Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Old-school"

Downfall is a point and click horror adventure game that doesn't shy away from bloodshed. Its plot is centered around murder, deceit, sadness, loneliness and misery. Even though some characters and situations offer a break from that bleak atmosphere from time to time, more often than not the game will be about the dark side of the human nature.

The first thing that stands out is that all the graphics have been hand drawn. Your screen does look like a painting on a canvas and that provides an unique atmosphere. It fits Downfall very well as the events on the game seem like a surreal experience. Dreams and hallucinations mix well with this style as none of the characters are entirely sure if they're really there experiencing the events.

It plays like a traditional point and click adventure, you get to explore your surroundings, collect items and use them to your advantage. You can (and should) interact with other characters as well in order to get a better idea of what's going on inside their heads and try to come up with an idea of what's really happening.

The puzzles are very well designed regarding their difficulty - not too easy and not frustrating as well - and artistic design - they all embrace the concept of a twisted and violent dream but they're never silly or ridiculous in their logic (meaning you won't have to "combine" a cat with a cellphone to create a cat bug and listen to someone's conversation.

Music plays a large role in setting the atmosphere as there is no voice acting but I really did not miss it. The floating texts above the characters heads (much like Monkey Island) fit well into the art style and old fashioned look of Downfall.

The plot kept me interested. There are a few interesting choices during the game that led me to play it a second time. I did enjoy the endings, not groundbreaking but well executed.

It's a short crazy ride developed by a single guy. I've assembled some screenshots in "Images" on my profile. Be sure to check them out if you're interested in seeing the game. A digital copy is available on GamersGate for $ 9.90.