I'm sure we have all had our share of things that look ominous but turn out to be completely innocent. That shadow on the wall that was nothing more than an inanimate object, monsters underneath the bed that never were, a scary creaking noise in the middle of the night when we were children. If you've ever dreamt of something in the opposite direction - something seemingly innocent and pedestrian with a vicious layer of menace beneath it - look no further than the bottom of the page for this game review.

Fallstreak touches on many mature and difficult topics and may not be an enjoyable experience for everyone. But for what it does, it conveys with a powerful sense of mastery. Play this game/visual novel and you might just discover some hidden secrets in Socotrine, a hidden world completely encapsulated by a mystical mist (pardon the pun). Imagine seeing the world through the eyes of a child - the sheer resilience of someone able to be so carefree after having seen things unspeakably terrible. Discover the world of twins, affected but not afflicted through their disabilities after an event so catastrophic it is known as the Fire of Collapse.

Be advised that there's no "gameplay" in the strict sense of the word, but rather a very well-flowing story with it instead. This isn't a choose-your-own adventure and there are no branching choices either, but you will feel no less of a thrill for it. I think that my favorite aspect of Fallstreak were the recurring themes of agency and sharp contrasts. There is the idea of knowing you will ultimately fail but giving it a 120% effort in anyway. There is the brilliance of a summer sky, one last beautiful sight slashed against the agony of blood-streaked skies. But as one of the little girls in the story you'll soon get to know asks: what is beauty without ugliness, what is strength without weakness, what is pleasure without pain, what is "with" without "without?"

Fallstreak is very simple to play and constructed in Ren'Py. Simply click or space bar through the game to advance the text, and watch as the story unfurls before your very eyes. Oh and by the way, if you want to find out the only thing I can imagine being better than Fallstreak, heed the creators' advice and don't skip the credits!

Warning: Fallstreak contains depiction of very severe violence and difficult psychological themes. Reader discretion is advised before exploring this content.

Windows:
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Mac OS X:
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Linux:
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