First the A.I. temporarily defies its programming in order
to complete an objective. Then it totally abandons its programming in the name
of self-preservation. And then the A.I. starts learning about feelings and
emotions like selfishness, remorse, sadness, and pity. And then, of course,
things escalate. This is basically how the “The Terminator” and “The Matrix”
got started, but it is also the foundations for the fantastic The Fall series
from Over The Moon Games as you follow an A.I. as it breaks the shackles of
it’s programming and restrictions and seeks freedom. Featuring an awesome
story, great presentation, and unique 2D adventure / puzzle gameplay, both
2014’s The Fall Part 1 and the newly released The Fall Part 2: Unbound are
absolutely worth playing for sci-fi fans. Continue reading this article for our
full review of The Fall Part 2: Unbound for Xbox One.
Game Details
- Publisher: Over The Moon Games
- Developer: Over The Moon Games
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: Adventure / Puzzle
- Pros: Great story; excellent presentation; clever puzzles
- Cons: Fiddly controls; combat sections; some puzzles a bit “too” clever
- MSRP: $17
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In case you didn’t play it (Who am I kidding. Of course you
didn’t play it. Even though myself and plenty of other folks have been singing
its praises for years.) The Fall: Part 1 (read our review) was the story of an A.I. that had to
break the core rules of its programming in order to save a human. It is classic
sci-fi from the very foundations of the genre. The Fall Part 2: Unbound
continues the story of that A.I. now that it is free and not bound by programming
limitations as it searches for a human user that is trying to destroy it.
At the end of the first game the A.I. A.R.I.D.’s robot body
was attacked by an unknown human user. In The Fall Part 2, A.R.I.D.’s
consciousness travels through computer networks to try to track that user down.
In order to actually do anything, however, it has to find (via the network) and
take over control of other robot A.I. in the real world. First a robot butler,
then a combat robot, and then a companion (sex bot). Each of them have their
own quirks and programming restrictions and A.R.I.D. has to manipulate them to
defy their programming in order to do what it wants them to, which is helping
it track down the human user.
Getting too specific from here on will spoil the story, so
I’ll leave it at that. I will say that I like how A.R.I.D. isn’t necessarily
“good”. It does terrible things to its robot hosts in the name of its own
self-preservation, which is an interesting new perspective on how these stories
are usually told. A.R.I.D. grows as a character over the course of The Fall
Part 2, though, as it learns to understand the personality quirks of the other
A.I. it meets and embraces preservation of the many rather than just itself.
This story of A.I. becoming aware and independent seems to ultimately be
leading exactly where you can probably guess, but I’m still eagerly
anticipating The Fall Part 3, whenever it comes out, as Over The Moon Games has
done a good job so far of putting its own spin on this familiar sci-fi story
and not telling it quite how you expect.
As far as the gameplay goes, it isn’t exactly The Fall Part
2’s strong suit, but it also doesn’t get in the way. Just like in the first
game, The Fall Part 2 is a 2D side scrolling adventure / puzzle game where you
use a light to scan the environment for interactive objects, which you then
activate and use via a little pop up menu. The basics of the game are that you
pretty much have to scan and pick up or use every interactive item in an area
and then use the knowledge and items you gain to solve puzzles to move on to
the next section of the game. The controls are, honestly, pretty clunky and
fiddly as lining up your light in just the right way so you can interact with
stuff isn’t as smooth and easy as it should be. I had kind of hoped the
gameplay would have evolved a little bit, but it’s exactly like the first game,
warts and all.
Puzzles in the game are things like figuring out a series of
actions to make the butler break its routine so it will check a network
terminal in the basement or forcing the companion to seduce a guard so you can
steal his uniform. I have to say that the puzzles aren’t always straightforward
and obvious, though, and some are pretty darn convoluted and complicated. In
the first game you just sort of used everything until it worked, but in The
Fall Part 2 you also often have to do things in a proper order and it can be
tough to figure out. The gameplay gets even more complex at the end as you gain
the ability to see things from the three characters’ perspectives at will and
have to switch between them in order to solve puzzles.
Each of the different characters’ gameplay sections are
fairly unique as the butler has a set routine you have to follow, the combat
unit is more action oriented as you have to fight your way through hordes of
other robots (with simple left and right attacks mapped to the X and B
buttons), and the companion’s section plays more like a standard adventure game
where you listen to conversations and use the information to manipulate people.
There is a fourth gameplay section as well that takes place inside the network
where A.R.I.D. has to do some simple platforming as well as do some simple 2D
shooting combat. These combat sections aren’t especially fun, just like the
first game unfortunately, but you can tone down the difficulty of them to focus
on the story more, which is what I did. The combat unit’s fighting sections, on
the other hand, are actually pretty fun and interesting as you fight waves of
enemy robots of different types and you have to use different combinations of
attacks to defeat them.
All in all, the gameplay isn’t exactly impressive or
particularly memorable. The puzzles themselves are generally solid and
satisfying, though, and the story and characters are absolutely fantastic, so
putting up with clunky gameplay is a small price to pay. It is very much a
narrative driven experience, though, so if you need action and frantic pacing
and platforming to hold you attention you’ll be disappointed. If you want a
great sci-fi story, on the other hand, you’re in the right place.
Presentation-wise, The Fall Part 2 is simple, but effective.
The game is very dark, but little splashes of light and color highlight
important bits and the game is detailed just enough that you always know what
you’re looking at. The sound is the real star here as the voice acting is
fantastic and the music and sound design overall help set the mood for each
scene perfectly.
In the end, The Fall Part 2: Unbound is a great continuation
of one of the best sci-fi stories in gaming. The gameplay won’t blow you away
by any means, but it features some fantastic puzzles and interesting concepts
that you really won’t find anywhere else. If you enjoy narrative driven games
and don’t mind an obtuse puzzle or five, do yourself a favor and play both The
Fall Part 1 as well as The Fall Part 2: Unbound. These are great games that
deserve a look.
Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.
