The Fall Nintendo Switch review - A short but good game

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“The Fall” can be best explained as an adventure puzzle game with some platforming and action elements. Taking control of an AI battle suit that had crash-landed in a facility where their pilot was injured in the crash and is unconscious.

the fall nintendo switch let there be light

The Fall’s story is with no doubt one of the game’s biggest strengths (it’s no wonder why “The Fall” was recently awarded the “Game of the Year ” award for best story via Giant Bomb.).

Needing to find a medical facility in order to save him, but all of the defensive systems are either offline or had been damaged. The AI is unable to turn these systems back on without the use of the pilot’s instructions. Except if the pilot’s life is in danger if these systems get turned back on as an override.

the fall nintendo switch playing with fire

“The Fall” is a mix of adventure, action and puzzle solving elements. So that means that you will get to use both wits and brute force in-order to advance in the game.

All through the game the AI keeps running into decomposing human bodies and scrapped suits, leading into a mystery of what had happened at the facility. There is a lot of damage and failing machinery that has to be worked around. Most of the tests that need to be done are in a state that makes it, so they can’t be passed normally.

It doesn’t take long before you start to feel a lot of metroidvania vibes while playing “The Fall” (do you remember all those broken robots that’s scattered throughout the map of “Super Metroid”? Well, there’s quite a few moments like that in “The Fall”).

The story, ambience, and the feeling of isolation is all nailed down perfectly in nearly every single way by “The Fall”. Platforming is really here and there, don’t expect that you need to be a pro platformer to get through. Think of it more as a way to need to climb from one level to another.

The same can be said about the action parts, where there is an autosave just before needing to use your gun in an offensive way. Cover and camouflage work exactly as it is supposed to. It is possible to ignore their use and get through the game in a speed running play, but using them does make these sections easier.

The Fall’s ambience and seclusion is top-notch. So it’s a real darn shame that the game is rather short.

All interaction with the world requires the player to have their gun out in scanning mode. This also goes with things that shouldn’t be needed, like using an elevator console or computer terminal. Some elevator consoles need the use of a keycard that is obtained near the beginning of the game. This is something that should just be a single button press instead of needing to scan the terminal to push a button.

The music is nearly nonexistent in “The Fall” (I have no idea why that’s the case…), and the Switch aiming controls leaves a lot to wish for. So, yeah, “The Fall” is far from a flawless game.

There is also a lot of backtracking to be found throughout the whole game…And its not done in an organic kind of way that most other Metroidvania games have done it in the past, where the player is taken back to another section where another way had been opened. So there are times when the player has to go back up to three rooms in-order to pass a test that is in front of them. Granted on a second playthrough this may be avoidable, but there are times when it is a requirement.

Nevertheless, all in all, “The Fall” is a pretty short but rather good action/adventure puzzler for the Nintendo Switch. In other words, the game might be worth picking up if you’re into games of this kind.

Pros:
+ Amazing story
+ Ambience and seclusion is top-notch
+ Really difficult puzzles

Cons:
– Music is nearly nonexistent
– Aiming controls can be finicky (Switch/Console versions)
– Needing to scan every interaction in the game
– A lot of nonorganic backtracking

Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound/Music: 3.5/5
Controls: 3/5
Replay value: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5

tgg grade 3.5 out of 5

Verdict: 3.5/5
If you are good at these kinds of games (action/adventure puzzlers), then The Fall can be a rather short game with no doubt (I’m not, so the game took me longer to finish than it should have). Furthermore, there could have been a strong replay value after learning what to do and where, but that’s not the case.

Sure, the game’s puzzles can leave you scratching your head, and there are some instances of dark humor as well. However, all action sequences are used as breaks in the mind-numbing puzzles, with a story that carries the entire game. In other words, The Fall is a game that could have been so much more, but it falls short due to the cons that I just mentioned.

Title: The Fall
Developer: Over the moon
Format: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Adventure/Puzzler/Action
Resolution: 720p/1080p
Release date: 2018-05-10
Difficulty: Normal
Spent time: +4 hours
Average grade internationally: TBA
PEGI/ESRB age rating: PEGI +12
Price: $6.99