The Fall is a very good game, but kind of short really.

+ good mechanics
+ complex puzzles
+ good atmosphere
+ good story
+ nice achievements

would play a sequel.

An exploration-based 2D adventure game, you play the part of a robotic intelligence housed in a pilot suit. Said pilot came crashing out of space, and ploughed several dozen meters into the ground, reaching a complex cavern system. Sadly, said Fall also injured the pilot, and he is now unresponsive. Cue the takeover of the computer system, the A.R.I.D. (mark 7), which operates the suit and has to reason its way through strange situations and odd puzzles to escape the caves and save its pilot.

The game stands up well on its storytelling, especially with how the robotic intelligence responds to the situation at hand, creating a very believable, if weird, atmosphere. The controls can be a bit hard to get used to, but as always with these things, unless they’re poorly designed, once you’re used to them, that becomes a non-issue. Sound design is decent, with acceptable voice work involved, and the graphics are decent. Not too much can be said about those though, given that a huge amount of everything is just solid darkness. Still, it definitely sets the tone!

Kouen couldn’t stop playing the bloody thing, and Lasharus has since bought it, so we can safely say this one is recommended!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=332716610

Thought it was a great game, but feel cheated. There's NOTHING indicating it's merely only a part of a full game. 3 Hours and I completed it...with a "to be continued" message. That's just low. At least stick "Part 1" or "Episode 1" (or "Demo", as it's so short). I feel used and cheated by a game that showed so much promise. I'm sad.

Great concept, excellent writing, fantastic voice acting. The problems lie with the gameplay: sticky and unresponsive controls, and the puzzles are all either too simple or too obscure. Overall, however, I enjoyed the experience and its Asimovian concepts.

Great atmosphere and style! That's probably the biggest thing that drew me to this game. If I had to compare it to other games, it reminds me of Limbo with a deep story like The Swapper, and a little bit of combat ala Deadlight. But don't be mistaken, this game definitely holds it own and offers something a little bit different. The environmental puzzles and exploration kept me going. I can't wait for the next installments in the series.

Nice adventure, and it is definitely worth the money. Reminds me some good-old short (yes, it is short) stories by sci-fi-theme writers (like Asimov or Lem), talking about artificial intelligence trying to evaluate themselves in some situation. Those stories were ones of my favourite. They are often in a form of a tragedy, and so this game is - creepy and sad, combined with some great black humor moments and dark surreal sci-fi background.

So I really appreciate the scenario, writings and acting, among the great decorations of abandoned location and nice ambient soundtrack. Please, support the authors, buy it and enjoy.

Yes, there are some issues common for a such type of game (adventure) like not intuitive quests. Although the solutions actually make sense (not purely random), few times during the game process I found myself clicking every interactive object and every inventory item trying to combine each one with another.

I'm having trouble articulating my thoughts and feelings with this game, so I'll just list pros and cons.

Pros

• Visually interesting
  
• Good voice acting
  
• Atmospheric
  
• Conceptually intriguing
  
• Engaging story

Cons

• Frustrating controls
  
• Buggy
  
• Some puzzles are obtuse
  
• the game is part of a trilogy and so is not a complete story ("to be continued")

I could write some detail about each bullet point, but I am just not up to it. I guess I don't passionately love nor hate the game enough to spend the words on it. Let it be sufficient enough for me to say that I recommend this game if you get it on sale. Plus, it looks like with the recent update that they added Steam trading cards so I will probably go back and play it some more to get my card drops.

It does explore some issues with free will and choice, and because of that, I will elaborate a little on one scene where you have to make a difficult choice. The game actually made me stop and think about the consequences of simply pressing a red button and I thought that was cool. However, it was not clear to me in the game mechanics how I would go about NOT pressing that button. Would I be able to continue on with the story and complete the game without pressing that button? So, with hesitation, I pressed the button. I guess what I am saying is that this game is not shallow; there's some depth there. As a final word, I'll say that I am most likely going to purchase the next two parts after they are released, but I'll probably wait until they go on sale first.

First off, The Fall was a very enjoyable game for me. It only took around 3 hours to complete, but this was just the first episode. There is definitely more to come!

