Downfall Redux (2016)
Released a week ago, Downfall Redux is an enhanced version of Harvester Games’ first title. It reaches towards the level of the studio’s more successful second release, The Cat Lady, without quite getting there. I am not a fan of horror games, and excessive, gratuitous gore does not appeal to me, but a game that moves between different states of consciousness certainly does. The visuals, built around an aesthetic of ugliness, were also enough to draw me in.
I have written earlier about The Cat Lady, which still seems to be holding its place in the blog’s top ten. After its release, the game’s designer, Michalski, returned to his home country of Poland and has since been able to focus on game development full time. Downfall Redux is clearly more developed than the original. Michalski has not, however, made concessions to the mainstream; the new version is still raw indie work.
A discovered (sick) mind
I had tried the original Downfall before, but abandoned it early on when the game required stabbing a cat open without me seeing any justification for it. Everything else felt disconnected as well, and I could not grasp the overall purpose. In the new version, however, the reason for the cat scene becomes clear, and the player is even given the option to stage it as an accident.
The new version also provides the groundwork that was previously missing, along with a clearly stated overarching goal. Once the backgrounds of the main characters are established, it becomes much easier to empathise with them. The role of realism and logic in a game dealing with mental illness is, of course, a tricky matter. Even so, I found the new version successful, and tasks that might initially seem irrational could still be solved through reasoning.
A journey inside a sick mind
The neighbour familiar from The Cat Lady takes the leading role in Downfall. Or, considering the original release order, perhaps it should be said the other way around. Joe and Ivy’s marriage has collapsed due to Ivy’s severe eating disorder, and Joe’s own mental state is far from stable. Joe hopes that a holiday might repair the relationship, and the couple check into a hotel. The signs are bad from the outset: the hotel is dilapidated, strange, and eerily empty.
More accurately, the entire game takes place inside Joe’s mind. Other characters reside there as well. Locations shift and rearrange themselves, and the tasks are, in everyday terms, absurd or disturbing. There is nevertheless an internal logic at work. The tasks are not difficult and are tackled one at a time. The game is played using the keyboard, which I found worked well.
Although the gameplay itself is simple, the content and the unexpected transitions were enough to make the experience engaging. I cannot say that the game left me with a deeper understanding of mental disorders, but together with the visuals, it is certainly among the more memorable experiences. Downfall Redux breaks common expectations related to place, time, characters, and logic, yet still manages to remain coherent.
The graphics use a varied mix of techniques and closely resemble those of The Cat Lady. They are mostly black and white, with occasional colour used as a deliberate effect. The music moves between alternative rock and electronic soundscapes. I found the voice acting adequate. As a curiosity, it is worth noting that Ivy is voiced by a Finnish hairdresser. From a technical standpoint, the sound design is not finely polished. A certain roughness and lack of refinement characterise the game as a whole.
Verdict
As I never finished the original Downfall, I cannot properly compare it with the new version. That said, the fact that I wanted to see this one through to the end says something in itself. Downfall Redux is a journey inside a disturbed mind, and it is not a pleasant one. For me, however, the story ultimately justifies itself.
The usual rules governing consistency in adventure games are successfully broken, and I give Downfall Redux an overall score of 62 out of 100.
Availability
Downfall Redux is available for Windows PCs.