I'm dragging my husband by the ear out of a hole because the stupid sod got himself stuck for the third time in less than two minutes. Not only that, but he's lost half our haul of golden coins, sapphires and rubies after an ill-fated tussle with a green-eyed mummy. I knew fine well this second honeymoon to the Egyptian tombs beneath the pyramids wouldn't be as special as the first, but so far our romantic getaway is anything but. Look at him, whisky-nosed and hapless, shrugging like the world owes him something. And what is with that red beret? Honestly, this man. I despair.
Two minutes later in Falling Out – PolyCrunch Games' lighthearted, treasure-hunting roguelite platformer that echoes the likes of Spelunky and Rogue Legacy – and it's me who's stuck in a ditch. Bollocks. Time to eat humble pie. I whistle, and my husband comes running to my rescue, hoisting me above his head and tossing me to safety with the grace of an amateur wrestler. Oh, Giorgio, I think to myself. You ain't all bad.
To me, to you
Have you tried… Shifting scale and breaking your brain in Skala?
And so goes married couple Giorgio and Felicie's journey as they quest deeper into the treasure-laden, monster-ridden caverns of Falling Out, doing everything they can to survive, gathering priceless loot, and avoid constantly, well, falling out with one another along the way. In levels that get progressively more challenging, the pair are given three minutes to plunder and prosper, before each tomb is flooded with a rising tide of water. Both Giorgio and Felicie can swim, but a depleting oxygen gauge means last-gasp runs can get pretty frantic, with the timer-to-water combination reflecting the same risk vs reward mechanics of Spelunky's indomitable end-of-level Ghost.
Indeed, Falling Out takes many of its cues from Derek Yu's critically-acclaimed roguelike, not least in level design terms – players must descend from their starting point to each arena's exit, traverse a network of platforms and ledges, and avoid scores of baddies and traps en route – but also with the inclusion of Azar, a mysterious shopkeeper whose wares often increase your chances of survival. From boomerangs to teleport devices and special mythical crosses that can zap enemies dead, Azar has contraptions for days – and anything he doesn't have in stock can be sourced out in the wild.
In practice, this sees you spelunking for special items and stone tablets in specific levels, returning them to the shopkeeper, before then being presented with a blueprint. Assuming you've got the ingredients to hand, you can then craft your new tool at Azar's workbench. Like the games Falling Out is so inspired by, these items become more sophisticated, and more helpful, the deeper you go into the Egyptian tombs.
"All you need is a sense of humor, fast reactions, and, if controlling Felicie while she's pulling Giorgio out of hole for the umpteenth time, patience."
From the very beginning, however, how you manage Giorgio and Felicie as you clamber around each level is, for me, the most enjoyable part of Falling Out. With the click of a button, you can switch between each character as you please, meaning you can send one to battle a horde of hostile mummies, while the other circumvents the melee to snatch a now-unguarded treasure. You can solo certain levels, clearing a path for the other to simply skip to the exit. Or you can band together, offering the other a leg-up to scale especially tall walls; dropping ropes to help the other traverse deadly chasms; or picking the other up and tossing them to safety as outlined previously. Often, a combination of all of the above is essential, which can make juggling decisions on the fly against the clock both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. When you throw in the fact the avatars on screen appear to get gradually more agitated with one another as they go – in true stereotypically married couple fashion – the whole thing can be pretty hilarious too.
Which is ultimately what makes Falling Out so fun. Between its vibrant, cartoonish, GameMaker engine aesthetic, the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the fact that it wears its obvious inspirations firmly on its sleeve makes Falling Out a great game to kick back with on the couch. All you need is a sense of humor, fast reactions, and, if controlling Felicie while she's pulling Giorgio out of hole for the umpteenth time, patience. A lot of patience. Rather her than me. Enjoy your trip!
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