The Fall Part 2: Unbound

Science fiction sequels can usually go one of two ways -- either they expand on the fiction in creative and exciting ways like Blade Runner 2049, or they completely ruin everything that was good about the self-contained first story like the two Matrix sequels. When it came to a follow-up for The Fall, I found myself a little indifferent. I remember enjoying the first game, but didn't get emotionally invested in the world and characters. Now that I've played The Fall Part 2: Unbound, I'm excited to say that this sequel blows the first game away and adds to the story in ways I wasn't expecting. This is no Matrix Reloaded.

This brand new sequel takes place immediately after the events of the first game. We see that Arid is having something of an identity crisis. She's an AI program that has managed to break free of her rules, only to find that a human "user" has infected the network with a virus that threatens to shut Arid down. This sends her on a mission to save herself and hunt down this user before it's too late.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going into The Fall Part 2: Unbound, but I can tell you right now that I hadn't even considered that a sex robot would be part of the fun. Let me back up. In order to complete her mission, Arid will need to team-up with some of the different robots that make up this futuristic world. And when I say team-up with them, what I really mean is that she subtly (and not-so-subtly) convinces them to help take down this rogue User.

This gives us an opportunity to experience this world from several completely different perspectives. One of my favorite stories involves a robot soldier that has somebody broken free of the collective hive mind. He paints, listens to music and has come to the realization that he's an individual that is able to think for himself. His story is, at least initially, completely separate from that of an anal retentive butler who can't seem to break free of an endless loop and that companion robot who is just looking to help people.

No matter which story you're playing, the basic structure comes down to a mix of point and click adventure gaming and run 'n gun shoot-outs. Each character has a set of puzzles to solve, so you'll need to explore the surroundings and interact with everything. This means a lot of clicking on useless objects in hopes of finding the right solution. But then, from time to time, the game will toss in a few action stages that always feel half-baked.

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On second though, I wouldn't say they all feel half-baked. Yes, the shout-outs are painfully repetitive, but the hand-to-hand combat is pretty good. These brief sections remind me of something like Kung Fu or Vigilante, where all you do is kick and punch people rushing from both sides. This is a good example of just how different these three stories end up being. Everything from the look to the puzzles to, yes, the combat feels noticeably different from one character to the next.

That's easily the best thing about The Fall Part 2: Unbound. I found myself completely sucked into these three stories and caring what happened to these robots. I also cared what happened to Arid and wanted to know more about this world. And without giving anything away, all of these parts manage to come together in some fun and clever ways. This really is a story about self-discovery, and I love how the game comes at the theme in a bunch completely different ways. I have a hunch I'm going to be thinking about Arid's journey for some time to come.

It's a good thing the story is so strong, because the gameplay continues to be the worst part of this franchise. Even when she's at the top of her game, Arid is still stiff and not as responsive as you would like. This is especially true when we're locked in one of the many shoot-outs, where suddenly doing simple things like jumping and turning around become a nightmare. The Fall Part 2 seems aware of these shortcomings and gives us a way to quickly aim at the enemies, but it's clear that this game was not designed with combat in mind.

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When I reviewed the first game back in 2014, I complained that too much of the game took place in one boring location and the puzzles were occasionally obtuse. Well, the puzzles can still be a bit obtuse at times, but at least we're given a bunch of different locations to explore. This is a much bigger game than the first, and the change in scenery is a big improvement. That said, I do wish more was done with these individual locations. When it comes right down to it, I would have preferred another two or three hours with these robots to Arid running around and shooting smoke monsters.

After being mixed on the first game, I find myself completely sucked into the world of The Fall Part 2. I loved the characters, the adventure game scenarios and how the story ultimately plays out. Unfortunately, the compelling narrative is bogged down by stiff gameplay and lame shoot 'em up sections. But even with those criticisms, The Fall Part 2: Unbound is a vast improvement over the original that delivers a thought-provoking story you won't be able to stop thinking about.