Survive the Fall: Initial Preview Released

Long before Bethesda took the helm of the Fallout series and Walton Goggins donned ghoul makeup for the captivating TV adaptation, the original Fallout was an isometric action RPG, viewed from a top-down perspective. This classic style of navigating a post-apocalyptic wasteland seems to be the inspiration for the upcoming game, Survive the Fall, based on my initial hours of gameplay. This game builds on the original Fallout's foundation, especially evident in its robust camp development system, and integrates squad-based combat and scavenging to deliver a fresh experience. While the somewhat static story presentation might hinder its full charm from emerging, the game's mechanics and setting promise a compelling journey.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic narratives, the world of Survive the Fall wasn't ravaged by nuclear fallout. Instead, a catastrophic comet strike reminiscent of the event that wiped out the dinosaurs decimated a significant portion of Earth's population. The impact left behind a crater that emits a deadly toxic mist known as Stasis. Survivors either steer clear of this extraterrestrial hazard or harness its power, mutating into stronger beings at the cost of their humanity. In Survive the Fall, your squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions scattered across three distinct biomes—from the Stasis-absorbing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult, the Sighted—to survive and thrive.

I quickly grew fond of Survive the Fall's squad-based mechanics as I completed quests. Navigating the sprawling national park setting, you can manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your AI companions, allowing for a more efficient exploration of settlements. The only minor issue was occasional clutter from button prompts when interactive elements were too close together, but this was a rare occurrence.

Combat in Survive the Fall is also team-oriented. With limited ammunition in the early stages, stealth became my primary strategy. Approaching enemy camps felt like a tactical operation, similar to recent games like Commandos: Origins—crouching, using distractions, and executing silent takedowns before directing my squad to dispose of bodies. Environmental hazards, such as explosive barrels and falling cargo pallets, added strategic depth to encounters. When stealth failed and combat ensued, the controls felt a bit clunky with a controller, making precise aiming challenging. However, the ability to pause and direct squadmates to target specific enemies was a valuable feature, reminiscent of systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

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After a day of battling mutants and scavenging, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management sim. Researching documents found in the world unlocks knowledge points, which can be invested in a technology tree to craft essential structures and resources. From bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration systems and armories, the game offers deep customization options. Building materials like timber can be transformed into planks for constructing plant boxes or defensive gates, while foraged goods can be turned into meals to fuel your next expedition. The depth of this system suggests a rewarding experience in transforming your camp from ruins to a thriving community.

Beyond my base, Survive the Fall offered diverse exploration opportunities. From a repurposed crashed plane to a ghoul-infested farmstead, each location felt unique. However, the impressive detail in some areas, like the luminescent mushroom clusters in Mycorrhiza, came at the cost of performance issues, such as frame rate drops. I also encountered occasional game-breaking bugs, like getting stuck in menus, though with the game's release still a month away, there's time for developer Angry Bulls Studio to optimize these aspects.

The lack of voice acting somewhat diminishes the impact of character interactions, which are conveyed through text. While some characters, like the humorous Blooper who calls the Stasis smog "fart wind," provided entertainment, many conversations felt more like quest prompts than meaningful exchanges. Hopefully, deeper connections will develop as the full story unfolds.

Survive the Fall is set to launch on PC this May, brimming with potential for fans of survival-based action RPGs. If the developers can smooth out the current rough edges in controls and performance, this game could prove to be a worthy addition to the genre, well worth your hard-earned bottlecaps.