Until You Fall

Fast, fluid and fun. Until You Fall came out of nowhere and blew me away. The combat system is so moreish and addictive, rewarding and well designed you will not want it to stop. While the story is lacking and the enemies can get repetitive, everything else more than makes up for it. Great VR implementation, amazing music and super-fast load times create a really enjoyable VR experience and one of my favourites this year.

80%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

grinding

94% User Score Based on 4,346 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $6.75

Buy NowGet on Steam€22.99

Buy NowGet on PS Store$24.99

About

Until You Fall is an arcade-style VR hack-and-slash roguelite set in a neon fantasy world. As the last Rune Knight, you must use weapons, spells, and movement to fight back against monsters and uncover the cause of the Calamity that destroyed Rokar. With each death, you'll rise again, growing stronger and more skilled for the next battle.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+21

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,350 reviews

gameplay456 positive mentions

grinding27 negative mentions

gameplay
984 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
3%
The gameplay of "Until You Fall" is widely praised for its engaging sword-fighting mechanics, intuitive controls, and satisfying combat loop, which combines elements of rhythm games with roguelike progression. While many players appreciate the immersive experience and workout potential, some express concerns about repetitive enemy types and a lack of depth in combat mechanics, suggesting that the game could benefit from additional content and variety. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a fun and challenging VR experience, though some players note it may feel incomplete without further updates.
- “Incredibly well optimized, fantastic gameplay loop, and is quite possibly the best VR experience I've ever played.”
- “The core gameplay loop is fun and the roguelike elements fit it, with a variety of weapons and powers to try out and a customizable difficulty setting.”
- “The gameplay loop of blocking and slashing is very fun, which is what keeps me playing this game despite having almost no enemy variety.”
- “The gameplay works fine, there's nothing remarkable for a timing-based roguelike, and the upgrades are fun, but there's limited types of enemies and the combat literally is just blocking a certain way and kiting enemies, or swinging your arms so fast a Beat Saber player can relate.”
- “Every weapon has a different set of abilities and stats, but it’s not sufficient enough to actually change the gameplay loop of block/dodge, hit, repeat till dead for every enemy in the room.”
- “The actual gameplay is pretty boring.”
music
549 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
31%
3%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its energetic and immersive synthwave soundtrack, which complements the vibrant visuals and enhances the overall gameplay experience. Many players noted that the soundtrack drives the action forward, making combat feel more engaging and dynamic, although some expressed a desire for more variety in the music tracks. Overall, the combination of great music and stunning graphics contributes significantly to the game's appeal, creating a fun and motivating atmosphere for players.
- “The soundtrack is an absolute banger that compliments the visuals and really gets you pumping while you are fighting.”
- “The perfect balance of an addictive gameplay loop, amazing music, and rewarding progress.”
- “The synth-wave soundtrack, vibrant colors, beefy sound effects, and glowing fantasy world all come together to create an incredibly immersive experience.”
- “Most of the enemies have timed parries and key moments and directions where you should hit them... except the music isn't tied to the combat in any way.”
- “The game tries to have a sense of style with garish colors and music but overall it lacks a real personality; the gameplay is dull, and generally speaking, I expected more.”
- “My only complaint is that the music gets repetitive, even though it's solid.”
graphics
547 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
31%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the vibrant, colorful, and stylized visuals that create an immersive experience. The neon retro aesthetic, combined with smooth animations and a well-executed art style, enhances the overall gameplay, making it visually appealing even among other VR titles. While some users noted minor issues with visual clarity during intense moments, the overall consensus is that the graphics are among the best in VR, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the weapons feel amazing, and the roguelike style of the game works really well.”
- “The visuals are stunning, the music is intense and immersive, and the fighting system is very well thought out!”
- “The graphics are some of the best you can get in VR and the gameplay is very fast-paced and fun.”
- “Other than decent graphics for a VR game, it's extremely dull.”
- “Though the gameplay is flawlessly executed, sadly its graphics lack.”
- “Originally, I loved this game and had absolutely no problems with it, but for some reason today I go to play, and I'm lagging every time I enter a stage or get hit, and without any graphic options to fiddle with, it's in a nearly unplayable state for me. I wouldn't recommend until they implement more options to avoid consistent frame drops and lag.”
story
169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
78%
4%
The game's story is generally considered minimal and not the main focus, often described as simplistic or threadbare, serving primarily as a backdrop for the engaging gameplay. While some players appreciate the lightweight narrative and find it sufficient for the game's context, others express a desire for a more developed storyline and varied environments. Overall, the consensus is that while the story is decent, it takes a backseat to the fun and immersive combat experience.
- “The story in this game is good, although it's certainly not the main focus of the game.”
- “This game is incredibly nuanced, with an extraordinarily deep, intelligent, yet still challenging story, that will play with your emotions at every turn.”
- “This game has one of the most intense and rich stories out there, good enough to rival the likes of RDR2, the entire Persona series, the Kingdom Hearts games, and much more.”
- “I was underwhelmed by Asgard's Wrath 2 because it tried to be a AAA game: you spend a lot of time managing inventory, solving childish puzzles, and being forced to listen to a story you don't care about.”
- “The story and lore are threadbare, and they take a backseat to a neon and synthwave style.”
- “You must know that there is no story here: you simply start a run, keep running until you fall (like Risk of Rain).”
replayability
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its rogue-lite mechanics, weapon variety, and random upgrades that encourage players to engage in multiple runs. While many players appreciate the challenge and immersive combat, some express a desire for more enemy types and content to enhance the experience further. Overall, it is considered a fun and engaging title that offers both entertainment and a workout, making it a strong choice for those seeking replayable VR experiences.
- “Being a rogue-lite, the game offers endless replay value and gives you the impression that you are actually engaging in a sword fight.”
