Perfecting the feel of Godfall on PS5

Everyone at Counterplay Games is pumped to be launching on PlayStation 5. The process has been a thrilling ride as we’ve had the new tech presented and demonstrated to us pretty much every step of the way. We made the decision early on that we would leverage PS5’s capabilities as much as possible to help showcase the magic behind the hardware. We wanted to be pioneers. The result is a unique melee combat system that will engage players in new and exciting ways. 

With the next-gen console comes next-gen features. Here are a couple we want to touch on today that are prominently showcased in Godfall: Haptics and SSD.

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At a high level, the DualSense controller really lends itself to a more engaging gaming experience. I personally can’t wait to see how other developers are leveraging the haptics to enhance their game’s core experience. I have had a lot of fun imaging all the use cases in platformers and shooters. But that’s a discussion for another time!

Not only have we been tuning the haptic feedback on a per weapon class basis – we’ve dug into the individual attacks and tuned them to get the feel just right. We really wanted to challenge ourselves to push the limits of this system, aiming to have the players feel each and every swing. We all know the rhythm of combat in action melee games can make or break the experience. Prior to working with the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback, you could see the rhythm of Godfall’s melee combat. But thanks to SIE, you’re now able to feel it as well.

Since players can have up to two weapons in their loadout at any time, there is a thrill in switching from one weapon class to another and feeling the difference in the palm of your hands. The Dual Blades might feel quick and nimble, whereas the Warhammer will feel powerful and weighty. This feature alone makes playing Godfall on PS5 feel like a whole new experience. 

There is nothing worse than falling in battle and having to wait to get back into the action. Players are all too familiar with disruptive load screens as their character’s state resets after defeat.

Players will be able to quickly resume honing their combat prowess thanks to the power of the PS5’s SSD. Lightning fast means never missing a beat. If you fall in combat, get right back up with near instant loading times. We built Godfall to challenge players, and you likely won’t conquer every encounter on your first attempt. We want to ensure that death never feels like a punishment to players but instead becomes an opportunity to learn and grow as a Valorian Knight.

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It is also important to us that players are able to quickly load into the various elemental realms as they ascend the Skybreaker Monolith. PlayStation 5 ensures the player is never stuck waiting around their Sanctum (homebase). Once a destination is selected from the Holomap, players will be quickly sent to their mission.

Our entire environment department did a stellar job bringing the beautiful world of Godfall to life. As developers, it is a massive win for us to be able to push the limits of our environments without having to concede to absurd loading times. With the PS5 hardware, we were really able to have our cake and eat it too. Godfall’s environments are all one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Once you are at your Holomap, you are merely seconds away from experiencing each and every one of them!