"Survive the Fall: Exclusive First Look"

Long before Bethesda took the helm of the series and Walton Goggins donned ghoul makeup for the captivating TV adaptation, *Fallout* was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird's-eye perspective. This classic style of wasteland exploration serves as the inspiration for the upcoming *Survive the Fall*, evident from my initial hours with the game. This deadly post-apocalyptic survival tale builds upon the original *Fallout*'s foundation, particularly through its robust camp development system. The game's squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics offer a refreshing experience, though the somewhat static story presentation occasionally dims its vibrant personality.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, *Survive the Fall*'s ruined world wasn't caused by human nuclear folly. Instead, a catastrophic comet collision wiped out a significant portion of the population, leaving a smoldering crater that emits a toxic mist known as Stasis. Survivors either avoid this interplanetary plague or harness its power, mutating into stronger beings at the cost of their humanity. Throughout the game, your squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions across three biomes, from the Stasis-huffing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult called the Sighted, to survive and thrive.

I quickly grew fond of *Survive the Fall*'s squad-based system as I tackled numerous quests. Navigating your party of up to three survivors through the expansive national park that sets the stage for the story's beginning, you can either manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your team, streamlining the scavenging process across settlements. This delegation feels more natural than micromanaging every task yourself, though the interface can become cluttered with button prompts when interactive elements are too close together.

Combat in *Survive the Fall* is also team-oriented. Given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition in the early stages, I prioritized stealth, approaching enemy camps much like in *Commandos: Origins*. I utilized stealth tactics such as hiding in long grass, throwing stones for distractions, and silently taking down foes before instructing my squad to hide the bodies. The game features satisfying environmental hazards, like explosive barrels and dangling cargo pallets that can be strategically used against enemies.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

14 Images

Clearing out clusters of cultists felt rewarding, but when my cover was compromised, the combat became somewhat fiddly, particularly with a controller. Aiming with the lasersight was challenging, leading me to rely more on melee attacks and dodging. Fortunately, the ability to pause and direct my squad to focus on specific targets, similar to systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero, helped manage tougher encounters effectively.

After a day of battling mutants and gathering resources in the deadly badlands, *Survive the Fall* transitions into a base-building management sim. Documents found in the world can be researched to earn knowledge points, which unlock a variety of crafting options from bunk beds and kitchen areas to water filtration systems and armories. Resources like timber can be transformed into planks and used to build structures such as plant boxes or gates to fend off nighttime raiders. Foraged herbs and salvaged meat can be prepared into meals for your adventurers. The depth of this system promises hours of engaging base development.

Exploring beyond my base, I encountered numerous intriguing areas, from a crashed passenger plane turned enemy fort to a farmstead overrun with Stasis-infected ghouls. Each direction offered unique locales, though the impressive detail in some areas, like the luminescent mushroom clusters in Mycorrhiza, occasionally led to performance issues and framerate drops. I also encountered game-breaking bugs a few times, necessitating a save reload. With *Survive the Fall* set for release in May, developer Angry Bulls Studio has time to optimize performance further.

The lack of voice acting for characters results in somewhat flat interactions via onscreen text, though quirky characters like Blooper, who refers to Stasis smog as "fart wind," provided some humor. Conversations often felt like mere cues for the next fetch quest rather than deepening my connection with the game's factions.

As *Survive the Fall* is slated for release on PC this May, it holds immense post-apocalyptic potential. If the developers can smooth out the rough edges in controls and performance, this survival-based action RPG could well be worth your hard-earned bottlecaps.