Many of the subjects dealt with call for very disturbing depictions, which are here in all their grotesque glory. The stylistic way the images are drawn somewhat diminish how graphic the body parts, acts of brutal killing, and naked women are presented, though it is still enough to shock. The “Mature” rating is certainly well deserved, though it comes not from working through its adult themes but rather from the constant splash of gore on screen, which the story could have cut back on substantially without losing its dramatic impact. In fact, it likely would have added to it, as the horrific images start to become just part of the scenery after a while. Slasher film fans may be pleased with the amount of blood and carnage thrown about, but less would have been better here. I myself am a horror fanatic, and like chills and dark stories, but the sheer amount of violent imagery was enough to turn me off, and it took me a while to get past these drawings enough to enjoy playing the game.

Sound in Downfall is rather sparse and includes no voice acting, as all dialogue is displayed solely as text. The lack of voices is understandable in an independent effort like this, but nevertheless the game would have benefited from at least some vocal support, as some of the emotional drama is lost with players just reading the dialogue. Some scenes feature small background noises like ticking clocks, and plenty of musical pieces accompany the action, including a very punk piece that plays during pivotal scenes. Subtitles are used for the dialogue, with characters’ lines presented in different colors so players can easily tell who is talking. There is a fair bit of conversation throughout, although not enough to turn most people off. Interactive dialogue trees are used to choose lines, and some of the responses are purely optional. Unfortunately, too many words are misspelled, which gives the game an unpolished feel. Strong language is also peppered throughout, with the “F” word used frequently.

As unconventional as Downfall is in its subject matter, it’s very traditional in its gameplay, almost to a fault. The puzzles throughout the game are mostly inventory-based, from finding and transporting a “live” brain to locating a deadly liquid chemical, requiring Joe to scour every area carefully. The puzzles are generally on the easy side, as combining items is only used for a few puzzles, and item application is otherwise quite simple, just clicking the item you want to use from the top bar on the screen with another object in the environment. Some of these can be entertaining, requiring creative ways to get around an obstacle, and one memorable puzzle ensures that it doesn’t matter which option you chose, as a disturbing scenario still results. Other puzzles, on the other hand, seem entirely uninspired and overly contrived. A window will need to be broken not with any of the perfectly usable items on hand, but one specifically designed for that use alone. Even that old standby, the poke-the-key-through-keyhole puzzle makes its presence felt here.

One of the few difficulties you may encounter is that some of the hotspots are quite small and easy to miss, which can stop progression cold at times. Once you find everything you need, however, the puzzle solutions typically make sense, and inventory items no longer needed disappear from your inventory, although that won’t stop the items from adding up, requiring a rather cumbersome system of scrolling to objects you need. There are a few “action” events where it is possible to die, but this word is used very loosely, as these scenes are easily finished, giving you plenty of time to do what’s needed, such as running away or shooting someone. If either Joe or Agnes does die, the game gives you a few more chances to try again, restoring right before the action sequence. You should still save occasionally as you go, but there’s little chance you’ll ever need to find yourself restoring from one.

Navigating through the game is done using simple point-and-click, though you can move characters with the keyboard if you desire. Left-clicking will move Joe around, pick up items, and communicate with other people. Right-clicking objects will describe the object, and either button will skip dialogue to the next sentence if players are quick readers. It can sometimes be finicky selecting inventory objects, and I did hit a few technical errors that kicked me out of the game, unfortunately. This did not set me back too much, but all the more reason to save your progress periodically.

Downfall is a pretty short game, taking me somewhere around five hours to complete, though its replayability does extend its value somewhat. And at a purchase price of $10, there’s really no complaint about the cost for time spent playing. Whether or not the experience is worth paying for, however, is far more of a question, and in a game of this kind, may depend even more on personal preference than most. Players who aren’t turned off by gruesome images may like this game for its distinctive artistic presentation and very visceral subject matter. Other players, including myself, don’t mind mature storylines but don’t look for it in how much gore can be shown on screen, so likeminded people probably want to think about passing this game up. In either case, once you look past the carnage, Downfall is a commendable indie endeavor that stands apart from the usual adventure fare, but is a little too rough around the gameplay edges to fully recommend.