Freedom Fall
- January 10, 2014
- Stirfire Studios
- 1h median play time
Freedom Fall is a fast-paced platformer set in a dark, vertical prison. Players must navigate treacherous descents, avoiding deadly traps and solving inventive puzzles, all while uncovering the story of their unjust incarceration. With hand-drawn visuals and tight controls, Freedom Fall offers a unique and challenging experience.
Reviews
- Charming art style and humorous writing on the walls enhance the storytelling experience.
- Fast-paced gameplay with responsive controls and a variety of traps keeps the experience engaging.
- Multiple paths and challenges provide replayability, allowing players to improve their scores and explore different endings.
- The game is very short, typically completed in under two hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Difficulty can be inconsistent, with some sections feeling too easy compared to the overall challenge of the game.
- Technical issues such as frame rate drops and occasional bugs can detract from the overall experience.
- story143 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is primarily conveyed through humorous and engaging writings on the walls, left by a sadistic princess, which adds a unique and charming twist to the platforming experience. While some players found the narrative simple and occasionally lacking depth, many appreciated its clever presentation and the way it intertwined with gameplay, providing motivation to explore and replay the game for different endings. Overall, the storytelling method received praise for its originality and ability to maintain player interest despite the game's brevity.
“The story is interesting and told in a clever way.”
“The story is presented in a pretty cool way: there aren't any actual dialogues that distract you from the actual gameplay but instead the princess communicates with you through writings on the tower walls.”
“The writings on the walls in the tower are funny and drive the story forward as you get to know more about the princess.”
“The story is basically non-existent, and it's a bad idea to put it in the background in writing, as in a tough platformer with tons of traps where you are focused on not dying, you will miss most of it as I did.”
“There's not a whole lot of story; it's mostly just messages written on the wall, but it's presented in a way that keeps you motivated.”
“The plot is amusing (sort of like Portal if GLaDOS was a traditional RPG princess), but the story is simple and could have benefited from more character development.”
- gameplay76 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, simple platforming mechanics that involve descending a tower while avoiding various traps and obstacles. Players appreciate the charming visuals, engaging storytelling through wall writings, and the balance of challenge and accessibility, though some note issues with unpredictability in certain mechanics. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with replayability through multiple endings and collectible achievements, making it enjoyable for both casual players and completionists.
“Fun gameplay, lots of humor, cute graphics, interesting environments, and multiple endings.”
“The mechanics are tight, each level presents multiple challenges (time, score, survivability), and the game is robust; these are the basics.”
“A short but enjoyable platformer with great visuals, fun level design, and tight gameplay.”
“There's a critical issue which gets you killed routinely where the edge-grabbing mechanic is very unpredictable.”
“Finding out our main character's past is supposed to be a big carrot to dangle in front of the player, but the payoff is not worth putting up with the middling controls and trial-and-error gameplay.”
“The gameplay is pretty simple; it's a standard platformer with some items that you can buy/build by collecting some kind of metal throughout the levels.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their cute and vibrant art style, with many reviewers highlighting the appealing 2D/3D visuals and well-designed environments. While some noted that the graphics aren't groundbreaking and could benefit from more variety, the overall aesthetic is considered charming and fitting for the game's humorous narrative. The fluid animations and clean presentation contribute to an enjoyable visual experience, making it a standout aspect of the game despite its short length.
“The graphics are vibrant, and the animations are good.”
“The art style is beautiful and handcrafted, the music is wonderful, and the platforming is as tight as they come.”
“Excellent graphics, fluid controls, and a creative and delightful way to give insight on the backstory of the two main characters - Marsh and the princess.”
“Something about the framerate and the art style makes it painful to look at.”
“Levels aren't very long but are well designed; graphics aren't really great looking and some animations could be better, but somehow everything fits together perfectly.”
“The graphics and hitbox can be... nyeeeeeh.”
- humor59 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, with many players highlighting the amusing wall writings and the quirky personality of the princess as standout features. The blend of lighthearted and dark humor, along with engaging storytelling, creates a delightful experience that keeps players entertained throughout. Overall, the game's comedic elements are considered a significant draw, enhancing both the gameplay and narrative.
“The secret sauce in Freedom Fall is personality: the game has unique character, and it comes through in the storytelling and humor, both subtle and overt.”
