Downfall
2016 · Harvester Games
Has it aged?Why ↓
Downfall is a horror adventure in which you play a husband whose romantic getaway with his wife turns horrific. You work through dialogue rather than combat as their attempt to repair a struggling marriage descends into murder and madness. Red blood interrupts black-and-white scenes: the domestic nightmare is the draw, not the prospect of fighting back.
There is nothing Joe wouldn't do for his wife. But as they try to save their marriage with a romantic getaway, things go from bad to worse, and from worse... to insanity...
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play the 2016 remake for its marriage nightmare, not for action. A couple trying to repair their relationship gives the horror a more compelling starting point than another anonymous victim fleeing monsters. The 2016 remake is the version to choose: it adds full voice acting, revised dialogue, improved art and a new soundtrack, while removing combat and some of the original's trickier puzzles.
Play it if
You prefer disturbing conversations to fighting monsters, and a horror story about a failing marriage catches your attention more than a weapons list. You actively seek bleak, bloody adventures rather than treating their unpleasantness as something to tolerate.
Skip it if
You need combat to enjoy horror, or graphic bloodshed is a hard limit. The 2016 remake removes fighting, but its red-on-black-and-white presentation does not make the violence discreet.
Common questions
- Is the 2016 Downfall the original game?
- No. It is a remake of the Downfall released in 2009, with changes to the dialogue, artwork, soundtrack and mechanics.
- Does the Downfall remake have full voice acting?
- Yes. Full voice acting is one of the additions made for the 2016 remake, alongside updated dialogue.
- Does the remake keep the original's combat and difficult puzzles?
- The 2016 remake removes combat and some tricky puzzles. That makes it the better choice if you want the marriage horror without the original's fighting.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 15 in Feb 2016.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗As well liked as at launch.
The developer posts no update notes on Steam, so we can't tell.