Black The Fall
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Adventure, platformers, puzzle elements, dystopia, 2.5D, action adventure, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
An action-adventure title developed by the independent developer Sand Sailor Studio. The action of Black The Fall takes place in a communist industrial dystopia where the inhabitants are completely subject to the regime. The main hero, named Black, is a obedient worker at one of the many factories. However, when the entrance door gets damaged, he takes the opportunity to break free.
Black The Fall is an adventure title developed by the independent Sand Sailor Studio with the help of Square-Enix from Japan – the game takes part in the Square Enix Collective project which supports independent creators. The production for PC, SWITCH and etc. is also a successful Kickstarter project.
Plot
The action of Black The Fall takes us to a communist industrial dystopia where the inhabitants are completely subject the regime. The main hero named Black is an obedient employee of one of many factories. However, when the entrance door gets damaged, he seizes the opportunity and tries to escape.
Mechanics
The action of Black The Fall on PC, SWITCH and etc. is presented from a side-view. The key ingredient of the game is exploration of the mysterious environment. Different locations, such as the mentioned factory, or a gloomy city, are filled with numerous traps, obstacles, and environmental puzzles. In order to solve them, you need to manipulate elements of the environment and make use of the laws of physics. Moreover, Black wields an unusual tool – a designator – with which he can control not only regular workers, but also machines and friendly creatures. Apart from that, the title features a stealth system that enables the hero to sneak behind backs of hostile NPCs and alert machines.
Technical aspects
The title for PC, SWITCH and etc. utilises 2.5D visuals that feature rather gloomy hues - the only intensive colour you see is red. The animations are created with great care – not only does Black naturally move, but also naturally interact with the environment. The developers call their technique 2.75D – even though most of the action is seen from a side-view, the camera often impressively rides, zooms, and shows the action from various movie-like perspectives.
Last updated on January 23, 2017
Videos and Screens
[1:16] Black The Fall launch trailer
[1:21] Black The Fall trailer #2
TheSixthAxis: 7 / 10 by Stefan L
Through the stylishly muted visuals and the trappings of a Communist state on the brink of collapse, Black The Fall challenges you to escape its series of perilous puzzles in a bid for freedom from oppression. Though it will live in the shadows of its critically acclaimed peers and has a few rough edges, Black The Fall is a great addition to the puzzle platformer genre.
VideoGamer: 5 / 10 by Alice Bell
Listen, as dystopian and mostly monochrome platform puzzlers go, Black the Fall isn't bad. But I can't tell you it's great either.
God is a Geek: 8 / 10 by Gary Bailey
If you can push through some frustrating moments during the opening hour, Black The Fall offers challenging puzzles with a thought-provoking narrative.
Black The Fall Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows July 11, 2017
PlayStation 4 July 11, 2017
Xbox One July 11, 2017
Nintendo Switch December 14, 2017
Developer: Sand Sailor Studio
Publisher: Square Enix
Black The Fall System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz, 1 GB RAM, graphic card Intel HD 2500 or better, 150 MB HDD, Windows XP(SP2)/7/8