We’ve all at some point in our lives experienced something pivotal, whether that be earning some sort of reward for hard earned work or a tragic event that left you grief-stricken. It’s definitely an inevitable thing for all of us in this world we live in, because in some way or another, those experiences are helping us to become better versions of ourselves. One thing the indie scene offers more than your AAA giant is that smaller developers tend to step outside of their comfort zone, and provide players with unique experiences as they play. With I Fell from Grace, you’re thrown into a game that often feels all too real, the pain and struggles that the main character Henry must endure in order to move forward. All of these things are relatable in some way or another and that’s what truly makes I Fell from Grace a truly genuine title.
Oftentimes, we’re thrown into a fantasy-esque world where much of the reality we face on a daily basis is thrown to the wayside, and for those few hours we invest in the game, our minds are at ease. I Fell from Grace keeps you engaged and reminds you of the harsh reality yet it provides a very stimulating experience through its clever puzzles and poetic narrative.
What to Expect
While the game does portray real life issues, it still remains a game at the end of the day. The pixel retro visuals add a nice appeal to the game and acts as a reminder that once again, it’s just an experience. Had the game taken a more realistic approach in terms of visuals perhaps, our hearts would’ve cracked in the early portions of the game, but luckily, it didn’t. There’s a lot of backtracking that will need to be done in order to put all the pieces together, as well as paying close attention to the hints people provide you as you speak to them. Missing out on clues may put you back a little bit but the game isn’t meant to drag you along, but rather guide you towards something interesting. With its branching storytelling along with its go-at-your-own-pace gameplay, I Fell from Grace is a wonderful title for those who fancy a nice adventure.
Gameplay
So Henry and his wife move into a beautiful new home together, jubilant over how far the two of them have come as a couple. With a child on the way, they’re ecstatic about their future but all of that is cut short when Henry’s wife unexpectedly becomes ill, loses their child, and puts their finances in shambles. Now,1 Henry must find a way out of it all. You suddenly come across a mysterious lady who hands you an envelope and it is now up to you to decode the message within, but of course it comes with severe consequences.
We don’t want to spoil much of the game for you since experiencing it for yourself is all the better. We’ll just say that you’ll need to uncover the mystery before it’s too late. So much of the game is you wandering around collecting as many clues as possible in order to solve this mystery that’s been presented to you. Every obstacle you encounter reveals a puzzle that you’ll need to decipher and while they’re not necessarily difficult, they do require some thought in order to move forward. Everything is slowly revealed to you but then as the story begins to evolve, so too do the characters around you. Things start to branch off into different scenarios which is where the game starts to get a little more intriguing. One thing about games with a strong narrative is that at times they often trail off into an area that starts to grow boring, and it then drives you away from playing. I Fell from Grace, however, reels you back in as each branching plot leads you down a fresh new path and with each path, a new answer is revealed that surprises you.
It’s not mind blowing by any means, but as you play, it starts to feel more like a visual novel, and as you continue to play, you’re turning new pages in the story. Each chapter that you discover deals with a totally different scenario and so how you respond to it all is up to you. Not a lot of storytelling adventure games can pull it off well, but I Fell from Grace keeps you hungry for more, without steering you too far in one direction. The controls are extremely easy to use and so you’re not bogged down with complicated tools or actions to pull off, it’s just you find a specific item and now it becomes a test of how to properly use that item. It’s challenging enough that you feel a need to dig deeper and discover more about Henry’s past and eventful future, but not too easy that you fall asleep halfway through. It strikes a nice balance while providing a cool story that reminds us that oftentimes nothing ever truly comes for free in life. We all deal with psychological pains but ultimately, we need to crack those puzzles in reality to see what lies ahead in this world of mystery. That’s what I Fell from Grace teaches you.
Honey's Gameplay Consensus:
While the game isn’t incredibly long when compared to other storytelling adventures, I Fell from Grace holds its own very well in a space where competition is extremely high. The indie scene is always pumping out title after title, especially in 2017, and to see Deep Taiga pull off a feat like this is a pleasure to see. It’s a game that isn’t meant to truly hit you right away. In fact, we surmise that the main goal behind creating this title is to teach you just how important life is, and that we shouldn’t take things for granted. We all may lose a lot of things in life but we also happen to gain a lot from those losses, and so it’s important to understand the universal balance between the two to truly find peace in life. I Fell from Grace leaves that lasting impression on you well after playing, well at least for us it did. Everyone’s experience will surely be different but we assure you that it’s a worthwhile experience that shouldn’t be ignored.
Honey's Pros:
A wonderful narrative with a powerful message.
Great retro style visuals.
Challenging but not too overbearing.
Honey's Cons:
Not long enough to really get a grasp of everything.
Honey's Final Verdict:
In the end, we had a charming experience with I Fell from Grace and so, after reading this review we hope that you do too. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest gaming news, and of course don’t forget to follow us on Twitch when we go live! If you’ve happened to play I Fell from Grace then please feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below!
As always, for all things sweet, with news straight from Japan, be sure to keep it locked here on Honey’s Anime.
Editor/Writer
Author: Rob "NualphaJPN" B.
A passionate fan of gaming, writing, journalism, anime, and philosophy. I've lived in Japan for many years and consider this place to be my permanent home. I love to travel around Japan and learn about the history and culture! Leave a comment if you enjoy my articles and watch me play on twitch.tv/honeysgaming ! Take care!
