The Flame in the Flood Reviews
The Flame in the Flood is an incredibly charming survival game. Even those that don't tend to love the harsh genre will enjoy the visual flair and fantastic soundtrack on offer. There's also several different options to make the game more difficult or easier (checkpoints can be added) depending on how much of a challenge you want. Whether players actually complete their trip will come down to their determination, but they'll have a good time, even if the rafting session ends a bit early due to a wolf attack.
A strong game in many respects, but also lacking in a few key areas to put it over the top.
The Flame in the Flood delivers exceptionally inventive gameplay with original graphics and sadly, some serious bugs. Without them, we could have one of the best games in genre.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The Flame in the Flood gives us familiar territory. The world has gone back. There's jangly southern-style music with heartfelt vocals. There's crafting. But there's real wonder in those moments when you're just trying to get another mile down the river so that you can live a few more days. There's something special about staying afloat in all of that ruin. The Flame in the Flood is a beacon, something golden, in a worn-down world.
The Flame in the Flood squanders a novel idea and fantastic aesthetic with mind-numbing repetition and a broken sense of progression.
If you are new to this sort of thing, it's a good introduction but be prepared for a tough experience.
Big on heart, but light on mechanics
The Flame in the Flood's relentlessly real time gameplay combined with an almost exclusive focus on crafting, survival and preparedness makes it a refreshing and unique take on the roguelike. Combined with a low-ploy visual style that's easy on the eyes when it's not downright beautiful, vivid sound design and a mild acoustic soundtrack, this one's got a lot going for it. Be prepared to start over a lot, though.
So the gameplay presents this strange oxymoron of being pretty easy, but still unfairly difficult because of the random element, which is never a nice way to add a challenge, but maybe that's the message all along – life isn't fair.
Death is pretty much inevitable in The Flame in the Flood, but it can be held at bay through luck, crafting, planning and skillful awareness of the environment and what it offers and hides.
While the game causes you to go through some learning pains, The Flame in The Flood will reward those who stick with it to a great experience that you won’t find elsewhere. Playing through this game throws the player into a situation that will make the player feel helpless and constantly struggle to look for material, rather than eventually getting so powerful you just feel like you won the game.
Amid a few new additions and changes, The Flame in the Flood is still very much the same flawed but absorbing survival game that you might remember from last year.
The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful game on the PlayStation 4 that puts the player in control a very likeable protagonist and her dog. The gameplay is not only challenging but also rewarding, particularly when you overcome an obstacle that has caused you grief. Add in some very gorgeous graphics, a soothing soundtrack and all in all, The Flame in the Flood is not only a very original game but quite enjoyable for this rogue-like survival experience.
The Flame in the Flood has a unique premise and does a great job of establishing the world. Sadly, the game fails to click due to its repetitive nature.
The Flame in the Flood has learned a lot from the survival games that came before it, but The Molasses Flood have added a unique charm that you won't find anywhere else. The character and environment design is superbly animated, and I can't stress enough how fantastic the soundtrack is. The entire experience had a wonderful Roald Dahl/Aesop's Fables feel to it, which created one of the most unique atmospheres I've seen in a survival game. If dark and depressing survival games have left you out in the rain, you'll find shelter and warmth here.
Simply put, The Flame in the Flood is a stunning river journey with highly satisfying survival elements that casual fans of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy. Hardcore fans might find it a little on the easy side, but it’s an enjoyable experience nonetheless, with rewarding game mechanics that almost negate the lack of story and monotony of the environment. It’s the kind of game that sucks you in immediately and is completely addictive for a short while but then grows old fairly quickly. However, it’s also the type of game you’ll probably get the urge to pick up from time to time to see if you can surpass your previous survival record, so that alone makes it worthwhile.
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'The Flame in the Flood' hits the nail on the head with its crafty survival gameplay and inspired visual and audio design. At times, especially early on, nothing seems more dangerous than the river, but overall this might be game to get players into the roguelike genre. The technical side lags a bit behind the creative side, but not enough to capsize it.
[W]hile I loved the atmosphere, the setting, and the aesthetic of The Flame in the Flood, I never got that "one more run" feeling I've gotten from other roguelites like Isaac or Spelunky. It's possible that the game's pace is a bit off, or that I haven't quite figured out the "correct" way to play it.
Fighting back against nature and surviving utterly dire circumstances makes The Flame in the Flood a gripping experience... for a while. It's the unambitious campaign, the repetitious rogue-lite structure, and a number of bugs and technical issues that get in the way and keep the game from reaching its full potential. But even though The Flame in the Flood is somewhat of a disappointment, that doesn't mean there's not enough tinder to sustain the flame for at least a weekend outing. You just have to decide whether or not you want to risk dealing with the pesky bugs hiding in the foundation.