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Silver Falls - 3 Down Stars
3DS
Released On: Jan 2, 2020
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
8.7
All Platforms
Although it’s great to see new games released for the 3DS (and with a good implementation of the 3D effect that even Nintendo eventually abandoned), Silver Falls: 3 Down Stars isn’t worth dusting off your old portable. It’s effectively creepy, but it’s also buggy, drab, and a general slog. However, it leaves me with hope that the developers will be able to put it all together in future games.
There are many more baffling design decisions or ideas hampered by poor execution I could cover, but honestly, this is way too long a review already and I'm only going to get more upset the further I dig. I wish there was some redeeming value to Silver Falls: 3 Down Stars or it ended up in a "so bad it's good" situation, but it's just a bland survival-horror game that's light on scares and heavy on aggravation. When I wrote about it back in 2018, I had hope it would end up as one of the great final games for my beloved Nintendo 3DS. But after a month of struggling to get through it, that hope is dead.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
8.7
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
8.7
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
One of my favorite experiences on the 3DS. This game is one of the most atmospheric games I’ve played. This is one the most graphically impressive games I’ve seen on the 3DS. The environment makes you feel like you’re in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, with the mountains in the background as a morning fog settles in. The music is some of the best I’ve heard in any video game. I ended up liking the soundtrack so much that I ended up listening to it for a long time after I finished the game. The game does not hold your hand when it comes to puzzles or making progress. The game will tell you just enough to know what you have to do but gives you the freedom to figure it out. This game is not easy and it never felt unfair. When I died, I felt lIke it was due to my poor strategy. I played the demo and read some reviews before playing the game. I ended up giving the game a chance and I’m glad I did. I played the most current update of the game and experienced few issues. When I did, the game’s auto save feature was there to ensure my progress was not lost. Overall, this is a wonderful game that made me a fan of the entire Silver Falls series. This series has such a dense lore that it expands several games and even a novel. I cannot recommend this game enough. If you end up getting stuck, the community and even the developer are always there to guide you in the right direction.
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3DS
3 Down Stars is a solid indie horror adventure on the 3DS. It may not be the most technically or visually impressive game on the system, but it IS made entirely by a single person with a heavy emphasis on lore and character development in a way that ties in with other games in the series. Early reviews - including the two critic reviews here - were EXTREMELY harsh on the game, but updates have fixed almost all of the problems highlighted in those reviews. As it stands today, 3 Down Stars is a thoroughly enjoyable portable horror romp. It may not match up to Resident Evil Revelations, but again, that was made by an entire studio whereas this was created by a single man. I absolutely loved this game and definitely plan to playthrough again to look for some of the collectibles and lore pieces that I missed the first go around.
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3DS
I cannot believe how good the graphics are for indie 3DS. It is remarkable that one person made this. We should support these type of small developers and keep buying their games, to see how far they will grow. It is not perfect but I did not expect perfection so I was 10/10 satisfied.
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3DS
There's a distinct contrast, I feel, in how people perceive what this game is, and what it actually attempts to be: 3 Down Stars is a horror game, yes. It has all the superficial elements of a modern third-person action-horror titles of the mid-00s into even the modern day: Over-the-shoulder aiming, alternative combat methods, alternating between shooting and melee weapons, horrible monsters and mutated creatures we're all familiar with, a cast of odd and endearing characters, an ambiguous story that doesn't seem to serve the action. If you approach it at face-value, with these expectations, the title is fine. Nothing remarkable, outside of some unique systems, and a rotating cast of characters whose stories eventually converge. Things that look novel, outright, but unspectacular.
If these are the only impressions you walk AWAY from the game with, then I feel very bad for you.
3 Down Stars, beyond being a massively impressive output for the notoriously inconsistent Unity build for 3DS, is one of the most heartfelt, genuine, and emotionally-intelligent horror games I've ever played, if not games in general. It has one of the most well-realized, unique and lived-in settings I've seen, with the town of Silver Falls itself, and even moreso with its inhabitants. There's a culture and history in everything you experience, and a great contrast of perspectives on it all from the three player characters, and the different paths they found themselves on in their lives. The horror of the unknown, sci-fi events surrounding the story are just as interesting as unpacking the personal trials, responsibilities and insecurities in Holt, Analise and Moss, and you get such a distinct feel for how their personalities are shaped by who they are, and how they have come to deal with the things they've had to deal with. There's such an innately human core to the the experience that I just want to learn more and more about, not just our core characters, but the histories and lives of everyone in the town.
There's a great since of discomfort in seeing the warm humanity and security of such a tightly knit community having to suffer the things happening around them. I've rarely felt such a drive to protect videogame characters, but if anything ever happened to Slim I'd never forgive myself. It's a great study of human experience and how we confront our own shortcomings. I cannot recommend the game enough for all the things it is, in almost direct opposition to all the things it isn't, or is expected to be.
Plus Frontier Fighters is one of the coolest post-game modes I've seen in a horror game. Mercenaries would only be improved by actually hiding character stories for the extended cast of characters in the progression of its battle-mode setup.
However you can play this: Do it. It's not only one of the coolest games the New 3DS hardware ever justified, but it's also a very strong contender for one of the most unique horror games period.
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3DS
All these large review sites are focusing on the day 1 release, which most games will be buggy no matter what with day 1. Most bugs are fixed and what we have is an incredible horror game that is new on the 3ds, that fact alone makes it interesting. There’s a good amount of content in here for the price you pay. Better than RE revelations IMO. With it still receiving new content it’s gotta be one of the must haves for current 3ds players. And with 3 mainline games and one more on the way it has tons of lore to learn about and explore. Would definitely pick it up if you have the spare money
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3DS
This review is in reference to current 1.2 version of "silver falls: 3 down stars.
This IS NOT the version seen in mainstream review sites. 80% of problems they obsessed over no longer exist. From combat to enemy movement and load times all fixed. This plays like a silent Hill/resident evil but with very unique story and twists on the gameplay. It's an indie title that deserves another look. Just take a look on YouTube video and make sure it's the 1.2 version video. You'll see a game that doesn't resemble the reviews. I've been thru entire campaign twice and spent time in it's great frontier fighters mode which is a take on raid mode from resident evil Revelations or mercenary's . Silver falls:3 down stars was made as a love letter to a bygone era of survival horror. The next update 1.3 is finished and released soon. This patch fixed all remaining glitches. Support indie games and take another look at this diamond in the rough
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3DS
Summary Survival Horror has a new home. Strange lights have been appearing in the night sky above Silver Falls. When three mysterious objects fall from the sky, this secluded, sleepy town becomes frozen in a moment in time. Strange radiation has turned local wildlife bloodthirsty. Only 3 people in Silver Falls seem to be unaffected. Holt, a com...
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- 3DS
Initial Release Date: Jan 2, 2020
Developer:
- Sungrand
Publisher: Sungrand
Genres: