Fall of Porcupine (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.3.3 Update

Fall of Porcupine is an adventure video game developed by Critical Rabbit. Players control a young physician in a new town. Assemble Entertainment published it for Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Switch in June 2023. This game is an original narrative adventure game that follows the journey of Finley, a new doctor at St. Ursula’s Hospital in the town of Porcupine.  As Finley navigates through the changing seasons and begins to settle into their new role, they quickly discover that things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.

In the game, players explore the beautifully crafted world of Porcupine, both within the hospital and the town itself. They can interact with the diverse villagers, enjoy social activities like visiting the local pub or exploring the nearby forest, and spend time with friends. The game features a range of characters, from the blunt head doctor to the selfless nurse and Finley’s smart friends. Engaging in dialogues with these characters allows players to make choices that influence their relationships and delve into funny, profound, and sometimes serious conversations.

As a doctor, Finley must demonstrate their skills and empathy by investigating patients’ conditions through conversations and treating them in various mini-games. These mini-games challenge players’ logic, speed, and skill, providing an immersive experience. Beyond the personal stories, “Fall of Porcupine” also tackles sensitive topics, exposing social injustices and structural problems within the healthcare system. The game sheds light on the reality that not everyone is as honest as they appear, and the healthcare industry may not live up to the ideals portrayed in medical school.

GAMEPLAY

Players control Finley, a young physician who has recently moved to the small town of Porcupine, whose citizens are anthropomorphized animals. The hospital where Finley works has suffered an accident recently, and it has become very busy recently. Fall of Porcupine uses 2D art and is a side-scrolling adventure game.

Players interact with Finley’s patients mostly through minigames, including rhythm, matching, and word games. There is also turn-based combat. Finley’s performance at the hospital is graded each day. When interacting with Finley’s friends and coworkers, dialogue choices can be made.

PLOT

Finley is a junior doctor who recently moved to the small town of Porcupine and is working at the St. Ursula Hospital. He returns to work from a break caused by an accident, in which he was injured by falling boxes while searching for an elderly patient, Mr. Arndes, on the hospital’s abandoned 5th floor. He occasionally spends time with his new friends, a florist named Pina, who also makes memorial figurines for all deceased residents and leaves them in the nearby Glowmilk Woods, and two other doctors named Karl and Mia, while also occasionally suffering from nightmares. One day, a thunderstorm causes damage to the hospital, and personnel is asked to not give any interviews to the press by the hospital’s accountant, Roman Heidrich.

A later skirmish in the local tavern between Karl and a local man named Ralph causes Karl to be suspended from his job, and warnings are issued to Finley and Mia. Working a night shift during the town’s Hibernation Festival, which includes a cooking competition, Finley witnesses the death of a patient he was assigned to, Irma DiCalma. He is reassured that he carries no blame for her death, but while attending her funeral at the tavern he is accused by Ralph of causing her death and is politely asked by Giuliano, the tavern owner and Irma’s son, to leave, to not cause any further conflicts. The next day, locals go to protest in front of the hospital, accusing the personnel of corruption and negligence.

The chief physician of the hospital, Dr. Theobald, promises to talk to the protestors but disappears. Mr. Arndes is also brought back to the hospital from a rehab clinic and reveals to Finley that during the accident on the 5th floor he, just like Finley, saw boxes and papers on one of the beds, which were later moved. Finley, Mia, and Karl visit the hospital archives to find more information about the missing papers, but are interrupted by a sudden outbreak of a gastrointestinal disease among the protesters, which overwhelms the hospital, and resume working. With all of the hospital’s wards overwhelmed, Finley suggests to his supervisor Dr. Krokowski that they use the abandoned 5th floor, although upon turning the power on there, the hospital experiences a blackout.

Dr. Theobald returns and explains his situation to Dr. Krokowski, saying that he was blackmailed by Mr. Heidrich, who embezzled the hospital’s funds, and was trying to leave town but could not leave the hospital during an emergency. A fire starts on the 5th floor, and the hospital is evacuated; everybody leaves save for Dr. Theobald, who checks the hospital for any more personnel or patients, and later dies in the fire. Everybody who was in the hospital was delivered by ambulance to the school gym, where doctors were hastily treating patients. As the night passes, Finley walks out and joins Karl and Mia as they look at the hospital’s charred ruins. The end titles show that Mr. Heidrich was arrested; a scene after the titles shows Finley and Pina putting a stethoscope on a memorial figurine to Dr. Theobald.

FEATURES

• Explore A Beautiful, Diverse World – Not only is there a lot to discover in the old hospital, but also in the small town of Porcupine itself. Take the time to meet the villagers and have a beer with them in the local pub, take a trip to the nearby forest, or spend quality time with your friends.
• Hardened Professionals, Sweet Friends – The blunt head doctor, the selfless nurse, Finley’s smart friends, and many other residents populate the small town of Porcupine. Engage in funny, profound, and sometimes serious dialogues, in which you’ll be able to choose your answers and influence your relationships.
• Demonstrate Your Skills and Empathy – You don’t even have time to look at the clock because your patients are waiting! Investigate what’s wrong with them through your conversations and treat them in different minigames that challenge you in logic, speed, and skill.
• Expose Social Injustice And Structural Problems – At first glance, the small town is a warm, friendly place where everyone knows and greets each other. But if you live there for any length of time, you’ll suspect that not everyone is as honest as they pretend to be – especially in an unhealthy healthcare system.