being caused by the Blue Sun (which is an alien deity named Nergal). Bosses such as Zenon, Lord Bemus, Moira and Galenos with his giant dragon Antares stand in the way. At the end of the Liberator quest, the player and another character named Arwia defeat Nergal.

File:Babylon's Fall World Art Book on the left, showing Eleon, on the right in the background is a game screenshot of the villain known as Gallagher.jpg
Eleon of the Goat Knights on the left and the villainous Gallagher on the right

The Resurgence Quest

Released on March 22, 2022,[11] Resurgence focuses on the Sentinel civil war, focusing on three factions struggling to win the civil war: Sophia's Sentinels (the player, Sylvie, Sophia and Eleon), Gallagher's The Creatures (alongside Elpis, Zogh, Lawi-Ghor and various dragons) and Urom-Baggel's Molzamites (alongside Ogo-Tallwa, and some unnamed Molzamites). It ends with most of The Creatures and Molzamites being murdered by the player as Urom-Baggel and Gallagher escape.

File:Babylon's Fall, Arwia action figure doll in the center of the pic, the background is a screenshot of the game featuring Arwia and a player created main character.jpg
Arwia on the right (with the Arwia action figure doll in the center) and a player created main character on the left.

The Tale of Two Ziggurats Quest

The final quest released on May 31, 2022, as part of the update titled "The Light of Auru",[12] the Tale of Two Ziggurats serves as the conclusion to the Bablylon's Fall story. The final fates of several characters are revealed as Gallagher kills Eleon, the player killing Gallagher out of revenge, and Urom-Baggel being defeated. While the plot focuses on the new Kuftaali faction who is seeking help from the player to stop the new plague, the ending shows a Kuftaali character named Shamilka being revealed to be the true final boss of the game known as Ereshkigal (who is of the same alien deity race as Nergal). The game ends with the player killing Ereshkigal, permanently ending the plague.

Nier Automata / Babylon's Fall crossover event

A Babylon's Fall and Nier Automata crossover event occurred in the game Babylon's Fall from March 29th, 2022 till April 26th, 2022. [11] [13] The Amusement Park Rabbit from Nier Automata serves as the main boss of this crossover event.

The Festival of the Sun event

A short epilogue story taking place after the defeat of Ereshkigal, taking place during July 19th, 2022 till August 16th, 2022, [12] this final story features the player created main character with Sophia, Sylvie, and Lycus who are putting together a celebration known as the Festival of the Sun. Introducing characters such as Gaselne from Sentinel unit 2 and the evil Governor Magrabus (appointed by the emperor, Sophia's father), the epilogue story ends with the arrest of Magrabus and all the heroic characters standing by the water as the celebration draws to a close.

Development

Babylon's Fall was developed by PlatinumGames. According to producer Junichi Ehara, the team wanted to expand on the combat system of Nier: Automata and experiment with multiplayer with Babylon's Fall.[13] The game's brushstroke visual art-style was inspired by classic European oil paintings, and the graphics were created using canvas-like texture.[14] The game also borrowed assets from Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multiplayer online video game created by publisher Square Enix.[15] The protagonist of the story was compared to a Roman gladiator by scenario writer Kenichi Iwao.[16] The first closed beta was held in July 2021 in Japan and August 2021 in Europe and North America.[17] The beta received a lukewarm reception, with players complaining about the game's illegible visual style. The development team evaluated players feedback and adjusted the game's graphics to ensure that they are less blurry and pixelated.[18]

Production on the game began in 2017, around the time of Nier: Automata's release.[19] The game was revealed at E3 2018 during Square Enix's own press conference and was originally slated to release in 2019.[20] The first look at gameplay would be seen at Sony's December 2019 State of Play presentation. It was shown again at E3 2021, now labeled a "game as a service".[21] This means that the game would be supported with free updates, new gameplay modes and content upon release.[22] PlatinumGames opened a new Tokyo studio in 2020 to help the studio make live service games.[23] The developers have stated that the game was always envisioned as a multiplayer, live service title, and expressed regret over some players having the false impression that it was a single player game because of previous footage only showing solo combat.[24] One of the game's directors, Takahisa Sugiyama, stated that the challenge of creating an online, live-service game was "a lot harder to do than we thought". This, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of new hardware, are cited as reasons for the game's lengthy delay.[24]

The game was released on March 3, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows, with cross-platform play support. Players who purchased the game's Digital Deluxe version could access the game on February 28, 2022.[25] In September 2022, PlatinumGames and Square Enix announced that the game's servers would be shut down on February 27, 2023.[4][5]

Reception

Babylon's Fall received "generally unfavorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[27][26] Metacritic listed Babylon's Fall as the third-worst game of 2022.[38]

Destructoid liked the combat, praising the "coffin combos" and "slick" dodges, but felt the actual structure of the game was boring; "most of the challenges are the same hallways, remixed, and the same enemies, slightly tweaked".[28] Rock Paper Shotgun disliked the progression of the game, writing that it was needlessly confusing; "You rush through corridors and into progressively harder arenas... Occasionally there are yellow orbs to collect on your way, although I haven't been told what these do. Beat an arena and the game will give you a rank, like Stone or Bronze or Pure Platinum, which also nets you... nothing?".[39]

On Steam, the game has an all-time high of 1,166 concurrent players, which fell to just one player in May 2022.[2] In Japan, the physical PlayStation 4 version of Babylon’s Fall sold 2,885 copies within its first week of release, making it the twenty-fourth bestselling retail game of the week in the country. The PlayStation 5 version sold 2,224 copies in the country during the same week, making it the twenty-seventh bestselling Japan retail game throughout the week.[40]

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: バビロンズフォール, Hepburn: Babironzu Fōru

References

  1. ^ Lada, Jenni (December 23, 2021). "Babylon's Fall Soundtrack Will Be Out in March". Siliconera. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Babylon's Fall's concurrent PC player count fell to just one this week". Eurogamer.net. May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
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