|| REVIEW || A Fold Apart (PC)

 Developed By : Lightning Rod Games                Published By : Lightning Rod Games
Category : Puzzle, Adventure, Narrative
Release Date : April 16, 2020

Every gamer has a few hooks they prefer to hang their nerdy hats on, for the most part at least. There are some who like to stick to one game or type of game, and there's those on the other side of the spectrum that will hang their hats on any hook at all. I am of the latter group, but I still have just a few hooks that I prefer, and it feels like the planets align when a game combines all or most of those into one fine package. Which is how I felt earlier this year at PAX East when I came across A Fold Apart on the demo floor. 

A Fold Apart tells the story of two unnamed characters, in love with each other but separated. One character must deal with working in their dream job, one that goes on longer than was anticipated. The other is dealing with...well, dealing with that distance. Both want to be together, and both are torn on how to deal with it. 

What's great about this game right off the bat is you get to decide the love story you want to make. Before you set foot in the first level, you're given four scenarios to choose from. The two characters of the story can be set as both male, both female, or juxtaposing them in if the male or female has the job or not. No matter which scenario you choose, the story plays out the same, so feel free to set the journey you want. 

The game takes place over six chapters, where you'll play from both characters perspectives. Through these chapters you'll get a bit of a taste for how each side of the relationship feels. You'll progress in two ways, and it's a fairly even split between the two. One way is through heavily guided text-conversations that take place while one character is walking. These scenes are where you'll get the entire back story and current goings-on in the relationship, as well as participate a little in these chats. Every so often you'll be given a prompt to choose between two different responses. They both basically the same thing, just in a different tone, which as we know is the easiest thing to read through a text. 

Your actual playing portion of the gameplay will put you in charge of a great number of pieces of paper. Each chapter introduces a new technique you'll need to master to navigate forwards. Initially you are taught to fold from the sides of the page, then eventually you'll get to fold from the top/bottom, the corners, and even rotate the page entirely. The goal of each page is to get your character to the star, and you can even

Some challenges are thrown in your way as well. Naturally, the platforms you stand on won't be taking up a ton of space so you'll be using the folds to create bridges. Once you get into the vertical folds you'll need to deal with gravity, running the risk of making the wrong fold and having your character plummet to their death. You'll have to handle some blocks in order to climb small gaps, but these can squish you. There's a decent amount to be concerned about, making this game a bit more complex than just folding paper. 

A long while ago, I was introduced to the Paper Mario series through The Thousand Year Door. One of the things that resonated with me from this game was that the abilities they gave Mario were very paper themed. He could roll into a tube to move faster, or fold into a plane to glide gaps...it was more than just a game set to a paper theme. The very same thing can definitely be said about A Fold Apart and it's why I knew as soon as I saw it at PAX that this would be a phenomenal game. 

And believe me, it is. The story is a very touching one, and getting to shape the roles of the characters is a nice little bonus for those that feel these decisions are always locked in when the game is made. The puzzles themselves are really well thought out, and if you're like me then you'll find yourself in the position more than once of having been overthinking something massively. At the end of the day though, you'll be happy you played a game like this. 

Game Rating : 9 / 10

Pick up the game HERE on Steam

 
Also available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch

 

A code for the game was graciously provided to

the site for purpose of a review