Just every now and then a game releases that truly takes me by surprise. The survival genre has really taking off in recent months but for me, none have really grabbed my attention in quite the same way that ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has.
You first see the dog Aesop taking a back pack to the main character Scout as the game begins, thus begins a relationship between them and the player which will be shaped by as many twists and turns as the river they will travel along. Scout and Aesop will travel by raft along a river in a land obliterated by a flood. The remains of what was once a populated area, will serve as places for Scout to explore in order to find and scavenge the resources and materials in order to help keep Scout alive. For the player this task requires caring for the basic and vital needs of Scout are looked after such as thirst, hunger, warmth and fatigue.
In order to do this the player must find food, clean water and a safe place to take shelter as bad weather, natural hazards and dangerous wildlife will threaten them on their journey. To help, the game has deep crafting system which enables the player to use resources to craft tools, items, first aid and food to sustain Scout. Aesop will bark to identify materials that can be collected and used during exploration. As you find more useful materials, Scout will learn to craft more advanced tools and medicine.
The struggle to keep Scout healthy and safe is the main challenge for the player and the sense that Scout is in danger is immediate right from the very beginning of her story. In addition to her basic needs, Scout must also be protected from the harsh environment around her as you progress further down the river. Even the river is an element of danger as you battle against rapids and obstacles which if struck can damage the raft and if too badly damaged will wreck it meaning the journey ends. Docking at any one of the many locations throughout the ten regions that the river flows through, can be full of materials to use but also dangers like wildlife. Wolves, wild boars, poisonous snake and even ants, can cause injury to Scout which if left untreated can cause illness leading to Scout’s demise.
I am not usually a fan of these survival genre games as I often find the required micro management of every possible detail becomes tedious after a while. Ironically ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has one of the deepest systems of this kind I have encountered but the sheer charm of the game world and connection I felt towards Scout and Aesop meant this experience was anything but tedious and instead a real delight to play.
In learning how to play I must admit to losing or more honestly, failing Scout a few times. But the strength of the gameplay meant I understood why I had failed each time and by doing so, learned how to play better. For losing Scout to starvation I learned to manage my inventory better to always have food and water ready. By losing Scout to the bite of a snake I learned how to craft the correct cure and keep it handy for the next time. For each failure I suffered I gained a better understanding of how the game worked and more importantly, how to be better at keeping Scout safe.
When things were going smoothly I found the beauty of the visuals blended with the fantastic soundtrack created a relaxing world to be in. Sailing down the river was calming and satisfying. But I would also feel the tension if the raft was close to being destroyed or if Scout was hurt and in need of medical aid which I lacked the resources to craft leading to a frantic search of locations to scavenge in order to save her. That struggle mixed with moments of almost blissful calm gave this game experience a level I had not expected but came to appreciate every day in-game time Scout had lived through.
Simply put ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has been the best example of the survival genre I have played. All the components come together so delightfully that my experience grows every time I return to the game. By not having a hand holding nature it invites the player to start to learn things intuitively making it all the more rewarding when you succeed in keeping Scout safe and alive. It also meant every mistake and failure was all the more heart breaking at times, because when you fail it will be your fault as the player and though at times it can feel that the world is trying its hardest to stop your journey, careful planning and understanding should keep Scout safe.
Visually stunning and musically splendid, The Flame in the Flood’ makes you care for Scout and Aesop with its world and by creating such compassion for their safety and well-being drives the battle to survive all the more. With all the ebbs and flow of a river, this game offers a genuine level of challenge even for experienced players of the genre, so much so it also has a Survivalist mode that has no checkpoint restores should Scout die and it will be a permanent death losing all progress and forced to start again. I enjoyed my time so much that everyday Scout survived I gave a celebratory thumbs up to my telly, that is how immersed in the experience the game made me.
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