Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) Review

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) made its own way in the growing world of indie storytelling games. The game, developed by the appropriately named Unreliable Narrators, is not only an artistic statement but also the result of genuine teamwork. This story-driven experience was first released on PC last November, but the console version has just been released. 

The game was developed by Indigenous creators to shed light on a sensitive time in history: the 17th century, when colonial expansion and Native life in what is now Canada clashed. Unreliable Narrators isn't a well-known studio name yet, but they've made a strong debut with a title that aims to both teach and entertain. They didn't just want to make a game; they also wanted to build a cultural bridge that looks at conflict, survival, identity, and connection from two different perspectives: one colonial and one Indigenous.

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) has a story with two main characters, Firewatch and Road 96, but the setting is much more important in terms of history. On one side, you play as Jeanne, a French settler who just got lost in the harsh Canadian wilderness and is the only person with her loyal dog, Capitaine. Her struggle comes from her faith, feeling lost, and slowly giving up a Eurocentric view of the world. 

On the other side is Maikan, a young Innu hunter who is upset about how his home country has lost its spirituality. A mean spirit makes his forests unsafe, like nature's way of protesting against being mistreated. Maikan's story is about dealing with outside influences and balancing anger with responsibility, while Jeanne's story is about adapting and believing.

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) is different because it gives all of these stories the same depth and cultural weight. At first, Maikan's story may seem more interesting—it has a sense of spiritual urgency and a viewpoint that isn't often seen in mainstream games—but Jeanne's story slowly finds its voice through reflection, religious conflict, and her emotional connection to her friends. Both characters' growth is believable, and the ways in which their paths cross are never forced. Instead, the themes in their stories echo each other, making for a deeper look at survival, family, and worldview.

There are seven chapters, and in each one, you can make small but important decisions that affect how your main character grows emotionally. Will Maikan stay guarded and skeptical, or will he be able to connect with people from other places? Will Jeanne follow the rules even more, or will she find freedom by letting go? These choices affect how people talk and what happens in the end, making the experience feel unique and tailored. 

The world is more interesting because of supporting characters like Pierre, a rogue hunter who isn't sure what's right or wrong but is very likable. The antagonist is the weak link in the story. They are such an obvious bad guy that your moral compass feels like it's been GPS-locked from the very first scene. Still, even though he's a cartoon bad guy, he brings the game's themes to a natural conclusion.

There's no getting around the fact that Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) is a walking simulator. The player doesn't have to fight, jump, or manage their inventory in this game. Instead, your main activities are walking, interacting with nature, looking at cultural artifacts, talking to other people, and making moral choices.

There are times when you'll be in light chase scenes where all you have to do is hold, sprint, and run in a straight line. There isn't much interaction, but the story is very immersive, and the environments and pace do a lot of the work.

An important part of the game is exploring and observing. You can pet Capitaine, pick up herbs, look at religious totems, feed your dog a bone, and take in the surroundings, which are full of stories. The game encourages moving slowly and deliberately, which gives you time to take in the world's emotional undercurrents. 

You'll find a book with entries about places, animals, plants, and even beliefs, all written through the cultural lens of either Jeanne or Maikan. It's an interesting way to teach the player without taking them away from the game. If you're the type of person who reads the journal entries in games instead of moving on to the next objective, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) will reward your interest.

The thing is, there is no fighting. It's not even like a puzzle in the usual sense. You're not in the right forest if you were hoping to shoot arrows, figure out sliding tile mazes, or read ancient writing on walls. Instead, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) asks you to solve emotional puzzles, such as how to talk to someone, understand how they feel, and see the world through their eyes. There will be times when the dialogue options you have will test your character's biases, but they're not hard logic puzzles or twitch reflex tests.

For some, the lack of built-in game mechanics might make it hard to buy. There aren't many interactive beats, and the "chase sequences" aren't really anything new. However, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) is a great example of a walking simulator game. It doesn't try to add mechanics just to make things more interesting. Instead, it focuses on what it does best, which is mood, message, and movement. 

Still, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) doesn't have as many layers of depth or clever interactions as games like Firewatch or SOMA, which were leaders in their genre, combining quiet exploration with intense moments and smart dialogue. It feels more like a "skinny branch" than a sturdy trunk.

You can't get XP in Two Falls. Stats don't cause growth; choices do. Through story progression and player choice, you learn more about the characters and the world. This isn't a branching RPG like Mass Effect, but some choices do change what happens or how people talk later on. Instead of building up to the "best" ending, it's more like reading two interconnected novellas where you can change the main character's tone and mood. Even though it's beautiful, don't expect a reward loop in the usual sense.

It's a good thing that Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) is more about style than substance. The art direction features a lot of bright colors, soft lighting, and painterly textures, making it feel like you're walking through a real landscape. In terms of its appearance, it draws inspiration from Firewatch, Road 96, and even Life is Strange.

Through the morning mist, snow-covered meadows shine, and the sounds of danger and beauty can be heard in the dense forests. It doesn't have to be photorealistic, but it isn't—thoughts and memories, not polygons per square inch, shape this world.

That being said, not everything looks good. Some textures aren't very detailed, and some side characters, like a group of French attackers, appear to have been created by a beginner potter who wanted to try their hand at horror. Their faces look... scary bad. But these parts don't happen very often, and the main cast—Jeanne, Maikan, and Pierre—is great. The game may not look as good as AAA games, but the way it uses contrast, silhouette, and color grading makes it significantly better than most indie games.

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) really shines when it comes to sound design. The background noises, like crackling fires, rustling leaves, and faraway animal calls, make a sound fabric that wraps around you like an old blanket. The music in the movie shifts between haunting Indigenous melodies and tense, ambient tracks that complement Jeanne's story. 

Neither one is too much; instead, they add to the emotional flow of the story. The voice acting is good, even though there isn't a lot of it, and the dialogue is grounded and sensitive to the characters' cultures. This kind of sound effect makes the experience more immersive without drawing attention to itself, a strength that many games lack.

Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) isn't going to blow your mind with complicated gameplay systems or mechanics that will blow your mind. Because it cares, understands, and is creatively clear, it wants to tell you a story—two stories, to be exact. It's a story about survival, faith, culture, and the terrible things that happened to people when colonies grew. 

It has emotional richness that few games are brave enough to pursue for people who are willing to slow down and listen. It is, in fact, mechanically sparse. It does sometimes feel like a slow burn. You can feel the game's heart beating through its slow pace. It wants you to feel, think, and reflect. Two very different sets of eyes give us a beautiful tour of a complicated past. And even though there is no sound, it says a lot.