Two Falls: Nishu Takuashina
- November 8, 2024
- Unreliable Narrators
Get on SteamImmerse yourself in the harsh wilderness of 17th century Canada through the eyes of Maikan, a young Innu, and Jeanne, a French woman who crossed the Atlantic to start a new life. Decide how the characters will survive, and watch the impact of your choices unfold in this coming-of-age story!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling and emotional story that explores the complexities of Indigenous and European interactions in 17th-century Canada, providing a fresh perspective on history.
- Visually stunning with beautiful landscapes and a unique art style, the game immerses players in its environment, enhanced by excellent voice acting and a captivating soundtrack.
- The dual perspective gameplay allows players to experience the narrative through both Jeanne and Maikan, making choices that impact character development and deepening the emotional connection to the story.
- Gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with limited interactivity, which may leave some players feeling bored or wanting more engaging mechanics.
- Performance issues have been reported, including frame rate drops and bugs, which can detract from the overall experience, especially on lower-end hardware.
- Some players found the story predictable and wished for more depth in character dialogue and cultural exploration, feeling that the game could have delved deeper into the Innu culture.
- story66 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Two Falls" is widely praised for its emotional depth, compelling characters, and beautiful narrative that explores themes of colonization and cultural conflict. Players appreciate the impactful choices that shape character interactions, although the overall plot remains linear. With stunning visuals and strong voice acting, the game offers a captivating experience that resonates with those who enjoy story-driven gameplay.
“The story is heart-wrenching and beautiful at the same time.”
“The game beautifully blends storytelling and environmental immersion, fostering empathy and respect for diverse worldviews.”
“The story of the Innu natives and the French colonizers that unfolds in this scenery is engaging and very educative, and the attention to detail in the dialogues and codex descriptions demonstrates great authenticity and a genuine desire to represent First Nations accurately.”
“While the story was a diamond in the rough, the gameplay mechanics are awful.”
“Whatever this story gives to you, the gameplay takes it, only leaving half the charm of what once was.”
“There are some lengths in the dialogues and story sometimes.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style and beautiful environmental visuals, often compared to titles like "Firewatch" and "The Long Dark." While some players experience performance issues on lower-end hardware, many appreciate the game's artistic direction and the emotional depth conveyed through its visuals. Overall, the combination of good lighting, charming aesthetics, and strong art direction contributes to a visually captivating experience.
“The art style and sound design are also really good; I almost felt like hiking in the wild sometimes.”
“Gorgeous visuals and a thoughtful story.”
“The art is stunning, with every detail contributing to the story's emotional depth and overall aesthetic.”
“The animation quality is slightly above the PS1 game 'Clock Tower.' I can rock with sub-par visuals and mediocre animation, but lean into it if you are going to do that.”
“My PC has the recommended hardware, but even on the lowest graphics settings, it's laggy.”
“I ended up playing on desktop as my graphics card is older, and it caused video lag.”
- music14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its soothing quality and strong narrative integration, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact. Composed by eadsé, the soundtrack blends tribal elements with modern sounds, effectively complementing the game's story and visuals. Reviewers highlight the music's ability to create suspense and tension, making it a standout feature alongside the game's captivating landscapes and narrative.
“Overall, I found Two Falls to be a fantastic game; the music is soothing and well done for the story beats of the game.”
“The music and ambience are fantastic and really add to the suspenseful atmosphere, creating a sense of tension that keeps you engaged.”
“The soundtrack by composer Eadsé has a particularly strong impact on the game's atmosphere.”
“Her music mixes tribal elements and modern sound effects, which often perfectly match the narrative and are on par with good movie scores.”
“The main menu music (and a recurring game theme) sets the right mood and could as well be a nice opener to rock concerts.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with limited mechanics, focusing on exploration and dialogue choices, reminiscent of Telltale games. While some players find it lacking in depth and content, others appreciate its narrative-driven approach and the engaging story, particularly highlighting moments like petting a dog as standout experiences. Overall, the gameplay serves to enhance the immersive storytelling rather than provide complex mechanics.
“Gameplay-wise, you mostly just walk around, talk to people, and make some dialogue choices, but the game is quite interesting. I liked the two characters that you get to play as.”
“The gameplay is simple yet satisfying, keeping the focus on the narrative, which makes it all the more immersive.”
“(p.s: petting the dog is always 10/10 gameplay, but petting the dog under the moonlight while singing him a lullaby? That's 1,000,000/10 gameplay right there.)”
“While the story was a diamond in the rough, the gameplay mechanics are awful.”
“Gameplay is a bit limited - you walk around, examine things, and sometimes make choices about what to do or what to say.”
“In terms of mechanics, it is just a walking simulator; there's nothing there. The game takes approximately 4 hours to finish, so there's not a lot of content.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and bugs, while others report a smooth experience without crashes or stuttering. Despite these discrepancies, many are willing to overlook the optimization flaws due to the game's strong narrative and cultural representation. Improvements in optimization could enhance the experience, particularly for platforms like the Steam Deck.
“Only negative is optimization could be better as it would have been perfect for the Steam Deck, but you can't have it all, I suppose.”
“In my playthrough, I had no crashes, no stuttering, or extreme frame drops you often get with other UE5 releases.”
“Only negative is optimization could be better as it would have been perfect for the Steam Deck, but you can't have it all I suppose.”
“First, performance is terrible.”
“Despite the few technical performance issues and visual bugs.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers a deeply emotional experience, weaving a heartbreaking narrative that explores cultural misunderstandings and personal losses. Players report being moved to tears, both happy and sad, as they navigate an emotional rollercoaster filled with stunning visuals that enhance the story's depth. Overall, it delivers a beautifully sad tale that resonates profoundly with its audience.
“Heartbreaking and beautifully sad tale of the repercussions of not understanding cultures and the fallout of forcing your mindset on others.”
“The story is heart-wrenching and beautiful at the same time.”
“I jumped into this game hoping to get fully immersed and taken on an emotional journey, and it delivered.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful art, engaging music, and immersive sound design, which collectively create a captivating and suspenseful experience. Players appreciate the historical and cultural elements woven into the narrative, along with strong voice acting that enhances the overall ambiance. The combination of these elements effectively draws players into the game's world.
“I love the art, the atmosphere is beautiful, and I love the historical/cultural notes in the codex.”
“The music and ambience is fantastic and really adds to the suspenseful atmosphere, creating a sense of tension that keeps you engaged.”
“The atmosphere and storytelling are captivating, and the artistic direction draws you in completely.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the game for its impressive landscapes and engaging narratives, highlighting that the character development is a standout feature that enhances the overall storytelling experience.
“The character development is truly impressive, with each character evolving in meaningful ways throughout the story.”
“I love how the game allows for deep character growth, making every decision feel impactful.”
“The rich backstories and personal arcs of the characters add so much depth to the overall experience.”
