Fall of Porcupine Review: Nothing is Faster Than Light
A sprained ankle, a common cold. A respiratory virus, and a mean cough. A bout of pneumonia, or even mild poisoning. The healthcare system is there for each of these circumstances, and each of us likely had a run in with it once or twice in our lives. Most of us, however, get the rare chance to get to know the people who work in the place we would usually not like to visit. If you have the opportunity, you may find they're human just like you within the Fall of Porcupine.
The Red Trees Have Left the Forest
The town of Porcupine rests on a hillside alongside a running river. It's here that Finley, our protagonist, has decided to start his medical career fresh out of Medical School. The facility, St. Hospital, has definitely seen better days. With leaks, dampness in the walls, and even cracks starting to show, problems become more prevalent as the days go by.
Finley and another character, Mia, have just started here, working in Internal Medicine under Dr.Krokowski. Every day the pair receives their orders to check in on various patients and finish the tasks assigned to them. As Finley, you'll poke and prod for a vein, which lets you listen to the rhythmic beats of the heart. You’ll also find the correct dosage for the patient's medication while also offering an open ear. While the good Dr. Krokowski feels like an uphill battle to get on their goodside, over time your confidence rises in your professional ability as a doctor.
Outside of visiting your patients at the hospital, Finley will visit with Pina the plant store owner, shoot some hoops with Mia, and even knock back some drinks at the tavern with a nurse and friend, Karl. Moments like these offer rich storytelling, moments of levity, and also fun minigames. Porcupine has a lot to offer in its small town with its few roads and beautiful view of surrounding plains. There's a lot to discover on your own outside of your day to day path to and from work and each town member you get the opportunity to meet with is more colorful than the last.
There are even special moments peppered throughout the game that shine even brighter than the main story. Pina will take you to the local woods and show you the town's tradition for remembering lost loved ones; Karl into a literal bar brawl with disgruntled individuals; and your homeless neighbor Alfio is always a delight to see and speak with. However with all this, it's your patients that stick with you the most during your time spent in Porcupine - for better or worse.
The Scent of a Hazelnut Candle
Fall of Porcupine is half-cartoon half-painting, with beautiful colors of nature that pop against the coldness of the town's buildings. The anthropomorphic characters are full of life and personality, and exude it through their text dialogue in animated speech bubbles. The minimalist user interface works very well with this game, where the only thing is Finley's phone. The phone is outfitted with texting, a memo app for those you come in contact with so you don't forget anything important about them, and your work app to receive your shift's duties.
The varied residents of Porcupine are each unique in their appearance and their movements. There are people walking the streets that you won't speak with that look awfully familiar to one another, but every individual you can interact with are wholly original. On the audio side, relaxed and sparse music will play in and out, really accenting the game as opposed to overscoring. Conveying an emotional connection with the town and its inhabitants.
A Birb About Town
Getting around the 2D town and surrounding areas are done through walking and light-platforming. When you're on shift at the hospital you'll complete various tasks through mini-games, puzzle, rhythm and otherwise.
Sprinkled throughout the game are special, story related mini games as well. From Basketball, a drinking game, to even a full-on RPG battle sequence - these minigames never take you out of the experience and actually fit perfectly in the world and suck you into its embrace further.
Breakdown
Game: Fall of Porcupine
Developer: Critical Rabbit
Availability: PC, Switch, PlayStation 4/5, & Xbox Series X/S/One
Reviewed on PC (Steam Deck)
Pros:
+ Loveable and realistic characters
+ Honest to life story
+ Fun gameplay loop with great standout one-offs
Final Thoughts
Fall of Porcupine is an absolutely fantastic game. With its characters and story set within the healthcare system along with an elegant small town as its setting, I absolutely sympathized and fell in love with this game quickly. Fall of Porcupine had me laughing and acutely sure that the tissues nearby during a somber moment.
It's a rare thing to tell a story so honest and real when compared with our reality without being heavy handed or emotionally manipulative, but this game did it. I cared about these characters and this town, and I hope someday we're invited back for another Hibernation Festival to check back in on everyone.
Written by Matthew Wright