The Fall (Wii U) Review

From the get-go, The Fall's premise is clear. A combat suit not that dissimilar to a certain bounty hunter's is taken control of. Within this protective shell is an unconscious man named Josephs, who is likely in dire need of medical attention after crash landing on a foreign planet's surface. With the suit's pilot incapacitated, The Fall introduces its protagonist; an Autonomous Robotic Interface Device, or ARID to her friends. She takes control of the armour and heads for the nearest building in search of help. When ARID arrives there, she is greeted by damaged robots and corpses hung up on crosses.

It's therefore probably not a surprise that The Fall is dark, both in tone and colour palette. The facility ARID explores is abandoned, and the only sources of light are flickering computer terminals and the glow of her torch. The lack of light, combined with how the backgrounds are layered, gives the game a striking look. It looks as though Limbo and Another World made a baby in an eerie forest. The broken down robots, wooden human sculptures and crosses that litter the world create an atmosphere that keeps players on edge. The visuals are a bit creepy at times, but, just like any good horror movie, it's the sounds that are really unsettling. The faint sounds of movement and other ambient noises combine with the alien-esque sound effects to great effect here.

The sounds and sights are pretty grim and the cast of characters met along the way do little to provide any comforting feelings. The almost human sounding Administrator and the unsympathetic Caretaker appear to be hiding secrets. Both insist ARID follow the rules. When the Caretaker delivers the line it feels like a veiled threat. When the Administrator mentions it, it sounds very much like fear talking. Whatever the case, faulty robots are 'Depurposed,' so following said rules is imperative. However, it's when the rules appear to be at odds with protecting Josephs that The Fall really shines; the conflicts between the three programs make for a compelling human drama. Attempting to unravel the mystery of what happened at the facility, whilst observing the evolution of ARID, is captivating stuff.

For those starting to worry that The Fall is all story and no game, breathe a sigh of relief; there are a number of obstacles standing between ARID and the medical bay. The Fall sets itself apart from other adventures featuring a space marine by relying heavily on puzzles. In fact, they feel much more like something out of a classic point-and-click adventure, such as Monkey Island or Hotel Dusk. Another pleasant surprise is, with the exception of one occasion where a cloaking device is needed to be used in an obscure context (thank you, Miiverse), the puzzles are logical and quite clever. Some of the solutions, particularly in a section where ARID must prove she's a functional domestic droid, are downright hilarious. Seeing how a robot designed for combat goes about tasks such as silencing a crying baby or helping an old lady across the street is a real treat.

It's not just about helping OAPs, either; the game is broken up with action sequences, as well. ARID comes armed with a pistol and other defensive measures; however, being an A.I. means she must follow the rules. This plot device is fused elegantly into The Fall's upgrade system. Once ARID - or more specifically, Josephs - faces mortal danger, extra abilities become unlocked. It's at these times that The Fall becomes an action game. Enemies are dispatched by taking cover behind furniture and delivering well timed head shots, or by sneaking up to deliver a melee kill. Combat isn't the game's strong point, but neither is it an Achilles' heel; it's simple, yet satisfying. The final boss fight ups the intensity a notch and shows potential for future games.

The Fall is an engrossing experience, but there are a couple of areas where there's room for improvement. The controls are a bit of a handful; everything is controlled with the sticks and triggers. Switching between scanner and weapon by compressing the right analogue stick and holding down the R button to access ARID's commands, both feel a little bit cumbersome. With the Wii U having so many control methods at its disposal, it's a shame they weren't put to better use. The second issue is that The Fall is not a bug free game. The game locked up on this reviewer twice, and some of the transitions between areas are less than silky smooth. In the grand scheme of things, though, these are just nit-picks - minor blemishes on an otherwise great and memorable game.