The Flame in the Flood Reviews
As I rafted lazily down the river, passing churches and camp grounds, I found a moment or two to reflect on my time with The Flame in the Flood. I wonder "How much time have I spent with in-game menus?," "I wonder how far I can make it before my resources run dry?," and "How in the world can anyone kill a bear?" The game had lost its challenge an hour or so ago, but I remembered my first 10 or so hours fondly as constantly challenging and enjoyably tense. And while I don't see myself playing the game for too much longer, the The Flame in the Flood is a solid recommendation for anyone looking to diversify their catalog with a short, challenging, and artistically crafted indie title.
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 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
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Big on heart, but light on mechanics
If you are new to this sort of thing, it's a good introduction but be prepared for a tough experience.
The Flame in the Flood squanders a novel idea and fantastic aesthetic with mind-numbing repetition and a broken sense of progression.
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.
What stands out most about The Flame in the Flood is that its form of survival isn't candied up, but sits severe and plain about what chance most of us would have. It's second even to the slice of America it presents, a piece of a soul set upon a shelf, hoping to be called upon once more. If nothing else, The Flame in The Flood allows that piece to have its moment with sincerity.
This being the complete edition means that on top of the main game, you'll also be able to access a brand new Director's Commentary that will allow you to learn more about the game's design and development. You'll also get a lovely dynamic theme, two avatars and lots of gameplay improvements that rebalance the game.
The Flame in the Flood successfully captures the intricacies of a better class of survival games and wraps them in a very neat, very pretty package.
We both really liked The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition. It is a great take on the survival genre with a very charming and unique art style. With the procedurally generated river, every trip you take be different, thus offering a ton of replay value. The crafting system works really well and isn't as obtuse as in other entries in the genre. We definitely recommend that you play The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition on PS4!
Those who loved Don't Starve will find their new obsession here. The Flame in the Flood is a highly enjoyable rogue-lite survival title that makes a fantastic game to play on the go. Headphones on, volume on full and enjoy the ride with this addictive new release. Get ready to welcome yet another distinct and individual game into the fold, fattening up the Switch's already bulging catalogue.