- “The replayability, challenge, and aesthetics are so well packed together with some of the most satisfying VR gameplay to date.”
- “Its simplicity is what makes it so replayable because there is not really any story to get bored on; you just get immersed with the amazing combat feel.”
- “Then, to make things worse, the game has very little replay value once you complete it.”
- “I recommend it on sale because there is not a lot of content/replayability for a roguelite type and it is not worth it at the full price tag.”
- “I think this game would be a lot more engaging if the devs added more enemy types, enemy enchantments, scenery changes, etc. to give the game more replayability.”
optimization
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
5%
Overall, the game is praised for its strong optimization, running smoothly on a variety of hardware configurations, including mid-tier PCs. While many players report excellent performance and visuals, some have experienced minor stuttering issues, particularly during intense particle effects, suggesting that further optimization may be beneficial as the game progresses through early access. Despite these minor concerns, the general consensus is that the game is one of the better-optimized VR experiences available.
- “Incredibly well optimized, fantastic gameplay loop, and is quite possibly the best VR experience I've ever played.”
- “The combat feels fluid and satisfying, the game looks good and is well optimized and will provide you with many hours of fun and challenges.”
- “I'm so impressed at how well optimized it is.”
- “The game starts stuttering crazy bad and I am forced to take damage because by the time I recover, I already missed a block.”
- “If there's something I should change to increase performance, let me know and I will gladly flip this review to positive as I believe it deserves, but if it keeps lagging for a PC that's above the recommended specs, I can't recommend the game.”
- “However, I wouldn't mind a little bit more optimization.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
41%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on various hardware configurations with minimal bugs or glitches reported. Users appreciate the responsive controls and immersive visuals, although some minor issues with controller functionality in pause menus and occasional sound glitches during combat have been noted. Despite these small drawbacks, the game is generally regarded as reliable and enjoyable in terms of performance.
- “No bugs, runs great, the art style is gorgeous, music is surprisingly good, and this is an easy recommend for me.”
- “The game runs great, and sounds amazing with the now finished soundtrack, and finished content leading all the way up to epic boss fights through the landscape.”
- “The character body, enemies, weapons, it all looks fantastic, runs great, and is just beautiful to see and experience in VR.”
- “Only issue I've come across is the controller pointer is buggy in the pause menus.”
- “There are some sound glitches during combat and perk obtaining: all the sounds become very quiet for 1 second and then switch back to normal.”
- “I find if I launch through Steam rather than through Oculus, it has been loading Vive controller icons and been a bit buggy with buttons not doing what they normally would.”
grinding
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, primarily due to high upgrade costs and the need to level up weapons, which can feel repetitive and slow. However, some players find the grind enjoyable as it provides a sense of progression and new goals to work towards, despite concerns about a lack of incentives once certain damage thresholds are reached. Overall, while grinding is a prominent aspect, it is often balanced by engaging gameplay mechanics.
- “The order of the rooms, the layouts, the enemies, where enemies spawn; literally the same thing every time, just you'll grind out weapon upgrades to burn through earlier levels quicker, which also implies the game requires grinding in lieu of skill later on given this is the only thing that does ever even somewhat change.”
- “Grind: not many incentives to continue grinding after you hit a wall regarding the damage output.”
- “The second concern is that the 'grind' to get aether to unlock/upgrade weapons (upgrading being pretty important in this) is extremely grindy for an arcade-style game.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, engaging music, and immersive design, creating a captivating experience that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the unique blend of retro and synth elements, which contribute to a grim yet cartoonish vibe, particularly in VR. The overall ambiance evokes a sense of tension and excitement, reminiscent of the Dark Souls series, making combat feel intense and rewarding.
- “The atmosphere is great, the music is fantastic and the gameplay is satisfying.”
- “The synth aspects mixed with the retro-roguelike profile are extremely good to listen to and build a wonderful atmosphere.”
- “I can't emphasize enough how much better the grim cartoonish atmosphere feels on a VR 'grid' compared to those games that try to look realistic and can't pull it off due to VR limitations.”
- “This is the closest I've felt to a Dark Souls in VR game, not from the atmosphere like most claim, but the on-edge feeling of combat that feels like one wrong move will get you done for.”
- “I can't emphasize enough how much better a grim cartoonish atmosphere feels on a VR 'grid' compared to those games that try to look realistic and can't pull it off due to VR limitations.”
- “I really like the atmosphere and the design.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky design choices, such as the quit button being the only one that doesn't require holding, which players find amusingly ironic. Users enjoy the comedic moments that arise from watching friends play and struggle, although some frustrations with gameplay mechanics can detract from the overall experience. The developer's lighthearted engagement with players adds to the humor, even as it highlights some of the game's bugs.
- “The funny thing is that the only button that isn't hold to activate is the quit button, which is arguably the most permanent choice in the UI.”
- “Play until you fall, then have a rest and watch how your friend is playing and funny dodging.”
- “I appreciate the developer commenting on the post, but it's pretty funny to me they don't even understand their own bug that I commented on here.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews highlight exceptional character development, praising the game's stunning graphics and character design, which contribute to an immersive experience. The vibrant colors and impressive effects further enhance the overall visual appeal, making the characters feel more engaging and well-crafted.
- “This game is a wonder: the VR is well-crafted, and the character design and level design are wonderful. The effects are colorful and stunning as well.”
- “This game is a marvel; the graphics are sumptuous, the character design and level design are magnificent, and everything is colorful with superb effects.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as deeply engaging, evoking strong feelings that lead to a heightened sense of self-reflection and connection. Players report a compelling experience that resonates on a personal level, prompting them to explore their own emotions.