Spring Falls Review
Official Score
Overall - 75%
75%
Spring Falls provides a relaxing experience that offers up challenging puzzle gameplay without ever being unfair. Though this is a one and done type of title, its trek to nature is worth it for those looking to get away from it all.
Mixing absolute serenity with puzzling gameplay, SPARSE//GameDev Spring Falls transports players to a world of “peace, nature, and hexagons.” Does this title provide a zen-like state, or is this jaunt in nature strictly for the birds?
Spring Falls Review
A number of budding blossoms need some help sprouting, but they need water and grass to help them survive. However, the terrain is at your fingertips – by shifting hexagons, one can control the flow of water and create a clear cut path for this little sapling to turn into a mighty plant that shines brightly and makes a pleasing melody that’s music to your ears.
However, things are far easier said than done. Set across 60 different cliffsides, players must contend with waterfalls, patches of dirt that magically spring high into the air with a little bit of water, flooding, and multiple saplings that all need some love. Easy levels quickly give way to complex affairs, ones that require a bit of finesse and trial and error to get ahead. Though more elements would have been welcome, what is here adds enough complexity to never make things boring or simple.
Note that it never gets frustrating. Challenging, yes, but never frustrating. Though there is typically only one clear cut solution for each puzzle, Spring Falls does everything in its power to make the process as smooth as possible. Moves can just as easily be undone, and players can even skip ahead a handful of levels if one proves to be too puzzling. If for some reason there’s a fail state, the worst that’s going to happen is a small squeak from a plant – nothing to be alarmed about.
Just be warned that this is a one and done type of game. Though the suite of levels took us a little over two hours to complete, there are no achievements or anything else to keep players coming back. A scoring system, or perhaps a way to make your own puzzles, would have given this game some legs. It’s far from a deal breaker, but this is one title where once you know the solution, you’re good to go.
Rounding Spring Falls out is a stylish audiovisual presentation that sets out to relax the player. The chirping birds and sounds of water provide an atmospheric vibe that helps you get lost in its world, and the soft, warm colors are a sight to behold. Most music is soft guitar melodies that get lost in the background, but they are well done and complement the game quite well. There is also a vocal track that players can experience at the end of the title that ties everything together.
Spring Falls provides a relaxing experience that offers up challenging puzzle gameplay without ever being unfair. Though this is a one and done type of title, its trek to nature is worth it for those looking to get away from it all.