“The princess leaves you messages painted on the walls as she descends ahead of you, and they combine the cutesy with the psychotic in a hilarious way.”
“The writings on the walls in the tower are funny and drive the story forward as you get to know more about the princess.”
- music41 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives a generally positive reception, with many reviewers praising its quality, atmosphere, and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some find it memorable and fitting, others note that it can fade into the background or suffer from looping issues. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a blend of rock and ambient tunes that complements the game's visuals and mechanics effectively.
“Great visuals, great music, and simple and great intuitive gameplay.”
“The soundtrack is an excellent collection of rock and ambient tunes, with several great guitar lines standing out as particularly memorable.”
“Thanks to the lovely hand-painted art, delightful soundtrack, and the original storytelling - it felt quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of challenge.”
“Music is completely forgettable.”
“This game is, however, quite short, and most of the music just sort of faded into the background for me, which is a huge missed opportunity.”
“I was let down by the soundtrack, though great, is badly looped having notable skips as it loops.”
- replayability39 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability despite its short playtime of 1-2 hours, primarily due to multiple endings, various challenges, and achievements that encourage players to improve their scores and times. While some players noted that the endings and challenges may not significantly differ, the inclusion of leaderboards and collectible goals adds depth for competitive players. Overall, it is well-regarded for its replay value, especially for those who enjoy platforming and score attacks.
“High replayability with different difficulty settings, some different story choices, and rewards.”
“Overall a very fun game, albeit with a few frustrating moments; also multiple paths that can be taken through the levels as well as various challenges for time, least deaths, etc. make for some decent replay value in spite of the shortness of the game.”
“Short but sweet, a lot of replayability, an overall joy to play.”
“Don't expect a lot of replayability or masochistic mechanics, but you will get an amusing narrative and premise.”
“Having only put a few hours into it, I may be speaking too soon when I say this title is highly repetitive with little-to-no replay value.”
“Overall an alright game, not worth the price though, completed in 1 hour with little replay value (trying to get the 3 challenges on each floor, same on each), if there was more definitely worth the pickup; but there isn't so wait for it to be on sale before picking up.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its charm and whimsical design, effectively blending story elements with engaging gameplay. However, some players feel that it lacks depth, suggesting that additional storytelling, puzzles, and character growth could enhance the experience, especially considering its origins as a mobile game.
“Game developers take note: this is an excellent example of how to mix story and character development while enticing the player through the levels.”
“Charming, whimsical, and a joy to play with beautiful art and character design.”
“It could have been longer; it could have had puzzles, more notes and storytelling, and more character development even. But that is asking too much of what was originally a mobile game.”
“The character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving me wanting more depth and connection to the characters.”
“I expected a richer narrative experience, but the character development is lacking, making it hard to care about their journeys.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game is generally stable with no major bugs or glitches, though some experience occasional freezes, particularly in the Android version. While the PC version is more stable, the pricing has been criticized in relation to the game's content and length.
“Currently, even though the game is quite good, the price point is wrong, and some of the infrequent freezes are even in the PC version. Having played the Android version (and being unable to get very far in due to frequent freezes) and coming to this, the Android has less content I believe, but the price of $2.50-$4.00 is more acceptable for the length.”
“The game can be very hard for some people, and while there are no bugs or glitches, the stability issues can be frustrating.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be oddly emotionally engaging and addictive, highlighting its cute and fun elements. However, some critique the lack of variety in gameplay mechanics, as the reliance on a single gadget can diminish the overall emotional impact of the experience.
“Cute, fun, addictive, oddly emotionally engaging, pretty much flawless.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by an amusing plot reminiscent of Portal, complemented by an atmospheric soundtrack and an epic ending that leaves a lasting impression.
“The plot is amusing (sort of like Portal if GLaDOS was a traditional RPG princess and Chell had a hang glider, bombs, and a ridiculous jump height instead of a portal gun), the soundtrack is atmospheric, and the ending is epic.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into a world that feels alive and vibrant.”
“Every sound and visual element contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for numerous bugs, including broken animations and consistently poor performance, indicating a lack of polish in several areas.
“Numerous bugs pop up throughout, from broken animations to consistently poor performance, and many areas could have used more polish.”