Downfall: Redux

Disclosure: I received a pre-release copy. Completed with 'Ending A: On the Run' during first playthrough. Despite receiving a pre-release copy I purchased a copy through GOG because the game is genuinely that good. I purchased and completed The Cat Lady and Downfall (2009) in 2015, also purchased through GOG. Downfall (2016) is a very good adventure game that is in line with The Cat Lady and even the original Downfall, at once not bound by its predecessor and yet faithful to it. Players unfamiliar with the the formerly mentioned games will miss a number of tie-ins but should not feel like they are missing part of the game. Players familiar with the formerly mentioned games will be in for a real treat. Since my review (v1.0.3) is too long to place here, please see the link below* for a detailed examination of the negative and positive points. I apologise for having to direct people elsewhere, however I'd rather not truncate the review or omit anything and hope that potential buyers can appreciate my desire to be more open than less. _____ *http://steamcommunity.com/id/The_Bitterness/recommended/364390

This game completes the story from The Cat lady. Sadly I felt like the story and characters weren't as good as in The Cat Lady. Otherwise the game is much like The Cat Lady with puzzles, weird characters and dark disturbing environment. It is a decent game which I did enjoy playing through just not as much as The Cat Lady.

Alright so there are some questions I have as to the difference of what we see in Cat Lady compared to what we see in Downfall, that aside this is a nice tie in which I played through here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tio5DWzQBw Some bad very bad voice acting in the beginning but hey you are on a budget, you work with what you got even if it's only the random kids you picked up off the street. Get past that and you have a psychological horror you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. I do have some off putting feelings though near the end when it comes to the story, all that aside it is worth the money support and time.

I am a big fan both of The Cat Lady and the original version of Downfall. I view these two games as complimentary to each other, the former being the positive outcome of a grim horror story while the latter does its best to crush your soul. So when I first found out about this remake, I was extremely excited. The Positives -The game looks amazing. The graphics have improved dramatically since TCL and I wish they were able to print an artbook because I would buy it immediately. -Great soundtrack. Both the piano based tracks and the various songs that play throughout the game are exactly how they need to be. -Some interesting puzzles that are, thankfully, not impossible to figure out, a big flaw in many games of the adventure genre. Harvester games focused more on the story and less on riddle-solving and I think that works splendid. -Lots of gore. If you enjoy body horror Downfall has quite a lot of it and I love it for that reason. -No animal murders this time around. This was by far the least likeable part of the original game and TCL and I am thankful to not have to deal with it again. The Negatives -The voice acting. With a few exceptions (namely Agnes, Ivy, the Queen of Maggots, the Good Corpses and Susan) the rest of the cast is quite underwhelming. I love Jesse Gunn's music, he is a deeply charismatic singer and musician and his guest appearance on TCL was great. I don't know why but unfortunately his performance here is subpar. -Some of the story changes did not leave a good taste in my mouth. I loved the pessimism of the first game and I wish this remake did not try to add a more positive twist to the plot. -A little on the short side, especially if you are do not try to get all the endings. Overall this is a good sequel to The Cat Lady. If you enjoy horror and/or adventure games I highly recommend it.

I'm familiar with this game, having experienced the original. So I was interested in this new take seeing as how it's using the engine from The Cat Lady (another game I enjoyed). Barely about fifteen to twenty minutes in the game and the graphics are what you expect befits the developer's style. Animations too. Except one really sore spot which explains the low rating: The Voice Acting. It. Is. HORRIBLE! How...how did such atrocious, below-par depictions, especially of the main character, make the final cut instead of tossed in favor of another take?!? Seriously! This is something you'd usually find in a dime-store budget, z-grade film. Tell me, how am I supposed to identify and even feel for the characters when I'm cringing in agony at their bad delivery of the dialogue? Every single emotional reaction, if any, is WRONG! Doesn't even match emotions illustrated by the facial expressions! For example at the beginning when he's having an argument with his wife. That's supposed to be ANGER?!? UGH! And that boy in the beginning. Don't even get me started! Worst of all is I recognize the voice actor behind the protagonist. He's capable and talented. So what happened here? His standards are better than this! Let this review serve as a warning: If you're expecting even decent acting, you're not going to find it here. Yes, two star review sounds harsh but you know what? If an adventure game like this relies on voice acting to draw the player in, then this grade school amateurish result is unacceptable. Apart from that, the story is still fine and intriguing. Play mechanics are similar to The Cat Lady so whether you love or hate it depends on that factor. I liked it. But there's no avoiding the terrible job they've done with the voice acting.