The Flame in the Flood Reviews
The Flame in the Flood is certainly not without its flaws, but it hasn't deterred me from playing it on a daily basis.
Where I'm at with the game now is that I do enjoy playing and it's because it offers a beautiful and non-overwhelming survival option. I also find that the repetition of crafting and of landscape and of encounters combined with changes in biome end up feeling like verses in a song – familiar but with some of the beats changed up. But I also find that I feel I'm spinning my wheels a lot, that the systems aren't creating interesting or varied stories.
Set in a rural post-societal America, The Flame in the Flood is one part Noah's Ark, one part Oregon Trail, and two parts grit and determination.
The Flame in the Flood does not afford the player leisure time to stop and take in the sights. The survival system here, complete with all of the afflictions that are actively working against you, is the high point of the game, and is something that continually presents the player with a real challenge throughout their journey. It's a constant battle of intense survival where planning for the present and future is always a necessity. If we're really talking about the end of society, that's exactly how it should be.
On the surface, it appears to be a charming, survival title. That's merely a ruse, as The Flame in the Flood is ruthless in difficulty, at least for the first few hours. Overall, it's a great, enjoyable game, though the experience can wear a little thin after a while.
Lovely and challenging with enjoyable crafting and survival elements, but poor river controls make it harsher than it should be.
There are times that The Flame in the Flood feels like the world is against you. And it is. But that's the mechanic you are dealing with here. You will die, a lot. If that runs counter to what you find fun, this game might not be for you. But if you'd like to try something entirely unique, look no further.
I love difficult games, but The Flame in the Flood didn't test my resolve—it tested my patience. A stellar look and an awesome soundtrack made me want to love The Molasses Flood's first release, but with so many technical setbacks, I could hardly even stomach my time with it. I won't be returning to the flood.
Fans of the survival genre will find something refreshing in The Flame in the Flood. And although it can be a little rough around the edges at times, the themes and design of the game make for an interesting and enveloping game.
The Flame in the Flood has a unique style, offers some great decisions and can keep a fan of the roguelike engaged for many hours, but it might need a little more refinement before it can also draw in other types of players, despite its hugely attractive art and music.
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.
The Flame in the Flood is an harsh and absorbing survival game that never lets you rest on your laurels, with fantastic audiovisual design direction.
This challenging voyage makes for one of the most memorable and satisfying survival games in the last few years
The post-societal visuals of crumbling buildings, broken-down cars drifting along the flooded river, and menacing wildlife lurking in the distance, paired with an excellent folk rock soundtrack featuring Chuck Ragan, creates a unique atmosphere of exploring a desolate frontier. It's easy to become absorbed in this world and end up spending much more time on this treacherous river than you initially intended. That is, until it swiftly kills you without remorse. It seems mother nature is a cruel mistress indeed.
A powerful, emotional survival adventure, The Flame in the Flood manages to stand out even in a swiftly-populating genre.
The Flame in the Flood was a fantastic experience for me.
The sense of survival in The Flame in the Flood is palatable and players will do well to be prepared for what's around every corner.
Anyone who has truly experienced the Great Wide Open will surely appreciate this gem of a survival-themed video game that independent developer The Molasses Flood has created; a gem that provides a world that is as immersive and beautiful as it is dangerous, and that gives new meaning to the term 'Survival of the Fittest.' It should be noted, however, that, as fun as sailing, scavenging, hunting (or running), and crafting is, The Flame in the Flood should be enjoyed as a whole because, while as a game it is flawed, as an experience, it is simply magnificent.