Long before Bethesda took the helm of the series and Walton Goggins donned ghoul makeup for the captivating TV adaptation, Fallout was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird's-eye perspective. This classic style of wasteland exploration seems to be the inspiration behind the upcoming game, Survive the Fall, as evidenced by the first few hours I experienced. This post-apocalyptic survival tale builds directly on the original Fallout's framework, especially in its robust camp development system. Its squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics create a refreshing experience, despite the somewhat static story presentation that somewhat dims its overall personality.
Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, Survive the Fall's devastated world didn't result from nuclear mishaps by humanity. Instead, a catastrophic comet impact, reminiscent of the event that led to the extinction of dinosaurs, wiped out a significant portion of the world's population and left a crater spewing a toxic mist called Stasis. Survivors either avoid this mist or embrace its power, mutating into stronger beings at the cost of their humanity. In Survive the Fall, your growing squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions scattered across three biomes to survive and thrive, from the Stasis-huffing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult known as the Sighted.
I quickly grew fond of Survive the Fall's squad-based setup as I tackled quests from its numerous quest-givers. Navigating a party of up to three survivors through the expansive national park that sets the stage for the game's beginning, you can manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your team, making the scavenging process more efficient and natural. This system allows you to focus on other activities while your AI companions handle the grunt work. However, the view can occasionally become cluttered with button prompts when interactive elements are closely packed, though this issue was infrequent.
Combat in Survive the Fall also emphasizes teamwork. I prioritized stealth in encounters with marauders and ghouls, given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition in the early stages. Each infiltration of an enemy camp felt like a strategic mission akin to Commandos: Origins, involving hiding, creating distractions, and silent takedowns before having my team hide the bodies. Environmental hazards like explosive barrels and strategically placed cargo pallets added satisfying tactical elements to the gameplay.
Survive the Fall - Preview Screens
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Clearing out groups of cultists was rewarding, but when my cover was compromised, combat with firearms became a bit cumbersome. Using a controller, aiming was less precise than it might be with a mouse and keyboard, leading me to rely more on melee attacks and dodging to whittle down enemies. The ability to pause and direct my squadmates to focus on specific targets was useful, reminiscent of similar systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero, allowing them to tackle tougher foes while I dealt with the support crew.
After a day spent battling mutants and gathering loot in the dangerous badlands, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management sim back at camp. Documents found in the wild can be researched to gain knowledge points, which can then be invested in a comprehensive technology tree. This unlocks the ability to craft various amenities, from bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration systems and armories. Resources like timber can be transformed into planks and then into structures such as plant boxes or defensive gates, while foraged herbs and meat from wildlife can be prepared into meals for your adventurers. The depth of the base-building system suggests a substantial time investment in transforming your settlement from ruins to a thriving community.
Exploring beyond my base, I encountered several intriguing locations, from a crashed passenger plane turned enemy fort to a farmstead overrun by Stasis-infected ghouls. Survive the Fall offers unique locales in every direction, although the detailed environments occasionally led to performance issues, particularly in areas like the luminescent mushroom-filled swamplands of Mycorrhiza. I also encountered game-breaking bugs that required me to reload my save, but there's still time before the game's release for developer Angry Bulls Studio to address these issues.
Survive the Fall offers a rich tapestry of locations to explore, but the lack of voiced dialogue detracts from the immersion. Interactions with your squad and NPCs are text-based, which can feel flat, though some characters, like the amusing Blooper who calls the Stasis smog "fart wind," provided moments of levity. However, these interactions often felt more like quest prompts than opportunities to deepen character connections.
As Survive the Fall approaches its PC release this May, it promises a wealth of post-apocalyptic potential. If the developers can smooth out the current rough edges in controls and performance, this could become a compelling survival-based action RPG worthy of your attention and resources.
