An interesting game just landed onto the Playstation Network. Called Do Not Fall, this game will take us back to the basic gameplay of running and jumping, all while avoiding to plummet to your death. While this may sound a little grim, it’s actually a light-hearted ordeal with plenty of cute characters.
Do Not Fall is a platforming game where the objective is to get from point A to B without falling. The whole game is presented in a cartoon-like manner. Various characters are presented in a cute fashion with big eyes and fluff all around. I should mention too that they are all animals. The game’s visuals are pretty impressive as the backgrounds give quite a depth. The color scheme is top-notch as everything looks vibrant and stimulating. On the other hand, the sound effects lack a certain lasting impression. The music is pretty standard, although the tunes do successfully offer a soothing and uplifting feel.
When you enter into Do Not Fall, you’ll notice that you’ll constantly need to run around and collect items, such as keys, in order to get through the locked door. You see, certain tiles of platforms will actually crumble and will make you fall if you stand on it for too long. Therefore, staying mobile is necessary. This forces the players to keep running around during the levels while trying to figure out the right path to the final destination. Basically, you’ll need to think on your feet. So there’s an element of puzzles attached to the gameplay in Do Not Fall.
Making things more interesting are new obstacles introduced to the mix. You’ll see spike traps waiting to snap you up. Or perhaps there will be bulls and other creatures waiting to run over you. While there’s a specific move pattern attached to them, it is still a challenging ordeal since you still need to keep on running in order to avoid falling off.
There are also certain crates or rocks that need your character to dash into in order to break on through. Considering that these sometimes happen to obstruct a path, it is necessary to make that boost prior to reaching that part. Because dashing requires some time to recharge, timing is key to the whole gameplay.
As a result, you’ll be constantly multitasking in your head. This can get pretty tough and mind boggling, thus potentially discouraging players who happen to be stuck at a certain point in the game. Luckily, there are temporary checkpoints that beam you back to that certain spot when you die. However, if you fall off once again, you’ll need to start all over.
Because trial and error is the key to survival in Do Not Fall, the game may fall in the danger of being repetitive in the eyes of frustrated players. Going through the same level over and over again in order to find the right path, speed, etc. can be overwhelming. Adding salt to this wound is how the view perspective is slightly at an angle. This means that certain things could be missed because of this obstruction or that players may misjudge how far away a platform really is.
Do Not Fall also features a number of multiplayer modes for both local and online players. In this case, you’ll be competing against each other to reach the goal all while avoiding not being pushed off. In one mode, your objective is to step on as many blocks as you can. Each competition will give players with certain power-ups such faster speeds or a brief gigantism in the beginning. In the case of the multiplayer mode, the constant falling no longer becomes a source of frustration. Rather it becomes a hilarious moment especially when it involves a friend. And with a number of character waiting to be unlocked, Do Not Fall has some replay value attached.
While the game may look too friendly at first glance, it does offer some exquisite challenges that may either frustrate or push you to play further. There may be some potential downfalls in Do Not Fall, but overall it’s a pretty decent game. If you want to check this game out, I suggest you try out the demo to see if you’ll “fall†for its charm. Otherwise, you can pick this one up for $9.99 at the Playstation Store.
