Lost Ember Reviews
Though it follows a very recognisable 'indie adventure' formula, Lost Ember has exactly the right amount of heart and creativity to make it compelling
Lost Ember is a beautiful wild adventure, a journey through the memory of a lost civilization, a travel touched by too many technical errors.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Lost Ember is almost a good game. Its animal exploration mechanics are well-realized. Unfortunately, it's bogged down by technical issues, lackluster storytelling, and frustrating event flagging.
Overall, Lost Ember isn’t a terrible game; it does, however, strive to be profound and ultimately is not quite so. The narrative is ambitious but never strays from the beaten path. Navigation is problematic and leaves players lost when it shouldn’t. Performance is also far from optimized for Switch. While the body swapping and visual design are solid, the former is let down by linear traversal and the latter isn’t enough to make up for the other flaws. Hopefully a patch will come along to tackle some of these problems, but in the meantime consider Lost Ember if you’re willing to put up with a number of different issues.
If you're prepared for some eyeroll moments as you reset the game because your wombat got stuck in a boulder, you'll be rewarded with the spectacle of battering through walls as a buffalo, or soaring through rainbows as a hawk. At such moments of wonder, that initial escapist promise of soul-wandering through the animal kingdom feels tantalisingly close. But, in the end, the game's limitations break the necessary immersion, and bring you back down to earth with a thud.
Lost Ember offers an emotional tale of discovery set in a visually stunning world. The possession mechanic is interesting and allows for some unique setpiece experiences while the huge amount of collectables offer some longevity beyond the four-hour story experience.
Great graphics, a compelling experience, and overall heart, paint the general picture of this adventure game. While some aspects of the story go unexplored and the animal-shifting aspect largely goes under-utilized, these are not enough to distract from a positive experience. Gamers need to know going in that Lost Ember is a very casual-friendly experience, but one that is still well done. The only thing holding it back is a lack of truly diving into the mechanics presented, or truly investigating the story themes brought forth.
Very promising story from fallen world from perspectives of different animals, but result is not so amusing.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Despite a slow start and some minor bugs, Lost Ember is a beautifully designed game that offers great story and fun gameplay. Last Ember is 7 hours long game, but thanks to diversity in collectables, it has great repeat value too.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Lost Ember tells a compelling story amid gorgeous backdrops that keep you playing until its beautiful conclusion.
Lost Ember has its heart and soul in the right place, and every time I discovered a new area I was left amazed with the gorgeous vistas and intense beauty of it all.
Lost Ember is a glimpse and brings an exciting, dense and quirky story. The silence of the wolf in his memories was very well translated in the narrative, which shows a reality subject to forgiveness, revenge and anguish in the discoveries. Lost Ember should be played calmly, enjoying the view, especially the small details and the sounds of nature, braving the forest with various animals. Only loses points in processing and uneven fps, leaving the experience tiring.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Games that dare to be different are always a bit of a risk...
Lost Ember may have a predictable story but its emotional impact is still there and traveling a unique world as plenty of different animals sets it apart from others in the genre.
Lost Ember has lovely visuals, simple gameplay mechanics and a heartfelt story. The calm and peaceful vibe of the gameplay is perfect for players looking for a laid-back game to play. It is not overly long, coming in at around five hours. If you like games with a strong narrative, animals and a little exploring the environment then Lost Ember might certainly be worth a look.
The story in Lost Ember is one about a lone wolf and a curious spirit trying to remember what they have forgotten about their past lives in a journey across a beautiful world where past stories are re-told and truths are revealed.
Lost Ember wears its influences proudly but it doesn’t surpass them. Nonetheless, it’s a personal tale told with style on a large and frequently beautiful canvas. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch version suffers from performance problems that are detrimental to the overall experience. If they can be fixed – and we’ll update this review if they are – you can happily add another half-point to our score.
Despite the relatively interesting story and narrative, the Nintendo Switch version of Lost Ember has suffered from a number of problems that have made it difficult to recommend the experience. The combination of numerous graphical bugs and gameplay with a very sharp and continuous frame drop has made Lost Ember a nerve-wracking experience that is not worth your time and money. In fact, the $ 30 price of the Nintendo Switch version of the title is more like a joke.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Lost Ember offers a beautiful and unique adventure that’s unfortunately held back on the Nintendo Switch by some technical issues. Are these issues problematic to make the game feel terrible to play? Certainly not, but you won’t be getting the same compelling experience with the game that you can get on other platforms. Outside of these issues, Lost Ember has its share of special moments. I loved discovering its open-world and switching between creatures felt great, with the game offering this genuine sense of freedom that just makes exploration so enjoyable and liberating. Here’s hoping that a patch with fixes is released sooner rather than later then, because as it stands this gem of a game is a little too flawed to make it essential for Nintendo Switch owners.
Lost Ember is a great narrative adventure that acts as a wonderful game to play over an evening. However, the Switch version lacks the beauty found in the other versions. It’s ultimately something that holds this version back because the visuals are a key feature of what makes this such a memorable game. Ultimately, Lost Ember is a game that you should play, but maybe not on the Switch.