The Fall (PlayStation 4) Review

By Josh Di Falco 10.12.2015

Review for The Fall on PlayStation 4

The Fall is the ambitious opening chapter of a three-part adventure. Published and developed by Over the Moon Games, this 2D platforming puzzler is set in a mysterious, dark and gritty world. Controlling a combat suit commandeered by an artificial intelligence, ARID must abide by the laws of programming that drive her, while trying to save the unconscious human within the space suit. In the search for a medical facility, ARID is embroiled in a world of peculiarity, as she tries to put the pieces together in the hopes of finding some answers. By mixing together elements of platforming, with puzzle-solving inspired by the point-and-click adventures of old, The Fall is a remarkable game that asks a lot of questions, most of which can only be solved by exploring the world and solving the hidden mysteries. After a Wii U review, Cubed3 explores the PS4 release.

After ARID crash-lands onto a strange planet, the game begins the short five-minute tutorial in order to introduce the mechanics and control scheme. It is a simple schematic, with the left analogue stick controlling the movement, while the right analogue stick controls the direction in which ARID is looking. Though it has a simplistic start, the game eventually opens up, granting ARID the power to camouflage into the background, as well as giving her a gun. These abilities can be used to solve the various puzzles that make up The Fall.

At the heart of this adventure is a puzzle game inspired by point-and-click adventures. ARID can collect items and use them with environmental objects, in order to create a solution. Cleverly, ARID wields a flashlight, which illuminates the environment, and identifies "interaction points" with which she may be able to use to her advantage. Many of the puzzles are very witty, and definitely require thinking outside the box in order to solve them. While not moderately difficult, a handful of puzzles may induce a bit of frustration, but these are rare moments.

While the story starts off simplistic, with no given backstory or exposition, the ambiguity of the situation and the setting adds to the mystery of The Fall. Some story elements are explained through dialogue and there are logs that can be read for additional information about this strange world. The scenery seems to have a character of its own, as it plays on the fear that something is always lurking around the corner, with the creepy music daring ARID to keep exploring at her own peril. There will be times when shadows will move in the background, or they will run away just on the edge of the screen, constantly reminding ARID that she is never alone. Not only is it aesthetically creepy and eerie, but it is also downright spooky at times. The atmosphere is made worse by the crucifixes, which can be found throughout the world, and with no explanation as to who put them there or why they were set up, it's hard not to feel like The Fall is a horror game at times.

Screenshot for The Fall on PlayStation 4

The narrative and character building is exceptional, with terrific voice actors bringing the characters and the world to life, compounded by the outstanding script. What starts as another generic science fiction tale quickly becomes something a lot darker than expected, thanks in part to the sinister evils that are always lurking just around the corner. ARID will come across other characters who are there to either help or hinder her, as the game does a wonderful job of exploring the underlying theme of trying to break free from the enslavement that ARID has to her programming. Watching ARID's character develop from trying to follow all the rules, to ending up having to think outside the box in order to complete her overall mission without violating the laws that dominate her is a fascinating experience, and is well done.

Though combat plays a part in the game, it is simplistic in its design. Enemies will take a few hits to the body in order to die, while a clean head shot will instantly render them incapacitated. ARID can hide behind cover to avoid gunfire, as well as camouflage into the background to avoid detection. While there is not a whole lot of variety in the combat sequences, it is a good thing because the combat does not take up a large portion of the game. The gun does have other uses besides combat, with some of the puzzles requiring the use of the gun in order to help solve the clever riddles.

The Fall is not an overly difficult game; however, it does feature some graphical bugs that does detract from the world. Sometimes ARID would need to climb a ladder in order to reach the next 'stage,' but for some odd reason, the ladder would just fail to load up, resulting in a lot of frustration in trying to find a way to finish the stage. While the ladder can still be climbed by ARID regardless of whether it is there physically, this graphical glitch does not break the game. However, there is a game-breaking bug that involves a technician's lab key and a card reader, with enemies between the two interaction points. Upon collecting the lab key, if ARID was to die in combat, the game would then reload at that point of collecting the key, but without having the key in her inventory, preventing ARID from solving the puzzle. It is disappointing that such a bug currently exists, and the only solution is to start a new game.

Screenshot for The Fall on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

7/10
Rated 7 out of 10

Very Good - Bronze Award

Rated 7 out of 10

The Fall is an absolute joy of a game to play and burn a few hours on. The world is aesthetically pleasing and downright creepy, and ARID is such a likeable character to get behind, as she embarks on her mission. With a plethora of clever puzzles, it requires being able to think outside of the box. The game can be merciless at times, due to some of the puzzles being quite difficult to figure out; the lack of handholding is one of the bright spots in an otherwise dark and gloomy adventure. The story and dialogue is clever and engaging, and is delivered with what are some of the best voice-acting performances in quite some time. While some bugs can detract from the overall experience, it doesn't undo the magic that is The Fall.

Developer

Over The Moon

Publisher

Over The Moon

Genre

Adventure

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  7/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

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