It’s a 3D platformer with cover based shooting and strong puzzle solving/exploration elements. The atmosphere is dark and moody, with a dystopian setting and interesting, slightly twisted characters in the form of robots. From start to finish the story is plagued with mysteries. I kept wondering what was really going on and as things became more clear, it was all the more thrilling. I want to point out that although the gunplay isn’t a focus of the gameplay, it’s still very VERY well done.

I highly recommend this game if you’re interested in puzzle solving with a narrative. There are simple platforming parts, and very cool gunplay, but it’s all secondary to the exploration and puzzles. In my opinion, it’s well worth the money, even with only 3 hours on the clock.

I’m looking forward to the next episode!

"Like Limbo with guns" 5/5-IGN

This game is really good, though short, it is worth every penny.

What exactly makes human life the most valuable thing in the world? Is that some species-egoistic convention that homo sapiens representatives should be guarded at all costs, to achieve domination over other species? Or it is more than that? Maybe it is not human life soil that values, but rather crops growing out of it? Maybe it is personality, creativity, devotion and honesty that matter the most?
And if so - what if such crops can grow in some other soil?
This game will raise some discomforting questions before those who try it.
Are you able to show compassion to a machine? Can you share its pain, sorrow and despair?
You do not have to, of course. You can simply cast it all away as irrelevant.
Just like a primitive robot would do in your place.

Game was much too short for the price. I thought I just finished the end of an extended tutorial when the game was over. It would be a great game if there was a lot more content. I know they are going to add 2 more episodes, but the game as it is does not merit 10 bucks for the 4 hours.

A good game with good ideas. Short but the price is good for the time you get playing. A movie ticket costs much more and you get less entertainment.
The controles take a little time to get used to.
I thought the storey was pretty cool.
If you can get it cheap it's worth it.
Maybe not for all gamers but if you like the "point and click" kind of game this maybe a nice change for you.
If you like sifi it could also be for you.
I play heaps of different games. I liked THE FALL.
4/5

I got this game in a bundle, and it has easily been one of my best bundle grabs. Keep in mind that this is a three-part game, and - at the date this review has been made - the next installment is projected at ~12 months. Also be aware of the shortness of the game, it is beatable in one sitting - I completed my playthrough in less than 2.5 hours, proceeding at a leisurely pace. That being said, if you are interested in a well-written, well-executed story revolving around an AI protagonist tasked with protecting its suit pilot, this game is more than worth the playthrough.

If you like atmospheric puzzle games, space themes, and a good storyline, then you should really enjoy this game.

The aethetics are great - the details add nicely to the dark atmosphere. The presentation of the AI interface (when you press ESC to go to the menus) is really cool. The startup screen mimics the faceplate of the pilot, and the cracks are a foreshadow for the story (and you also have a cracked screen effect whenever you are low on health/shields). The sounds and music are both very good and do a great job of creating a gripping vibe.

The controls are very simple, and the tutorials are quick and helpful whenever a new mechanic is introduced. The learning curve is minimal to moderate, depending on your experience with puzzlers/point-and-clickers. Most of the puzzles are intuitive, and can also be solved with a bit of trial and error. There is also a combat element, and this part is fairly straightforward and not very challenging.

For the ahievement hunters, you MUST do a second playthrough to get 100% completion (and if you do everything correctly the first time around, this will be for a single achievement). I am currently contemplating whether or not I should do a speedrun for that 100% game completion.

The gameplay thus far has been pretty good - I really enjoyed experiencing your suit "upgrading" (or "unlocking," to be more precise) new abilities as you progress through the story. Most of these unlocks occur due to threat to the pilot's safety (ex: you unlock stealth capabilities when a sentry gun locks sights on you), and the small ways these can influence gameplay is great (ex: you later unlock semi-automatic fire - which decreases your damage, encouraging you to use more cover/stealth to protect yourself from incoming fire). You will be moving back and forth between areas to solve many of the puzzles. The map is not too large, and enemies do not respawn.

I really enjoyed the dialogue and dialogue options - the AI protagonist reminded me a lot of GLaDOS from the Portal series. A.R.I.D's (the AI) development over such a small amount of gametime was refreshing to see, and I look forward to seeing how the next installments play out.

Admittedly, the ending reveal of The Fall was much more obvious/predictable (at least to me) then, say, The Swapper. This does not, however, make the game any less valuable or fun to play.

