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Vaguely presenting your story often leaves it open to interpretation and ambiguity. It has been used in films and TV for as long as they have existed, likewise in video games. I suspect that it happens more often than creators would like to admit due to not having a strong narrative in the first instance. Ie: I have a basic plot, but not sure how to flesh it out. I know, I’ll leave it intentionally vague and people will enjoy it more. Rightly or wrongly, it works.
Now, I am not saying that Moonrise Fall presents an intentionally vague story. But, suffering a car crash and then having to spend four hours wandering through a forest doesn’t make much sense, seemingly having a strong concept for a game but unsure how to bookend it with plot. It doesn’t exactly work, but Moonrise Fall’s central themes are so emotive and haunting that how you end up in the forest almost doesn’t matter.
If it wasn’t immediately apparent now, Moonrise Fall starts with you suffering a car crash, unable to get out of the car as it sinks underwater. However, when you awaken, you are in a black void. After wandering around for a short time and learning the mechanics of the game, you find a strange looking mask; more like a skull of an animal than a traditional mask. You put it on and are instantly transported to a forest. Whether this forest is some sort of purgatory resulting from the car crash is unknown, but it also offers you the chance to explore.
Armed with just a camera, there is no combat in Moonrise Fall. Instead, your primary objective is simply to explore, and your goal will become apparent. This camera can be used to highlight hidden areas or illuminate objects of interest. It can also be used to take pictures of the animals in the forest, but first you will need to create their ideal habitats.
You have access to a guidebook, and it will tell you the rough location of an animal, along with some descriptive text detailing what is required for the animal to appear. You can manipulate the time of day from the very beginning, and soon after you find a kalimba that can be used to change the weather. A lantern you are holding will release sparks once you are near a location for an animal, but it is then down to you to create the correct environment for it to appear.
That still isn’t enough though; once it has ‘appeared’ you will need to track it with your camera and then press the correct buttons before you can actually take the picture. Finally, shake the polaroid to then reveal the animal in question.
At first, this may seem like a side-activity as you wander through the forest, but it will quickly become apparent that in order to progress to new areas and ultimately, the end, you will need to find as many of these animals as you can.
As you explore, you will come across areas that are far more linear than the forest itself. Without giving too much away – as Moonrise Fall is best experienced with as little detail as possible – finding these is crucial. Each one then has a puzzle mechanic that you must figure out and complete before you are able to move on through the forest.
However, these sections can feel a little drawn out. The puzzles you will find here feel clever enough at first without being too obtuse, but then they are done to death. They do overstay their welcome somewhat.
Outside of these areas, Moonrise Fall features a lot of backtracking. As such, there are fast travel points dotted throughout, but a few more would have been appreciated. Similarly too would the ability to travel a bit faster than a walking pace, particularly when mopping up collectibles and secrets after the main game has been completed.
But we understand why that is. There is an atmosphere to Moonrise Fall that far outshines the pixel art aesthetic. It is haunting without being a horror game, and yet feels strangely peaceful too. You get the feeling that your unnamed character is searching for a way out of this forest, but also at the same time would be able to call this place home over time.
With themes of loss, death, hope, sadness, survival and everything else, it isn’t necessarily the first-choice setting for a puzzle game. But all that adds up to make Moonrise Fall a unique title in that respect. It offers a lovely, if haunting, place to explore, with enough secrets to keep things exciting. But even despite its relatively short length some elements overstay their welcome, and the lack of a sprint button is frustrating, especially when finding the last few collectibles after completing the main story.
But come back you will, because Moonrise Fall is a delight.