The Flame in the Flood Review

Gameplay

Graphcis

Audio

Value

Summary: The Flame in the Flood is post-apocalyptic beauty on the PlayStation 4

4.1

Post-apocalyptic beauty

From the creators of The Molasses Flood comes THE FLAME IN THE FLOOD which is a roguelike survival video game set in a post-apocalyptic America where the world has become a flooded wasteland. In the game, you can control Scout who is trying everything she can to survive these dangerous lands and thankfully you have an ally in your trustworthy dog Aseop (it can be a she too) who is also part of solving the puzzle. The goal of this game is to survive which also means you need to ensure your resources such as food, water and warmth are catered for. Given that, the title does have some parallels to Don’t Starve and even if you have played this title, The Flame in the Flood is still quite different.

However before jumping into the game, The Flame in the Flood has an intuitive tutorial which explains the gaming mechanics like your statistics and more importantly, how to craft and navigate these waterways. So with your raft and Aseop, you must carefully navigate the perils of the river which includes obstacles such as rocks and even rapids which can cause quite a bit of problems for the player. However by mooring on islands, you then need to scavenge in order to find useful items to help you on your way.

As mentioned, Scout needs to ensure that her resources do not get too low as you scavenge the land for items to help you along the way like food. This can include foraging or even hunting for your meals which does give you more bonuses and a well laid trap can reap some impressive rewards. Water is important, however you need to filter your H20 just like Bear Grylls so Scout doesn’t become sick when drinking it. To make matters worse, Scout and Aseop have limited items that they carry so it can become quite a difficult decision on what to keep and what to throw away.

Then you have permadeath which is part of the gameplay so when you’re fighting enemies, you’ll soon learn what works and what doesn’t which also includes the various waterways that may also cause your death. To help with this situation, your loyal dog’s items will always be available when you return to the game but nonetheless, it can be extremely challenging. Add in a very comprehensive crafting system which allows you to improve your items and this is quite a clever game.

Graphically, this game is quite enrichening with its post-apocalyptic world of abandoned buildings, cars, school buses that at times is like something out of The Walking Dead but more worse for wear. To further complement the gameplay, The Flame in the Flood features a beautiful yet melancholy soundtrack which suits the story perfectly. Add in some subtle sound effects and with the stylised graphics, The Flame in the Flood is quite an engaging game, although it does summon controller rage when you do something silly. Thankfully the controls work quite well on the PlayStation 4 and more often than not, it’s player muck-ups. Lastly, the complete edition contains commentary from the creators of the game that can be accessed by finding little tapes scattered around the world.

Final Thoughts?

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.

Screenshots