The Fall Part 2: Unbound

A common problem in following up an idea is expounding on it without giving up theme for plot and exposition. The first game had a resonance between the sparse dialogue and the icon laden visuals. The story wasn't told so much as shown. From the very first scene where Arid falls, the story is told through action. There was not one element that wasn't in service of the theme of falling into chaos. I still remember the crucified combat suit of the first. While this second story does have a perfectly fine theme of its own, the execution isn't as tight or inspired. It relies on more plot to explain the motives of the protagonists. The worldbuilding is not bad(and some of it really tugged at my heart, particularly some of the optional discoveries you find later if you backtrack) but even the best environments can obfuscate the clarity of a story's purpose. The combat mechanics were improved but it didn't really matter for the most part. A few combat scenes were interesting(the last one in particular) but they were mostly just filler. I think they were meant to break up the pace of the story but they didn't really excite me. The One's combat, while simple, actually worked better because it was in service of the story. The digital combat felt like a mini-game. Where the game really shines is in the nuances of its characterization. The perspective story device worked great and it was VERY fun to see Arid's fall from arbitrary rules turn to arbitrary predation on innocent beings around her until she learned better. Forced to see her own arbitrary rule break made gave her a second chance to fall and it was nice to see her rise to the occaision instead. My favorite moments were almost gone too quick. Some of the conversation was awkwardly executed but the writing itself was wonderful. If you can forgive flaws in the execution and understand what they were trying to do, you'll greatly appreciate this game. But if lack of polish is a deal breaker, get it on sale.

I really want to like this game, but for now I hate it. Just want to finish it. Two major flaws: 1. Puzzles are just about walking everywhere and trying your inventory on everything, literally. Sometimes things 'click' and are logical/intuitive and you happy, but most often than not, you just thinking: "oh, really, that's not enough?" or "well, what do I need to do now" or "wait, I really had to have this on while doing that?", because my brain is so freaking tired of trying to comprehend the weird game flow... The puzzles are artificially made complex, I can see it in the design. 2. Controls are TERRIBLE! The game keeps turning your character ALL the time and believe, me, you don't need it. You have to turn it back ALL the time and it is hard, because you have to do it with the mouse! Terrible! Have the developer even trying to play it, when the game keeps turning your character AWAY from that "point of interest" you intent on trying next! 3. Some characters are excruciatingly annoying. The one that starts with B - I cannot stand that AI. Good things: Environment. Sounds. Voice. Story, so far, because I don't know what the end is. Well, if you skip all that made up nonsense I don't even understand about AI, networks, security and other bullshit. :)

I love the story and the atmosphere. The game often had me laughing. And the main characters all offer their own unique perspective of the game enviroments. The puzzles are fun to solve. The combat is a bit meh, this is not a problem however since it is not the focus of the game.

The puzzles are way better than in episode 1 (no more moon logic). Normally I am not a fan of action segments in adventure games but the controls, difficulty and frequency of the sequences are good enough that it wasn't annoying. The overall graphical style supports the gameplay and fits with the setting. My Playtime was around 6 hours and I'm looking forward to the last episode of the trillogy. I've you liked The Fall than you should buy and play this game.