Do Not Fall (PlayStation 3) Review

From the colourful visuals to the cute controllable characters, there is no question this is a game for kids. Or is it? Hopping about squares, dodging enemies and obstacles, and collecting keys to unlock the goal at the end, Do Not Fall starts off as an easy-to-understand, simple puzzle-platformer. Then the difficulty level spikes about halfway in. Seriously, the jump in difficulty is so large it begs the question of whether this really was meant for children at all.

With this difficulty comes frustration. With this frustration comes anger. With this anger comes turning the console off completely. For the most patient of puzzle aficionados, Do Not Fall can definitely offer a challenge, but there's so many issues at work that it makes enjoyment minimal for everybody else. The camera is at a fixed top-down viewpoint, and although there are a few levels of zoom to flick between, it is still at such an angle that it can sometimes be difficult to judge jumps and distance. Furthermore, some levels are not designed with a start and end point in clear sight; there are stages where the character is positioned in one spot and really has very little idea of which way to go, and with a usually-strict time limit forced into gameplay, it only contributes again to that frustration.

The grading system at the end of each level also seems a bit all over the place, with unclear goals in how to achieve the highest rank. It seemed on occasions that levels could be sped through, whilst ignoring all the pickups that are needed to unlock later levels, and still achieve a high rank, yet, other occasions would give a lower rank. Mini-objectives are made apparent with a little logo in the bottom left of the screen, perhaps asking to pick up a certain number of items or defeat a number of enemies, but other images don't give a precise set of instructions of what they mean, and it's not until failing do they make their intentions known.

It may seem odd to in fact use analogue controls in a game that is essentially about moving in four directions, but that's the method used here. Fluffy rabbit can move freely, jumping over enemies and gaps, and can do a short dash that recharges after a second or two to bust through objects blocking the way or cross larger pits. The mix of analogue controls in a digital-like game design means there are unfortunate side-effects and its general unresponsiveness causes many a death.

There are online and local multiplayer modes featuring football and other competitive games with the floor crumbling away as in the main game, and these actually are a most welcome distraction from the rage-inducing gameplay of the single-player mode. It was no surprise to never find a single person online to play with, but multiplayer games can be played with AI characters if need be.