The Fall Reviews
The Fall is the beginning of an intelligent and engaging sci-fi story, one that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout every tricky brain teaser of a puzzle. With an excellent cast, a visceral, thought-provoking story and some great voice acting, the narrative has plenty of drive and it'll keep you guessing all the way to its tease of an ending.
The first half was so frustrating I almost cried, and the second half was actually pretty entertaining. Oh, and the whole game was 3 hours long. And you can't use either mouse or arrow keys on the main menu for some reason. In short, fix these problems Over The Moon and maybe the second episode of The Fall will be all fun and not just the last hour.
Beginning as a universally relatable fantasy about overcoming red tape, The Fall winds up as a game about identity and civil rights without ever talking too much or treading too clumsily. The fact that this is the first episode of a larger game only makes its climax more thrilling. Just as there's a sense that your powwers are building as you play through The Fall, there's a feeling that developer Over the Moon's powers are building too. We like who they're becoming.
The Fall attempts to pose the same questions that some of the most well-known classical science fiction writers did, tackling the very notion of what it means to be alive, to have a conscience and purpose, touching on themes that Phillip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov played with, and attempting to explore the consequences of the realization of free will within the boundaries of a complex but ultimately very finite system such as the one found inside a machine.
Not since Duncan Jones' Moon have I been this giddy about a science-fiction story that so expertly plays around with the genre, especially in dealing with artificial intelligence. I am in awe and eagerly anticipating the later episodes with much excitement.
The game offers a great story, brilliant voice acting, a notable aesthetic progression and an innovative combat system. And while a little short the only thing left to say is: you should play this game.
The puzzles overall are really fun to work out and are challenging at the same time.
ARID is a wonderfully interesting character, although she has little opportunity for personality within the space of this game (the first of a trilogy).
Overall, however, The Fall was very enjoyable. For the $10 asking price, you receive a great story and solid game play in a four-hour episode. The game has a great ending that has me eagerly anticipating the next episode of the game.
The Fall is a relatively short game, just a few hours long depending on how many puzzles stump you. The story is the most engaging thing, providing a unique take on the Three Laws of Robotics (although the laws themselves have been changed). There are really only three characters, but they're all well developed
The Fall is still a great, unique title on the eShop, but you need to know what you're getting into before you play it. In terms of gameplay, The Fall struggles to deliver anything special. But if you're looking for a game with a genuinely dark sci-fi setting and an intriguing story, then you'll definitely enjoy exploring as ARID.
The Fall is a flawed title marred by questionable voice acting, disappointing controls and, in classic adventure game fashion, segments where you'll find yourself rummaging blindly through the environment trying to figure out what to do next. If you can get past all of this, though, you'll find an innovative title with atmospheric visuals that puts a unique spin on old science fiction tropes through an intriguing storyline and some great meta-textual moments with the user interface. If all you want is a solid action-adventure experience, The Fall is probably not your best choice, but if you're looking for a more cerebral change of pace you should check this one out.
The Fall has a lot to say for a game that doesn't want to tell you what it is.
The Fall is a compelling piece of storytelling in a medium that usually struggles to engage players beyond the surface spectacle. More importantly, it's a very good game in its own right but with both aspects combined it makes for a compelling case to dust off your Wii U pad.
Great story can't cover for poor gameplay.
The control system needs some improvement, though, and the voice acting is far from the best ever done, but the narrative and exploration suit well those who are looking for a sci fi adventure in the Wii U's eShop.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Fall makes you want more. That much is clear. I want to see what happens with A.R.I.D, I want to see how the ending of The Fall continues on in it's sequels. But I don't want to play those puzzles, nor anything like it again. I'm not happy with how short the game is, nor with the way it's split into separate games. The Fall should, in my opinion, be avoided until all three of the games are out there.
The Fall Part One's minor gameplay shortcomings don't even begin to tarnish the sheen on everything else. It's a seductive old-school sci-fi yarn, with characters that somehow manage to represent greater ideas and exist as fully-formed beings. Even though two more episodes have been confirmed, the game ends on an exciting conclusion that could function either as a cliffhanger or a definitive finale. If you're into books like The Martian Chronicles, there's no reason to let some potential head-scratchers keep you from a great experience.
'The Fall' is a great story and interesting discussion of synthetic morality, but ironically has some problems with its own mechanical side. It is possible that these issues were caused by the port to the Xbox One, but things like checkpoint saving are fundamental and cannot be overlooked. Regardless, I am happy that Over The Moon is continuing with the series, and hopefully we can expect the second episode before too long.
The controls could be more intuitive, as could interacting with objects, but overall The Fall's winning combination of great storyline, well-penned script and impressive game world makes it one of the best indie titles out there.