Square Enix has released a survey for Babylon’s Fall, the heavily criticized live-service title developed by Platinum Games, asking for fan feedback on the game’s graphics. The publisher’s purpose in running the survey is “to bring everyone an even better game experience.” The survey will run from now until Friday, March 18, 2022 at 8:59am PT.
Details on Square Enix survey for Babylon’s Fall
Going through the multiple pages via Google Forms, the survey for Babylon’s Fall asks for comments and appraisals of the game’s graphics. It asks about the basic design for player characters as well as NPCs, in addition to armor designs, maps, event scenes, and the game’s “oil painting” art style. Closer to the gameplay side, the Square Enix survey also requests feedback on the visibility of particle effects and the effectiveness of camera movements.
Though the survey focuses on the graphics, there is a section near the end where you can respond more broadly about the game. While most fans and critics don’t mind the combat so much, particularly as more combat systems are unlocked near the endgame, reviews have centered on the repetitive and boring button-mashing, the overuse of linear levels, the lack of interesting loot progression, the extremely pricey live-service microtransactions using the premium currency Garaz, and overall drab environments and character models.
At the time of this writing, Babylon’s Fall has an overall rating of 42 for the PS5 version and an overall rating for 37 for the PC version on review aggregator Metacritic.
Square Enix President Yousuke Matsuda in a 2021 annual report admitted that their games-as-a-service strategy needs to be rethought: “…[T]aking on the GaaS model highlighted issues that we are likely to face in future game development efforts such as the need to select game designs that mesh with the unique attributes and tastes of our studios and development teams.”
With this new approach to live-service titles, Square Enix alludes to shifting gears for Platinum Games as well as Crystal Dynamics, due to the struggle of Marvel’s Avengers, as two developers whose expertise is primarily in single-player experiences.
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