"Survive the Fall: Initial Preview Released"

Long before Bethesda took the helm of the series and Walton Goggins donned ghoul make-up for the captivating TV adaptation, Fallout was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird's eye perspective. The upcoming Survive the Fall seems to draw inspiration from this classic style of wasteland exploration, at least based on the initial hours of gameplay I experienced. This post-apocalyptic survival tale builds directly on the original Fallout's framework—literally in the case of its robust camp development system—and its squad-based combat and scavenging elements contribute to a fresh experience, although the somewhat static storytelling holds back its full personality from shining through.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic scenarios, the devastation in *Survive the Fall* wasn't caused by nuclear folly. Instead, humanity faced a disaster akin to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs: a comet collision that obliterated a significant portion of the population and left a smoldering crater emitting a toxic mist known as Stasis. Survivors either shun this mist or harness its otherworldly power, mutating into stronger beings at the cost of their humanity. In *Survive the Fall*, your squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions across three biomes to survive and thrive, from the Stasis-embracing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult known as the Sighted.

As I delved into the numerous quests offered by Survive the Fall, I was immediately drawn to its squad-based mechanics. Navigating your party of up to three survivors through the expansive national park setting allows for both manual exploration of abandoned chests for chemical compounds or chopping down trees for lumber, or simply delegating these tasks to your team members. This approach feels more organic than micromanaging every action, and it streamlines the process of scavenging each settlement. The only drawback was occasional visual clutter from button prompts when interactive elements were too closely grouped, though this was a rare occurrence.

Combat in Survive the Fall also emphasizes teamwork. Given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition early in the game, I prioritized stealth in encounters with marauders and ghouls, approaching each enemy camp like a meticulous infiltration in Commandos: Origins. I utilized stealth tactics such as hiding in grass, throwing stones for distractions, and carefully navigating around enemy vision cones before executing silent takedowns and ordering my squad to dispose of bodies. Environmental hazards, like explosive barrels and dangling cargo pallets, added satisfying strategic options to confront patrolling guards.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

14 ImagesClearing out clusters of cultists was rewarding, but when my cover was compromised, combat became somewhat cumbersome with a controller. I suspect a mouse and keyboard setup might offer better precision, but using a controller made aiming challenging, often leading me to rely on melee attacks and dodging in close quarters. Fortunately, the ability to pause and direct squadmates to focus on specific targets—similar to systems in Wasteland or Mutant Year Zero—proved useful, allowing my team to handle tougher foes while I dealt with support units.

After a day of battling mutants and gathering resources in Survive the Fall's dangerous badlands, the game shifts to a base-building management simulation at your camp. Documents found in the wild can be researched to earn knowledge points, which you can invest in a comprehensive technology tree. This unlocks the ability to craft various structures and amenities, from bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration systems and armories. Resources like timber can be transformed into planks and used to construct new facilities such as plant boxes or defensive gates, while foraged herbs and meat from wildlife can be prepared into meals for your expedition team. The depth in this system suggests I could spend a significant amount of time transforming my settlement from dilapidated ruins into a thriving community.

Beyond my base, Survive the Fall offered several intriguing areas to explore. From a crashed passenger plane converted into an enemy fort to a farmstead overrun by Stasis-infected ghouls, the game consistently rewarded exploration in any direction. However, the detailed environments, such as the luminescent mushroom clusters in the Mycorrhiza swamplands, occasionally led to performance issues, with a volatile framerate and occasional game-breaking bugs. These issues forced me to quit and reload my save a few times during my session. Fortunately, with about a month until Survive the Fall's release, developer Angry Bulls Studio has time to refine the game's performance.

The lack of voice acting in Survive the Fall is noticeable, as interactions with squad members and NPCs are limited to onscreen text. While some characters, like the amusing Blooper who calls the Stasis smog "fart wind," provided moments of levity, much of the dialogue felt utilitarian, primarily serving to initiate fetch quests rather than deepening character relationships.

As Survive the Fall progresses, deeper bonds may develop, and we won't have to wait long to see. Scheduled for a PC release this May, Survive the Fall holds promising post-apocalyptic potential. If the developers can smooth out the rough edges in controls and performance by then, it could be a survival-based action RPG well worth your hard-earned bottlecaps.