Light Fall (Review)

By: GooseLight Fall, which was released on multiple platforms (Steam, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4) on April 26th by independent company Bishop Games, puts a spin on classic adventure games. With gameplay of a style similar to what was seen in Nintendo’s original Super Mario Bros., Light Fall is an adventure thriller with a plethora of elements that really make it feel complete. There is never a lack of action, and there’s always obstacles to be crossed and enemies to defeat. As you seek to accomplish your objective, it's important to be precisely careful when jumping across platforms or attempting to avoid deadly rocks that you'll succumb to upon making any contact with them. Extracurriculars such as treasure even await you at unexpected spots, sometimes deep below the surface and protected by lasers or other dangerous armaments.As a 2D platform video game, this side-scroller leaves the player feeling tense and uneasy as they carry on. With very precise yet easy to remember controls on every system, Light Fall provides an "easy to learn, difficult to master" play style.  Arguably the most important key to survival is knowing how to utilize your ability to deploy platforms. You create platforms using a tool known as the "Shadow Core", and mastering it will help ensure that you stay alive, whether they help prevent you from falling or just being a blockade to obstacles being thrown at you.The game can be purely described as a mixture of the original Mario game and Limbo, which is an eerie Xbox One horror game created with a sinister atmosphere. Light Fall takes the basic concepts from Mario in the sense of gameplay, as the easy controls and general UI are similar. Limbo’s bleak aesthetics seem to be factored into the game as well, which can be parallel to the ghastly environment found in Light Fall’s creepy World of Numbra.Light Fall frequents a gloomy tone - it's certainly not sunshine and rainbows. The eternally dark world is full of danger, and much like the recent platformer hit, Celeste, it's best to be prepared to die quite a few times. On the bright side, there fair amount of checkpoints and a “trial and death” revival method, so you’ll never lose too much progress.The action found in Light Fall is unique compared to other challenging platformers. At certain points, boats will need to be constructed, or maybe you’ll just have to mantle a massive wall while evading flying creatures. The diversity in settings and battles helps to keep things fresh.Finally, it's worth noting that a pinch of magic is tossed in as well, which can be useful when in your journey through Numbra. There is so much to offer in Light Fall, and there are only a few negative aspects that I found. The storyline is awesome and brilliantly creative with the end-all goal of discovering your dark past and (hopefully) saving the world from a horrible threat. It’s definitely worth a play, and Bishop Games definitely did a fantastic job on Light Fall. You can find Light Fall on Steam, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch for $14.99!Note: Bishop Games provided us with a review code for Light Fall in exchange for our honest review.