Survival games have been hammering the industry in recent years. It has gotten to a point where I’m sure a lot of people are sick of seeing them. If I’m totally honest I’ve not come across one that has hooked me in any way. The closest was probably DayZ on PC, where I spent hours finding bit of loot before being mercilessly killed by another player who would steal my can of food that I spent ages finding. Such is the success of survival games, even major AAA titles like Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider are adopting it into their own games as DLC add-ons.
If there was going to be a survival game that was going to appeal to me, a game created by some of the guys behind Bioshock, Halo 2 and Rock Band (a varied mix of talent for sure) was likely to come as close as any other effort. But despite this wealth of experience there is still something about this type of game that doesn’t quite resonate with me. And the limitations that game presents doesn’t help that.
Firstly, I’ll say that the artistic direction the game has gone in is quite fantastic. It is a beautiful looking game, from character designs to the world and environments you’re in, it is all great. And it’s nice to see such attention paid to the graphics and visuals, because they can really create the feel and mood for a game if done correctly. You take control of Scout, and along with your canine companion (who doesn’t like a dog for a friend in a game these days!?) you’re forced to survive in a world where you are constantly moving forward.
As you navigate your way down an ever moving river you need to direct yourself to islands and stopping points in order to find places to sleep, scavenge and above all survive. You’ll need to pay close attention to all the different aspect of survival – Sleep, Hunger, Thirst, Health and ensure that each is kept on top of. You’ll find yourself dying quickly if one is neglected and with permadeath being present, you’ll be wanting to manage everything as best you can. One of my issues with the game is the extremely limited inventory. Within a few minutes of starting the game my bag was full. And with stacking of items maxing out at 10 before starting a new stack I had major issues with finding room for everything I wanted to carry. There also seems to be inconsistency with how you are able to discover new recipes or items to actually craft. With them randomly appearing as and when they see fit, rather than discovering blueprints or learning things.
I really like the idea of the ever moving river pushing you forward, and needing to make the right decision on where to stop on the way. Trying to commit to one thing may see you force your way somewhere but damaging your raft in the meantime, or missing a camp where they may have been something much more rewarding, and you’ve landed in amongst wolves that will break your bones and bleed you dry. It seems like a metaphor for life in general, you’re moving ever forward, and once you’ve made your decision there is no way back to change it. It is a shame then, that dodgy, unresponsive controls make travelling downstream a real chore. The turning sometimes works and other times looks like slow motion or a real struggle. You can ‘boost’ in a direction that you want to go, but this will take away stamina, and sometimes propel you into something that will cause major damage to the raft.
The Flame in the Flood has some great ideas, but the games limitations don’t allow these ideas to flourish. There is a lot of different things to manage, from Scout’s wellbeing, to potential repairs of the raft, and the stifling gameplay systems in place make managing everything very difficult. I imagine survival veterans will relish the challenge here but I struggled to find much enjoyment beyond the visuals after a handful of deaths. For a team with such pedigree, I find myself coming away disappointed, with a game that could have much to offer.
**Thank you to XCN for providing a copy of the game to review**