Human: Fall Flat Anniversary Edition
Humans Are Falling Flat Once Again, This Time In High Definition
Last month we took a look at Human: Fall Flat on the Nintendo Switch, an ambitious puzzle platformer on an ambitious handheld platform. Due to the game's simplistic graphics plus easy-to-pick-up controls, we decided that it isn't a terrible game on the Switch. The game, unfortunately, suffered from "Being On The Nintendo Switch," as its full potential is left untapped in favor of convenience. With the PS5 version in our hands, many of the Switch's limitations are non-existent.
Something always felt off with the game's presentation as the textures and models were of low quality. It's safe to say that the PS5 version fixes all of the graphical issues present in the Switch version. The infamous "jaggies" are smoothened out with phenomenal anti-aliasing and bloom effects to give life to the lifeless world of Human: Fall Flat. There's an actual distinction between the cloudy skies on the Mountain level and the skybox on other levels. Rather than wandering the void, the environment still feels otherworldly but it has a personality now, like a fresh coat of paint.
It's The Same Game, But Prettier
That's the most that I can say about the PS5 version of Human: Fall Flat. It's the same game regardless of whether it's on the Switch or the PS5, except one looks better than the other. The former has the latter beat in its convenience although I wouldn't recommend playing HFF on the train or anywhere public.
My opinions have changed a bit from playing the game a month later. I find the title rather frustrating and annoying as opposed to the "funny cheeky platformer" that the reviews apparently state on the cover. It's fun and humorous when you know what you're doing. If it's a fresh puzzle, it turns into a hair-pulling mess that requires patience or finding other ways to the solution. I mentioned before that the game doesn't "baby-fy" you and it's the truth. I decided to continue where I left off and I spent more time stuck than playing the game to catch up.
The Difficulty Spike Is Definitely There
It's due to the reason that I feel Human: Fall Flat is an idiot test. Sometimes, the most basic answer is right there in front of the player. This then leads to a scenario where the answer isn't quite as obvious. This left me stumped for a very long time, longer than I'd care to admit until I ultimately gave up.
Then again, these types of games were never really my forte? Fall Guys is probably the closest thing I can compare this to and even then I feel like the physics is an RNG mess. If things were more concise, it would be easier to understand Human: Fall Flat is the end result will always be the same. No two gameplays will be 100% alike, however, and it's all based on how forgiving the game is at the time.
If I wanted to play a physics-based puzzle platformer I'd be more inclined to boot up Portal and Portal 2 over this. I can only hope revisiting games like this will improve upon first impressions in the future. That said, I'm a glutton for punishment so maybe I won't give up on Human: Fall Flat entirely. From a console standpoint, the PS5 version reigns supreme but it is an exercise in patience.
Human: Fall Flat Anniversary Edition is now available on the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.