"Survive the Fall: Exclusive First Look"

Long before Bethesda took the reins of the series and Walton Goggins smeared on the ghoul make-up for his captivating role in its adapted TV show, Fallout was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird’s eye perspective. It's this classic style of wasteland-wandering that the upcoming game, Survive the Fall, seems to be drawing inspiration from, at least based on the initial hours I experienced. This deadly post-apocalyptic tale of survival builds upon the original Fallout's template – particularly evident in its robust camp development system. Its squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics contribute to an experience that feels refreshingly new, despite the somewhat static story presentation that keeps its full personality from shining through.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, Survive the Fall’s ruined world wasn't caused by nuclear negligence. Instead, a comet collision with Earth led to the demise of a significant portion of the population, leaving behind a smoldering crater that emits a toxic mist called Stasis. Those who survived must either avoid this mist or harness its power, mutating into stronger forms at the cost of their humanity. Throughout the game, your growing squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions scattered across its three biomes to survive and thrive, from the Stasis-huffing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult known as the Sighted.

As I embarked on each new task from Survive the Fall’s numerous quest-givers, I quickly grew fond of its squad-based setup. Navigating your party of up to three survivors through the sprawling national park setting allows you to manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your team, streamlining the process of scavenging settlements. This division of labor feels more natural and accelerates the looting process. However, the occasional clutter of button prompts when interactive elements are closely grouped can be a minor annoyance, though these instances are rare.

Combat in Survive the Fall is also team-oriented. With limited rifle and shotgun ammunition in the early stages, I approached encounters with marauders and ghouls prioritizing stealth. Each infiltration of an enemy camp felt like a strategic mission, akin to navigating through Commandos: Origins, utilizing stealth tactics and environmental hazards like explosive barrels and dangling cargo pallets. However, when stealth failed and combat ensued, the precision required for aiming with a controller was somewhat challenging, often leading me to rely on melee attacks and dodging. Thankfully, the ability to pause and direct squadmates to focus on specific targets provided a tactical edge, reminiscent of systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

14 ImagesClearing out clusters of cultists was satisfying, but direct confrontations could be somewhat cumbersome. I suspect that using a mouse and keyboard might offer better precision, but with a controller, aiming was less intuitive, leading to frequent use of melee attacks and dodging to manage enemy health bars.

After a day spent battling mutants and scavenging in the deadly badlands, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management sim at your camp. By researching documents found in the wild, you can earn knowledge points to unlock a variety of structures and systems, from bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration and armories. Resources such as timber can be transformed into planks and used to construct essential structures like plant boxes or protective gates. Foraged herbs and meat from wildlife can be crafted into meals, ready to be packed for your next expedition. The depth of this system promises hours of engaging base development in the full game.

Beyond your base, Survive the Fall offers a range of intriguing areas to explore, from a crashed passenger plane turned enemy fort to a Stasis-infected farmstead. While the detailed environments, like the luminescent mushroom clusters in the Mycorrhiza swamplands, are visually impressive, they can also impact performance, with occasional framerate drops and game-breaking bugs. However, with a month left until its release, developer Angry Bulls Studio has time to further optimize the game.

Survive the Fall's narrative is delivered through onscreen text, which can feel somewhat flat. While certain characters, like the quirky Blooper who calls the Stasis smog "fart wind," provided some humor, most interactions felt like mere prompts for the next quest rather than opportunities to deepen character connections. Hopefully, as the game progresses, these bonds will strengthen.

Survive the Fall is set to launch on PC this May and is brimming with post-apocalyptic potential. If the developers can smooth out the current rough edges in controls and performance, this survival-based action RPG could well be worth your investment in bottlecaps.