We’ve been keeping a little eye on Black the Fall ever since first going hands on with it at an event back in 2016. Now though it’s here – and if you’re after a bit of a puzzler, and are ready to take in a tale of struggle and grief, then you won’t find anything more fitting.
Coming in under the Square Enix Collective banner, this indie title from Sand Sailor Studio was one of the very first to make the most of the Collective’s feedback program, whilst also taking a bit of a hold on the Kickstarter community. A puzzler at heart, it tells the tale of a struggle through a Communist regime as one guy befriends a small robot. Can they escape the troubles together? You’l need to sit back and work your way through numerous puzzles in order to do so.
“With Black The Fall we really want to capture the feeling of what it was like to live in the communist state, and have been inspired by the first-hand experiences of our families. The world Black lives in might be fictional, but the system trying to beat him down is as bleak and oppressive as it has been in many countries around the world,” reveals Cristian Diaconescu, Creative Director at the Bucharest-based Sand Sailor Studio.
“Romania only broke free of the shackles of the Soviet bloc less than 30 years ago, so for many people living in the country today the memories are still fresh. We decided to take those stories and illustrate just what it was like to live within a restrictive regime in a game.
“That means players have to make use of the kind of tactics people who survived that era mastered – manipulation and stealth. The intentionally melancholic atmosphere also has a role to play here, and that’s something we’ve rendered in detail through image and sound. We’ve put no text or dialogue into the game at all – the story is told through experiences in play.”
Black the Fall comes with an £11.99 price tag attached and is available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC from today. If you fancy getting involved, then you could do a lot worse than paying the Xbox Games Store a little visit.
Game Description:
After decades of toil, an old machinist plots his escape from the oppressive grasp of the Communist regime. Through hidden passages, shadow and grief, he struggles. Ingenuity, reflexes and deception are his tools. Along the road, he befriends the most unlikely creature, an abandoned little robot. Could they escape this bleak and deadly world, together? Features • Unravel the puzzles buried within the oppressive atmosphere of a dystopian dictatorship • Harness the power of a stolen designator tool to manipulate both man and machine • Befriend a lonely lost robot and earn its loyal companionship • Take your shot at overthrowing a Communist State inspired by real world events
