Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) Review

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) is a narrative-driven adventure game developed by Unreliable Narrators, aiming to provide players with a unique perspective on the historical encounters between indigenous peoples and European settlers in 17th-century Canada. The game was created with the support of various indigenous consultants and cultural advisors, ensuring that the representation of indigenous cultures was as authentic and respectful as possible. Additionally, the project received funding from Canadian cultural organizations, highlighting its educational and artistic aspirations.

At its core, Two Falls is intended to be an immersive, emotional journey that allows players to experience history from two different viewpoints: that of Jeanne, a young Frenchwoman shipwrecked in an unfamiliar land, and Maikan, an Innu hunter whose world is changing due to the arrival of European settlers. The game sets out to explore themes of cultural misunderstanding, survival, and identity, presenting a layered narrative that seeks to be both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging. While the game’s intentions are noble, its execution leaves much to be desired. Despite its strong storytelling potential, Two Falls struggles with many issues.

Two Falls Story and Themes

The story is Two Falls’ strongest element, as it attempts to deliver an emotional and historically grounded narrative. The game alternates between two protagonists: Jeanne, who finds herself stranded in a foreign land after surviving a shipwreck, and Maikan, an indigenous hunter who is experiencing the slow encroachment of European settlers on his homeland. By shifting between these two perspectives, the game aims to provide a balanced portrayal of the tensions and cultural clashes of the era.

At its best, Two Falls offers players moments of genuine emotional depth. Jeanne’s fear and uncertainty as she navigates an unfamiliar environment are well portrayed, while Maikan’s story highlights the grief and resilience of indigenous communities in the face of cultural erasure. The game attempts to depict these experiences with respect and nuance, avoiding the overly simplistic narratives often found in historical fiction.

However, despite these strengths, the story suffers from several major flaws. The pacing is sluggish, particularly in the early chapters of the game, making it difficult for players to become fully invested in the narrative. Additionally, the frequent perspective shifts between Jeanne and Maikan, while intended to offer a well-rounded view of events, end up fragmenting the experience. The transitions between their stories feel abrupt, preventing players from forming a deep connection with either character. As a result, their personal struggles and emotional arcs never fully develop, making the game’s dramatic moments less impactful than they should be.

Another issue is the game’s overly didactic storytelling. While the themes it explores are undoubtedly important, the narrative often feels too heavy-handed in its delivery. Rather than allowing players to absorb its messages through character interactions and environmental storytelling naturally, Two Falls frequently resorts to lengthy dialogues and exposition. The conclusion, in particular, feels forced and overly simplistic, reducing the complexity of the game’s themes into a neat, moralistic resolution.

Two Falls is a Shallow Experience

While narrative-driven games often prioritize storytelling over gameplay depth, the best examples of the genre still manage to provide meaningful player agency and engagement. Unfortunately, Two Falls fails in this regard. The game is excessively linear, offering little in terms of interactivity. There are no meaningful puzzles to solve, no engaging mechanics to experiment with—just a series of straightforward paths that guide players from one conversation to the next. Most of the gameplay consists of walking through environments while listening to characters talk. Dialogue choices exist, but they are strictly binary, providing little opportunity for nuanced decision-making.

Exploration is also severely limited. While the environments attempt to create a sense of vastness and wilderness, they are ultimately restrictive, offering little beyond a few minor side paths that lead to inconsequential discoveries. Compared to other narrative-driven games, Two Falls lacks the environmental storytelling and dynamic world-building that make exploration rewarding. When compared to Firewatch, a game that excels in creating an immersive and emotional experience through its gameplay mechanics, Two Falls falls significantly short. Firewatch allows players to engage with its world through radio conversations, environmental details, and a deep sense of player agency, whereas Two Falls largely confine players to passive observation. The result is an experience that feels more like an interactive lecture than a truly engaging journey.

Two Falls Flawed Performance

One of the most disappointing aspects of Two Falls is its technical performance. The game suffers from poor optimization, with frequent frame rate drops, and stuttering that hinder the experience. Textures often load inconsistently, and pop-in issues are prevalent, further contributing to the game’s unpolished feel. Beyond its technical issues, the game’s art direction is also underwhelming. While the developers aimed for stylish visuals, the environments lacked the breathtaking beauty that could have made the Canadian wilderness feel alive.

Instead, the world feels somewhat generic, failing to capture the awe-inspiring nature that should be central to the game’s atmosphere. Character animations are another major flaw. Movements are stiff and unnatural, with facial expressions that fail to convey any emotion. This is particularly detrimental in a game that relies heavily on character-driven storytelling, as the lack of expressive animations makes it difficult to connect with the characters struggles fully.

Sound and Music: A Saving Grace

Despite its many shortcomings, Two Falls does succeed in one area: its audio design. The voice acting is generally strong, with both indigenous and french characters delivering convincing performances. The dialogue feels authentic, and the voice actors do a commendable job of bringing their characters to life, even when the writing it self is lacking. The musical score, which features indigenous instrumentation and choral arrangements, further enhances the experience. This attention to cultural authenticity in the sound design is one of the few areas where Two Falls genuinely excels.

In the end, Two Falls is a game with an important story to tell but not the best way to tell it. Its slow-paced, didactic narrative, lackluster gameplay, and numerous technical issues make it difficult to recommend to a general audience. While its themes of colonialism and cultural conflict are significant, the game struggles to present them in an engaging or immersive way. Still the fans of narrative-driven experiences such as Firewatch, What Remains of Edith Finch, or Spirit of the North may find some value in this 4 hours long journey.

The review code was provided by the publisher