GrimTalin has been around the block as far as Xbox games are concerned. Having already developed (and published) games like “Long Ago: A Puzzle Tale“, “Last Days of Lazarus” and the predecessor to this game “The Adventures of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition“. More importantly, his games have been generally well received by the gaming community. His latest project, “The Fall of Elena Temple” was originally developed for the quirky Playdate handheld console and was built around the handheld unique crank feature. We interviewed GrimTalin about The Fall of Elena Temple and developing for the Playdate last year, now the game is let free to mainstream consoles.
Good to know is that where the first Elena Temple game was on offer for € 4.99, The Fall of Elena Temple will only set you back a mere € 2.99. This game has been released for itch.io, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S (and Xbox One) and PS5.
The new Indiana Jones has already arrived on Xbox!..or at least somewhat..
Let’s face it, it’s hard not to make a comparison between modern day explorer Elena Temple and that other dude. I keep forgetting his name….State of Indiana Jonesy? So if you are up for some exploring, The Fall of Elena Temple has got you covered.
The first Elena Temple game evolved around platforming. You were on a side-scrolling map collecting coins, shooting enemies and jumping if your life depended on it. With this game it is not so much platforming that you will be doing, but more of trying to solve platform related puzzles. You are on a one-screen map and you are given the task to collect every coin there is. If you don’t, the door to the next map won’t open. If that’s no longer possible, you will have to retry the room.
Deliberately simple
The gameplay is pretty simple. You can do (very, very, very) modest jumps; just up, no leaping across gaps or anything flashy like that. And besides jumping you’ll be falling a lot. Not incidentally, nope you’ll be falling completely on purpose. The entire game is based on the principle of falling and undoing steps/falls (a.k.a. rewinding time). Yes, you read that right. Elena, unlike most explorers, gets to rewind time. At least if she collects the Time-Rewind-Crystal that is located on the map. After you collect the crystal, you get a number of rewinds (basically undo’s for previous falls from platforms or obstacles).
If you have played the first Elena Temple game, you know that before starting a game you could switch the look and feel of the game to the retro-console of your liking. In the end it didn’t add a lot to the gameplay, at least, in my opinion. So I’m glad GrimTalin stuck to one handheld console overlay, the GrimBoy. Which, not-so coincidentally, has a lot incommon with the Playdate. It looks a lot like the official Playdate emulator looks as well. Not really a surprise, as it is an one-on-one adaptation of the Playdate’s visuals, as it is a direct port. The two-tone visuals should surely appeal to retro-lovers like myself that have a weak spot for the original Game Boy aesthetics. On the other hand I’m well aware it won’t be to everyone’s liking. You do get to pick the pixelized background of your liking. And there are a lot of looks to choose from.
Back to the ‘GrimBoy’: the best part is that you can really zoom in as far as you want (or zoom out if that’s your thing). I had the zoom in part maxed out, but I’m an old guy who needs help seeing things in the proper perspective ;-). It does take away some of the charm of choosing a background, but the ability to zoom in on the map was more important to me.
What are you doing?
The main objective of the game is to collect all the coins on the map and then get to the exit. On some maps that is pretty straightforward. But sometimes it is simply impossible without some form of extra help. Thank god the game offers that help. Most maps have an item that offers you the possibility to undo your previous falls from a platform. The neat thing is that you get to keep all progress you made towards the whole coin collecting thing.
The amount of falls you’re actually able to undo varies. In some rooms you get 4, in other rooms 5. Each fall is neatly numbered so if you can plan out your next steps without breaking a sweat. Even then there are rooms that look pretty challenging from the get go, but don’t be afraid. Not a single room is overly difficult. The fact that they look difficult, offers you the sensation of pure satisfaction when you do overcome the puzzle in front of you.
The game as a whole is pretty short. If players would speedrun the game it would be done in a matter hours. For me, this game was the perfect game to play a couple of maps, put the game aside and pick it up again the next day.
Please enjoy our special items on the menu
Apart from the item for undoing your previous falls, this game offers plenty of specials more. Almost every few maps, there is something new on offer. There are appearing/disappearing platforms, floors that crumble underneath your feet, snakes, keys, etc. This is an excellent way of keeping things fresh in a puzzle game.
There is one minor flaw in this mechanic. Due to the game being rather short, it doesn’t always provide a decent explanation on how to use new special items. Most gamers will figure it out by themselves, but a few pointers could have made the game even better. (Even at the very end in one of the bonus stages you get hit with something new. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but you’ll get the attraction of it when you experience it.)
Speaking of bonus stages, this game really gets it. The bonus stages are real bonus stages, not quickly added copy/paste stages without any form of soul. Kudos to GrimTalin!!
Pricing
The Fall of Elena Temple’s price is € 2.99. A real steal if you ask me. Yes, it is a pretty short game, but it offers more than enough quality playtime. A price of € 4.99 would have been completely justified. GrimTalin tends to release DLC/game updates for free. Perhaps this time a small fee would be in place. I know I’d gladly pay for it.
The Fall of Elena Temple is a short but nice addition to the retro-scene. It is the gift (game) that keeps on giving. It is well paced and it is one of the few games that actually offers bonus stages that are really bonus stages. Somewhat short but a real pleasure to play.
Pros:
- Nice retro visuals
- Good pacing of new special items in the game
- Puzzles that offer a moderately challenge
- It's way too cheap for its own good
Cons:
- With such a short game a somewhat “steep” difficulty-curve when learning the basics of the special items
