Developed by independent German studio Critical Rabbit, Fall of Porcupine tells the bitterly sweet tale of young doctor Finley, new to both the town and his career. We join Finley and his colleagues in the colourful town of Porcupine, as they try to balance the challenges of life with the stresses of working in a broken healthcare system.
Fall of Porcupine is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam and Nintendo Switch from £15.99 ($19.99). A free demo is also available for download, working as a prologue to the story.
Story – Accidents and Emergencies
We join junior doctor Finley in the humble town of Porcupine, which has a disappointing lack of porcupines. Despite this false advertising, there are plenty of other friendly critters you will meet along the way, the more meaningful of connections being made with your patients. The patients who pass through your ward include the likes of an asthmatic pig, troublesome deer and the venerable Irma with her eccentric stories. Over time, you begin to realise the unique personalities of the hospital staff too. A poignant example of this being the kinder side of the usually strict ward manager, Dr Krokowski.
As is the nature of a hospital, patients come and go. And as is nature, some will pass away while in your care. Tear inducing moments such as these offer deeper insights into the characters around them, bringing light to how everyone handles life differently. The main narrative highlights real risks of a crumbling healthcare system, yet Fall of Porcupine finds the time to touch upon other issues. Exploring themes of loneliness, grief and alcoholism, Finley handles all of life’s problems with light-hearted humour and respect. Although as time passes, we begin to see stress taking its toll on the well-educated pigeon, no longer wishing the world goodnight and looking increasingly weary throughout.
Finley builds a good friendsheep with co-workers Mia and Karl.
Gameplay – Wrong Button, Doctor
Story is the focus in Fall of Porcupine, and the simple yet fun gameplay reflects this. Dialogue exchanges and interactions are triggered with the square button, with X being reserved for the rare instance of needing to jump. While there is realism in the narrative, it is safe to say that the ‘treatment’ minigames make use of creative freedom, combining simple code breaking and games of finger twister with patient care.
There is a surprising amount of variety considering the small run time, with the opportunity to play basketball or have a snowball fight in your time off. An issue which occurred throughout and affected the fluidity of controls was incorrect button prompts, often being told to press X in place of square or vice versa. This caused me to fumble a few prescriptions, but thankfully only a few patients were harmed.
Not all the minigames are Dr related.
Audio and Graphics – Chilled Porcupine
Contrasting the mature nature of Finley’s journey, the visual aesthetic of Fall of Porcupine could have been lifted straight from the pages of a children’s storybook. Hand painted strokes filled with the warm and varied colours of autumn leaves add layers to the 2D style, turning into the cold hues of winter as seasons change. Mellow melodies are strummed on an acoustic guitar as you unravel the story in the modest town, occasionally accompanied by the chirps and hoots of unseen birds.
-
- As the game progresses you begin to see the stress take a toll on Finley.
-
- The bandaging minigame requires creative finger positions.
-
- Irma’s stories are told through chalkboard animations.
-
- Taking care of patients tasks you with unconventional diagnosis methods.
Fall of Porcupine was reviewed on PS5 with a key provided by Mark Allen PR.