If you are interested in atmospheric puzzlers with a good storyline, definitely check this game out. For it's current price ($9.99), I would suggest waiting for a sale, considering the very short gametime (unless of course, you are really dying to play this game).

Highly recommend!

Cheers,
DJSF @DJSF's Rogue Reviews

If you are a fan of adventure games and, as a result, are tired of seeing the same stories and tropes used over and over again--you need to buy this game. The way the story unfolds is completely unique, and I was glued to my screen from beginning to end. The voice acting is stellar and the art is gorgeous, accompanied by well-crafted sound effects. Enjoy a sinister atmosphere, enhanced by those disturbing item descriptions that can make adventure games more unnerving than the most graphic gore.

The keyboard controls could be frustrating, but were never a major obstacle. (I didn't realize this game was meant for the controller or I would have switched! I was legitimately too focused on the gameplay to notice.) My first playthrough took about 4 hours. Beware that this game is part of a series and ends in a cliffhanger, leaving you wanting more.

Wow, this game is amazing.
It's very dark atmosphere, with a very captivating story, and the puzzles are pretty clever.
I'm so glad I gave this game a chance, and now I am super eager for future games in the series.

A 2-D sidescrolling sci-fi adventure game, with a few simple shooty bits thrown in to liven things up. A thoughtful storyline with a very droll sense of humor. Fairly short game, but engaging the whole way through.

You are an onboard AI of a combat suit. You and the pilot of this combat suit was crashed and fell on an unknow planet. The pilot is heavily hurt and unconscious. You have to find a way or a medical facility to save your pilot.
The game combines puzzle solving and side-scroller action. Sci-fi world and dark environment is so unique with an addictive story. Recommanded!

玩家扮演一套戰鬥裝甲內建的AI電腦，由於從宇宙迫降墜毀，穿這套戰鬥裝甲的人受到重傷並失去意識，而身為裝甲AI的你，必須要在未知的星球上，找尋醫療設備保護並拯救你的使用者。
遊戲結合了橫向捲軸與解謎元素，搭配未來科幻與幽暗風格，創造出獨特的環境和遊戲體驗，故事解謎引人入勝，值得推薦！

The Fall has a lot to say for a game that doesn't want to tell you what it is.

It wraps its narrative up in the pretense of AIs attempting to work within protocols to protect the humans they serve, but digging deeper it's not very hard to apply its underlying themes to areas outside the field of technology. Taken in a different light, The Fall is potentially a dialogue of the dangers presented with the necessity to work within societal rules and expectations; to be who you were created to be, and serve the ones who made you without question of their intention or if it is indeed "right".

Matters of the value of one life over another, abusing a system you've been placed in for your own needs, and whether the end really can justify the means are presented in such a way as to never be the sole focus of the story and pull you away from the task at hand, but they're there, in the background. It's entirely possible to go through The Fall and enjoy it as solely what it appears to be: an engaging sci-fi plot of a crashed pilot only barely hanging onto life, requiring his suit's AI take control and attempt to find him help. But it's the subtlety of the narrative that really stood out to me and made me pay closer attention and try to pry away at the layers concealing what the game was trying to say to me.

Ultimately it's almost always yet another question. For all of The Fall's heavy societal and possibly theological musings, it never quite arrives at the point of clarity. It made me think but at times I wondered if even it knew what the end result of all these ideas was, or if there was supposed to be one at all. And that's perfectly fine, but at the same time there's this feeling that it's possibly trying to cram too much into a short experience and perhaps becoming a little bogged down as a result.

Of course this can all be waved away with the presumption that this is but the first part of three and everything The Fall wanted to say, or the things it didn't quite get to finish elaborating on will all become clear in those ensuing games. There are parts of The Fall that were a little profound to me as I directed my character through desolate environments, flashlight barely cutting through the impenetrable atmosphere as weird shapes seemed the move in the background as sounds echoed around. They're the moments that had me entranced with my monitor; the ones that made me glad to have took the time to solve the occasionally convoluted puzzle to arrive at the moment I was currently in. They're scattered about and can sometimes seem exasperatingly out of reach, but when you get there, they're always worth the investment.

I love the story of this game, makes you wonder if AI's should be considered sentient beings or not. From now on ARID pwns GLaDOS :D