The Fall Part 2: Unbound is a gripping and lengthy evolution of the original game. By sharing the consciousness of other sentient beings, you must manipulate them to fulfil your objective: track down a mysterious user who wants to kill you. Here’s our full review of The Fall Part 2 on Nintendo Switch.
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The Fall Part 2 review: Story
Unbound kicks off precisely where the first game left off, so anyone who hasn’t played the original might find the beginning a little jarring. Thankfully there’s a quick recap of the story thus far, to bring you bang up to date. Some helpful tutorials are also on hand, to guide you through the gameplay mechanics. After a bit of exploration, you should gather the gist of it pretty quick.
ARID, The AI from the first game, is back and fighting for her very existence. An aggressive, anonymous user wants to remotely delete her from existence, and only by defining her own rules and sneakily invading other beings’ bodies can she fight back. It’s certainly an imaginative hook, and a creative way to expand The Fall’s story.
The Fall Part 2 review: Gameplay
The Fall Part 2’s gameplay is split into two distinct parts. The first has you navigating a virtual world, where digital enemies lurk around every corner. Essentially these are simple platforming sections, which see you clearing each area of any threats before advancing.
These segments are perfectly entertaining, with responsive controls and some unique mechanics. For one, you can’t simply leap about, blasting away with your virtual gun. Every shot drains your energy, at quite an alarming pace. Fire off a few bullets and you’ll be completely vulnerable, unable to fight back or even jump. You’ll therefore have to time your shots perfectly and respond tactically to your enemy’s attacks.
However, this virtual world features endless bland-looking rooms and corridors, which are indistinguishable from one another. Thank god for the flashing cables, which show you the direction you have to head.
Far more interesting are the puzzle sections, where ARID transfers her consciousness into the body of another being. Rather than simply taking over said being, you are merely a passenger with limited control. You therefore have to manipulate your host’s programming to fulfil your objectives.
As a spoiler-free example, the first body you inhabit belongs to a robot butler. ARID wants to access the owner’s mainframe computer, located in the basement of the house, but this area is off limits to the butler except under very specific circumstances. In order to proceed, you need to satisfy these rules with clever manipulation of the environment.
Each host feels very unique, with its own intriguing backstory and personal hurdles to overcome. We won’t spoil anything here, but the characterisation is top notch. Especially considering the mechanical nature of the cast.
The Fall Part 2 review: Verdict
Smart puzzles combined with slick presentation make The Fall Part 2 an enjoyable portable experience. Your progress is regularly saved, which suits short bursts of play on the move, although I preferred to settle down and immerse myself for an hour or two at a time. Like a good book, once you get into this game, it’s hard to put your Switch back down again.
You can grab The Fall Part 2: Unbound on Nintendo Switch from today.
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