"Survive the Fall: Initial Preview Released"

Long before Bethesda took the reins of the series and Walton Goggins donned the ghoul makeup for his captivating performance in its TV adaptation, Fallout was known for its isometric, bird's-eye perspective action RPG gameplay. It's this classic style of wasteland exploration that the upcoming game, Survive the Fall, appears to emulate, especially based on my first few hours with it. This post-apocalyptic survival narrative builds upon the original Fallout's framework, particularly through its detailed camp development system. The game's squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics create a fresh experience, although the somewhat static storytelling might hinder its full expression of personality.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, Survive the Fall's devastated world wasn't caused by nuclear fallout. Instead, a comet strike akin to the one that led to the dinosaurs' extinction decimated the planet's population. The impact left a crater that emits a toxic mist known as Stasis. Survivors either avoid this mist or harness its otherworldly power, mutating into stronger forms at the cost of their humanity. In Survive the Fall, your squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions across three distinct biomes, from the Stasis-embracing Shroomers to the enigmatic Sighted cult, to survive and thrive.

From the outset, I was drawn to Survive the Fall's squad-based mechanics. Navigating your party of up to three survivors through the expansive national park setting at the game's start, you can manually search for resources like chemical compounds or timber, or delegate these tasks to your AI companions, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the game. This division of labor feels more intuitive and accelerates the process of exploring and looting settlements. The only minor issue was the occasional clutter of button prompts when interactive elements were too closely grouped, but this was a rare occurrence.

Combat in Survive the Fall is also squad-oriented. Given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition early on, I prioritized stealth, approaching enemy camps with tactics reminiscent of Commandos: Origins—using stealth, distractions, and strategic positioning to silently take down foes. Environmental hazards, like explosive barrels and precarious cargo pallets, add satisfying strategic depth. When stealth failed and combat ensued, the gameplay could become slightly clunky with a controller, particularly when aiming. However, the ability to pause and direct squadmates to specific targets, similar to systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero, was a helpful feature, especially against tougher opponents.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

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After a day of scavenging and combat in the dangerous wilds, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management sim. Documents found in the world can be researched to gain knowledge points, which you can invest in a comprehensive technology tree to unlock crafting options ranging from bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration systems and armories. Resources like timber can be turned into planks and used to construct various structures, while foraged items and meat from wildlife can be prepared into meals for your expeditions. The depth of the base-building system promises hours of engaging development, turning your camp from a dilapidated outpost into a thriving community.

Exploring outside of your base revealed a variety of intriguing locations, from a converted enemy fort in a crashed plane to a ghoul-infested farmstead. Each direction offered unique locales, though some areas, like the Mycorrhiza swamplands with their beautiful but performance-heavy luminescent mushrooms, highlighted optimization issues. I encountered occasional game-breaking bugs, such as getting stuck in menus, but with a release date still a month away, there's time for developer Angry Bulls Studio to refine the game's performance.

The lack of voice acting in Survive the Fall, with all interactions conducted via onscreen text, made conversations feel somewhat flat. While certain characters, like the amusing Blooper who dubbed the Stasis smog "fart wind," provided some humor, much of the dialogue primarily served to initiate fetch quests rather than deeply develop faction relationships.

With its release scheduled for PC this May, Survive the Fall holds significant promise as a survival-based action RPG. If the developers can smooth out the current rough edges in controls and performance, it could become a compelling addition to the genre, well worth the investment of your hard-earned bottlecaps.