Humans Fall Flat (English)

Equally frustrating

 

Crash test dummy makes his way through the puzzle world. The name hints that humans are good at falling and this is rubbed to players face by making the controls challenging, much like in the 'Totally Accurate' games. The innovation of the game is that there's no one sure way to reach the goal but many depending on how clever the player gets.

Game information 

Name: Humans Fall Flat Pulbisher/Developer: Curve Digital/No Brakes Games
Platform: XBox One, PC (Steam), PS4, Mac Type: puzzle, platformer
Age rating(s): PEGI 3, ESRB: E (Everyone), Commonsensemedia.org suositus 7+
Reviewer: Rami
Pictures and links
Launch Trailer
Humans Fall Flat - Gameplay-trailer
Multiplayer update, Nintendo Switch.

From the perspective of the gamer?

Game type is a puzzle platformer. This means the problems are physical and they are solved with the real-life physics. While the character does wobble around like in 'Total Accurate' games the controls are accurate enough. Levels are freeform - to some degree. Practically the game doesn't care how you got to the end, as long as you did it. These elements are often called as 'sandbox features' but I would say you can destroy and pile things for your benefit. The downside is that player doesn't always have an understanding where he would need to go.

Perspective of the ratings?

Since 2012 Finnish law has bundled both TV-, Movies- and Games under the same legislation. While the criteria haven't especially planned for the 'hands-on' gaming, the requirements would apply to any game that would receive Finnish age rating. The fact is that there aren't many of those games. To keep this short, the official description would be "Slapstick like action in a simplified world. Scary or distressing elements do not exist in the game."

Parents and game education?

Platforming does generate some mild frustration and the interesting feature is that there isn't one way to do things. Freedom is good, at least the idea is commendable. Social gaming is popular, but the two player game can sometimes be hard to create. IP-address should be put to static to get the multiplayer to work. The typical problems include the fact that sometimes your friend gets way behind and first one to get to the checkpoint urges him to jump off the ledge so he could respawn to forward position.

Things to talk about

• Honestly. Do we always need to go through the pipe-like level design? 
• How many games (especially adult) do fall into a single solution for puzzled and pipe-like construction?