When I first saw screenshots of The Fall, it immediately reminded me of The Swapper. There are striking similarities between the two games, and after playing them through, it’s become clear the similarities go deeper than surface-level. I normally dislike comparing games in reviews and prefer to judge games on their own merits, but because each game was released very close together on Xbox it’s worth doing so here.
The Fall separates itself from its contemporary by focusing on a more point-and-click-type puzzle-adventure and includes gun play in its mechanic. The player takes control of A.R.I.D., a mark-7 combat suit that is following its programmed function of protecting its host, Colonel Josephs. A.R.I.D. passes through a desolate facility and meets a few other robots who will attempt to dialogue about following protocol. At first, the controls felt very awkward. You have to aim with the right stick to look around, press RB to access a menu when on a compatible object and scroll through the different choices with the Left stick before finally selecting a choice with the A button. It just does not feel organic and natural. I got used to it enough that I don’t hate it anymore, but it makes for a very disorienting beginning. Stick it out, though, and The Fall starts to make more sense and draws the player in.
Here’s what I liked:
The story — I found myself drawn to the story. It’s nice that the narrative is more direct and easier to follow along than that in The Swapper. However, the underlying message is no less prevalent, and the player is left to ruminate on it (if he or she wants to). Though this is a major part of The Fall‘s appeal, it’s difficult to discuss the particulars without giving things away, so I’ll leave it at that.
Here’s what I disliked:
The gun play – I was OK with it when it was used to solve puzzles; however, it comes across forced and unwanted when you get dragged into combat situations. The narrative and puzzle elements could have been handled the same if not better without these segments. If it has to be a mainstay feature in a future title, the gunplay needs to be improved by being more fluid and less of a chore to participate in. If not, I’d prefer to see it taken out. Over the Moon Games was not able to use it to add to the experience of The Fall.
Short — It took me two and a half hours to finish the game from a new save file. As a narrative puzzle game, the length felt right, but if you value replay, you’ll feel shorted. There isn’t much incentive to return the game despite the fact that Over the Moon has tried hard to offer some with optional developer commentary. Just like The Swapper, The Fall asks the question if a short but enjoyable experience is worth its price point.
Main menu — It doesn’t affect gameplay, but the main menu screen text comes across unpleasant to look at. It begs the player to start the game immediately since the first letter of each option comes across squished. For example, I know one option reads “Play,” but the P comes across muddy.
Wrap-up:
The Fall plays differently enough from The Swapper to consider it worth purchasing. This feels more like a point-and-click adventure, and fans of that genre will feel at home here. As a matter of policy, XBLA Fans does not review the worth of a game based on its price, but I will state that buying this game at launch price will definitely cause buyer’s remorse. It’s a game worth playing with a great story and solid puzzles. However, it is niche enough that casual fans may not find themselves warming up to it.
Score: Try It
Achievement notes: A few Achievements are miss-able on a blind playthrough but are easy to do if you’re aware of where they occur. There is a point with branching decisions that highly encourages players to do multiple playthroughs (no chapter select) to unlock both Achievements. However, I was able to get both by shooting the [redacted spoiler], going to the dashboard and quitting the game, reloading and walking away from the now missing [redacted spoiler]. When you get down to it, The Fall represents another fast and easy 1,000 Gamerscore.
The Fall was developed and published by Over the Moon Games on Xbox One. It will release on July 14, 2015 for $9.99. A copy was provided by Over the Moon Games for review purposes.
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