Opinion: It’s Time To Get Rid Of Fall Damage
By Falling. It can be painful, right? We’ve all stumbled over nothing while walking, scraping our knees, or lost our footing on the stairs and ended up face-first on the ground. It’s not enjoyable. It’s awkward, it hurts, and it serves as a constant reminder of my clumsiness as a human. There’s a reason we cannot leap from buildings and cliffs and live to tell our stories – we are merely flesh and bone.
This is where video games come into play. They enable us to accomplish the impossible, the unimaginable, and the utterly absurd without significant consequences. Jumping from platforms and elevated spots is completely typical, and you don’t have to be an expert in parkour to manage it.
Nonetheless, you still can’t leap from buildings and mountains without facing danger. I can be incinerated and crushed by a Gleeok in Tears of the Kingdom and survive, but falling off a steep cliff might kill me? What’s the point of that?
This brings us to Xenoblade Chronicles X, a game where I can truly launch myself from the peak of Blade Tower in NLA or Mount Edge Peak in Oblivia and land without sustaining a single hair out of place. Now, I can genuinely indulge in my fantasies of appearing cool as I leap from a skyscraper and hit the ground effortlessly with one fist planted. Who really needs to defeat towering Ciniculas?
I realize it may seem peculiar if, in Red Dead Redemption, John Marston and his horse could fall off a cliff and emerge unscathed – there is indeed a time and place for it. But I am also enthralled by the space jump in Xenoblade Chronicles X and believe every video game should include it. Clearly, I don’t uphold the balance.
My enormous, death-defying leaps across the Mira planet have a narrative purpose, which I won’t delve into here to avoid spoilers. We’re talking about jumps thousands of feet high with no repercussions except for a slight stagger. Who cares about realism when you can look this fantastic while jumping? Not me, because it’s outrageously fun.
Fall damage varies between video games, and it somewhat must. Imagine playing Super Mario Odyssey and Mario outright dying by jumping from the top of a skyscraper in New Donk City. That would be strange, right? Since this is a vibrant and colorful platformer where exploration and movement reign supreme. Instead, he’s temporarily stunned either where he lands or by getting stuck in sand.
On a side note: I adore this explanation of why Mario can survive substantial falls in Odyssey, which clarifies why he incurs damage in Super Mario 64 but not in the recent 3D adventure. There’s the answer, then – space.
Fall damage exists in all three other Xenoblade titles, and it at least makes some sense there. Is it frustrating? A tad! But then, whose responsibility is it if I keep leaping from towering structures anticipating survival? Although, once more, if Rex can endure multiple assaults from Jin and Malos – who wield incredibly dangerous weapons – what could possibly harm him from a simple ‘big jump’?
Who cares about realism when you can look this remarkable while leaping?
Am I merely frustrated because I’ve experienced numerous skydives in Tears of the Kingdom and neglected to deploy my paraglider at the critical moment, leading to Link’s unfortunate demise? Perhaps – and honestly, I don’t believe Link should survive a thousand-foot drop. However, at times, I’ve tumbled down mountains and suffered such severe damage that it ultimately led to my death.
Just think how dreadful it would be to encounter fall damage in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow or a Kirby game. Kirby is essentially a living marshmallow, so naturally, he doesn’t endure damage from significant falls. This is part of what makes controlling him so enjoyable. Those are rather fantastical examples, but I believe the quest for realism sometimes obstructs fun. If Shulk can essentially defeat God and Link can vanquish Ganondorf with just a stick, why can’t they withstand a 20-foot leap?
Now come on, don’t tell me you haven’t envisioned space jumping and plummeting to the ground from significant elevations in GTA or Pokémon Legends: Arceus…
Share your thoughts on that annoying fall damage in the comments.