Fall of Porcupine Review (rebcary)
Initially I was so excited to play this game, it seemed like my perfect game and i was eagerly awaiting its release date. However, after completing the game I am left with an unsatisfied and angry feeling due to how slow the game was initially followed by a sharp build up and no climax.
For their first game they have the artwork and music down beautifully, but where it fails is its story. The conversations are long and tedious, you don't really learn anything from them. I didn't enjoy talking to any of the side characters as I felt it was unnecessary. I found only two of the mini games enjoyable, but even if you fail them there's no consequences so there's no real sense of pressure to do them right, you'll pass anyway. A 'C' grade is the same as an 'A' grade, it doesn't affect either short or long term performances.
The game has a slow build up, which isn't bad for a more relaxed gameplay, but the story suddenly spikes and claims to have all this tension with no release. There's no explanation for the town suddenly getting sick, they just are. The reveal of what the director did wasn't shocking and the characters very quickly moved on from it with no further mentions . The ending was so abrupt it left me staring at the credits in utter shock because there was no resolution. The story felt cobbled together for the third act, as if they didn't have enough time to develop it and so decided to go with a half-assed rushed idea.
I also experienced many typos, which for a story driven game is unacceptable. The dialogue between characters is what makes the story and it really broke your immersion to constantly be seeing typos. The dialogue would also sometimes repeat itself, or just not start so the screen was just frozen. There was a few graphical bugs, such as some of Finley's outfits appearing in the wrong scenario (winter hat and scarf with pyjamas). Also when waking up in bed Finley would sometimes float across his apartment. These bugs were to be expected from me, seeing as the game has only just released and it is their first game, but I hope they get them fixed soon.
They've managed to portray some of the struggles health workers go through, but that seems to be the whole game. There isn't an overarching story that makes you want to invest more time exploring the town, and the game has no consequences for any action you do. In my opinion it's an insult to compare this game to Night In The Woods, whose story is crafted so elegantly.