Square Enix wants to know how to make Babylon's Fall a better game

Characters look at a landscape in Babylon's Fall.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

If you didn't know Babylon's Fall—the live-service action RPG from Platinum Games and Square Enix—released at the beginning of March then I wouldn't worry, I'm not sure anyone realised.

The game was quietly pushed out in the midst of the Elden Ring hype and has seemingly suffered for it. Not only has the game only hit a peak of 1,188 players according to SteamDB, but it's sitting at a painfully average 'Mixed' on Steam right now. User reviews are calling Babylon's Fall repetitive, boring and bland, criticising the game's graphics that "look like they are smeared with petroleum jelly" and lamenting the addition of cash shops and battle passes despite the game being sold for a full $60. It's safe to say the whole thing hasn't exactly gone down well, and it seems like Square Enix is desperate to try and repair some of the damage.

A survey went out on March 14 with questions specifically targeting the game's graphics (thanks, VGC). The multiple-choice questionnaire targets things like character and map design, equipment design (presumably including the armour sets gifted by Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida), the game's "oil painting 'brushwork' style" as well as battle effects and the overall UI. The survey also asks which parts of Babylon Fall make the game worthwhile to recommend to a friend and what graphical changes would convince players to further recommend it.

It does feel like Square Enix is trying to pick itself back up following the launch and middling user and critic reviews. The publisher hasn't been having a whole lot of luck with its game launches as of late. It claimed Guardians of the Galaxy "undershot" sales expectations despite strong reception and last April's cooperative shooter Outriders has already faded from the public conscious. It's had the likes of Final Fantasy 14 to fall back on, but consistently high expectations across its entire library appears to be the company's biggest flaw right now.

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.