I find it ironic that Spiders – the French AA studio known for Mars: War Logs, The Technomancer and (today's reviewee) Greedfall – chose nature's preeminent architects as their namesake. Far as I know, the only spiders to ever weave a wonky web were those poor sods "enrolled" in NASA's 1995 drug tests; whereas Spiders (the company) has, to date, made lopsided products every time.

To get exposition outta the way, Greedfall is a colonial-era RPG split between a dying Old World, plagued by a sickness called the malichor, and an apparent island paradise of Teer Fradee that might just hold the key to curing it. You play De Sardet, a noble sent to the island to aid the colonial governor (who happens to be your cousin) and establish a "rapport" with the natives.

If I had to sum up the entire game in a single sentence, I'd go with "Colonization-tinged Mass Effect/Gothic hybrid on a budget" with the former supplying the setting, the latter the gameplay mechanics and the "budget" bit undermining all in equal measure.

When you examine enough of a studio's output you start to get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses and Spiders is very much the domain of excellent artists and 3D modelers. In terms of visual appeal, Greedfall easily keeps pace with more financially endowed, better known studios, providing stunning graphics and smooth animation that cannot help but impress. Whether you are racing down claustrophobic streets or strolling through lush undergrowth, the game looks pretty – no two ways about it.

Character and item design is, likewise, quite accomplished, providing a clear delineation between the European-inspired colonists, Teer Fradee's natives and assorted wildlife. No matter your preference – be it for garish doublets, feather-festooned native masks, rapiers, clubs or the unapologetic blunderbuss – all game assets bear the finish of genuine skill and devotion, with not an iota of halfhearted effort or compromise...

And as always with Spiders games I wish I could stop the review there.

Sadly, gameplay happens to be kind of a big part of games and on that front Spiders has yet to show the kind of single-minded commitment to quality that they dote on graphics.

In terms of overall structure, Greedfall follows the Mass Effect formula to a stalker-y tee. There's the "your Shepard" character creation, the "burdened with the fate of the world" premise, the action-RPG gameplay, the obligatory smattering of intriguing companions (some of whom can be romanced); and even the "world's so much bigger than what you can access" level design, dating back to KOTOR, that'll present a grand vista, but only let you access the little gift shop next to the trailhead.

From Gothic, on the other trotter, comes the limited item crafting, the open-world exploration (and Compulsory Rooting Through Bins) as well as the Grand Melee approach to combat.

As with The Technomancer, the plot, dialogue and VO work are fine: not bad, not great – competent, serviceable, good enough or what-have-you. Characters are a little formulaic (squint and you'll see the shades of Bastila Shan, Mordin Solus, Keldorn Fiercam or any number of other, venerable companions from more accomplished games), but not to the point of parody or wholesale plagiarism.

Honestly, it's the repetitive, limted, dated gameplay that's the biggest letdown of the production (due, in no small part, to Spiders' use of a modified PhyreEngine build – called the, sigh, Silk Engine – that, by now, is pushing 16). The outstanding job Spiders does on presentation simply sets the bar too high on expectations. Looking at Greedfall makes you think you are dealing with a AAA product which then – when you face linear quest design, limited customization, recurring encounters and a general lack of depth – is so much more disappointing than if the game's visuals weren't as accomplished as they are.

If Spiders could hold back on the visuals a little and devote that much more attention to gameplay, I think the studio could finally start to produce genuinely good games. As things stand, however, Greedfall is just another stilted production offering stunning visuals and decent writing that are undermined, at every turn, by an aged engine and limited gameplay.

Should you find it discounted while having nothing better on hand, Greedfall is good for a single playthrough — but even that will test your patience at about the halfway mark.

Producing quality visuals is admirable, but producing quality visuals at the cost of gameplay is about as effective a strategy as giving a spider marijuana: it nets you a web, alright, but one with a big gap right in the middle that's unlikely to hold any prospective interest...