Fall of Porcupine Reviews
Fall of Porcupine has a hard-hitting story beneath its wholesome veneer, with fun mini-games and memorable characters that are as cute as they are well-written.
While certain aspects of Fall of Porcupine could be improved, the most important parts of the game are executed to near perfection. They are the story, the soundtrack, and the town of Porcupine itself. With fun puzzles to solve and interesting, lively characters to meet everywhere, this little town feels exceptionally welcoming, all the time.
Fall of Porcupine is a beautiful and haunting narrative game drenched in mystery that any cozy game fan will love.
Colorful hand-drawn journey that deals with some serious topics
Fall of Porcupine from Critical Rabbit is a serious story wrapped in cute animation that only Richard Scarry could fully appreciate. The story is driven by branching choices and relaxed from time to time by mini-games. The main crux of this game is the story, which may not be for everyone, especially considering the topics of conversation it presents. They can be powerful at times, but also empty on interactivity.
Fall of Porcupine takes you on an emotional journey and touches on some real issues found in the health care system. Not everything is perfect as the story can get a bit messy and rushed in places and there are some technical issues as well that will hopefully be ironed out.
You will often see that the lesser-known titles often score the best. Earlier we saw how cool the game Children of Silentown was, and this is just such a title. With a big crash in the middle part, I could enjoy myself for hours with this game. There isn't a lot of challenge in the puzzles, but I had a great time with the light platform elements in combination with the daily activities and adventures you experience. The animals that serve as NPCs are attractively designed and the game's graphics are beautifully put together. The fact that there is still some atmosphere missing in terms of audio should not be such a disaster. The many loading times that pass you by are a blemish on the high quality that they try to bring. The game mainly brings relaxation and will never put the pressure too high. Restful enjoyment is perhaps the most important thing here and it certainly succeeds.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
While the story it tells feels unique and worthwhile, the inconsistency of the mini game implementation detracts from the experience
An entertaining, emotional journey through the health care system that hides some darker edges within its brightly-colored style. Fall of Porcupine doesn't ride the wave of good feeling it generates early on for the entire length of its playtime, but it does have enough heart and good intentions to make its issues feel smaller than they are.
Fall of Porcupine is a 2D graphic adventure game designed to be an honest and direct critique of society and the healthcare system. The game provides wonderful food for thought to learn how to completely appreciate life despite difficulty, offering emotional scenarios and dialogues, as well as a wide variety of entertaining mini-games. An additional outstanding representation of a "wholesome" adventure that stands out for its wonderful aesthetic direction and its distinctive and captivating atmosphere.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fall of Porcupine does capture a small part of the experience of working in healthcare, and it does feel relatable in some respects. The game also explores the complexity of the relationship between people and the healthcare system, as well as the issues that are faced. The story and characters are well portrayed, with the music and artwork also being a highlight. However, there are some bugs that need medicating, along with some more concrete conclusions on some plot threads.
White it ends up stumbling in a few areas and can use a patch or two, Fall of Porcupine still succeeds when it comes to delivering an enjoyable story that sheds light on all sorts of struggles that health care workers face, while still providing several doses of fun gameplay and a nice town filled with interesting and unique characters to interact with.
While its third act strays too far from what initially made it great, Fall of Porcupine boasts likable characters, welcoming visuals, and plenty of fuzzy moments in its narrative.
With a great visual setting, well written and memorable townspeople to interact with Fall of Porcupine tries to do something new. However a few crucial omissions keep the game from being great - with no manual save, and the lack of ability to skip puzzles in a casual game like this severely ruin the experience. Add in a lackluster ending, the game has a lot of good but equally bad aspects.
Centering around simple minigames and slice-of-life stories, Fall of Porcupine isn't an incredibly complex title at its core, but it still manages to feel meaningful. This year is full of games billed as cozy and wholesome, but this one manages to set itself apart through an interesting healthcare focus, quaint aesthetics, and impactful characters. Although it's not perfect, Fall of Porcupine is a great option for players looking to have a unique and emotional journey that may very well make them shed a few tears.
Fall of Porcupine is a delightful narrative adventure game on the Nintendo Switch that takes players on an odd little journey through the town of Porcupine. With anthropomorphic animal characters, charming graphics, and immersive gameplay it fits snugly into the ‘cozy’ game category and feels so at home on the Switch. Despite this, Fall of Porcupine is a thought-provoking exploration of themes such as loss and the challenges of modern healthcare. It never shy’s away from heavy conversation topics.
The people who work in healthcare have been particularly strained since the global emergency that occurred a few years back, and for a wholesome indie game to pay homage to their everyday efforts is something to be celebrated. Fall of Porcupine formidably shows the constant pressures of daily life, especially in a hospital setting.
If it gets patched and put on sale, I'd say go for Fall of Porcupine, as it's informative and memorable. But this charming, albeit short game with a lot of heart put into it deserves better than the bugs it has. I don't think I can recommend it in its current state. The worse patient Fall of Porcupine needs to cure is itself!
Fall of Porcupine tells a powerful story about the struggles of working as a medical professional. It shows the good and the bad halves without minimising their impact on people. Unfortunately, most of this powerful story happens in the middle, between an uncertain introduction and a rushed ending. The introduction is filled with several ideas that get in the way of the story's most powerful moments. The ending tries to resolve a great mystery but doesn't succeed at its goal. It's a shame that the game interferes with its most powerful asset, as the story isn't able to shine or allow for good character growth in the way it could have.
A glorious looking and warm-hearted adventure in modern healthcare, let down by tedious mini-games, bugs, and lengthy conversations that often go nowhere.