Flame Keeper by developer Kautki Cave is the latest roguelite entry that has arrived to the PlayStation 5. The action game follows Ignis, a special lump of coal who must fight his way through different levels of enemies to liberate the world of Orbis and bring light to a world shrouded in darkness. Is Flame Keeper a worthy addition to the roguelite genre? Does it shine brightly like its main character? Lets take a look and find out!
Light Vs Darkness
The story of Flame Keeper is simple. Ignis must free the world of Orbis from creatures called Pixies. He must restore the Eternal Flame and bring light to this world. On his quest, he encounters many different enemies like spiders, worms and fly-like creatures that try to stop him in his tracks. The story isn’t anything too deep and can be forgettable the more you progress. One of the strongest aspects of the game are the cutscenes. The animation and art style is fantastic and is a treat to watch. Even the opening intro scene when you boot up the game is beautifully shot. These cutscenes help the story in a way even if it isn’t that strong. It is a shame the story isn’t too memorable because this art style is amazing. But the gameplay is where Flame Keeper shines.
Die And Go Again
Like other roguelite action games, Ignis must fight his way through many difficult enemies to level up and become stronger and he progresses through the three different waves per level. Ignis can level up by using his health to light up campfires in every level. Each level has three waves. The first two are normal levels, where players must explore the area, kill enemies and find lamps to bring back to the campfire in order to light it up. Each lamp that is lit up, Ignis can access different perks and abilities to make his journey easier. Some of the these perks range from increased damage to faster movements. Players can also find weapons for Ignis like rock hands that do more damage. These are especially handy when you progress through the levels against higher level enemies.
The third wave is a survival wave where you must defend a cauldron of flames against waves of enemies that are coming to destroy it. All the abilities and weapons you pick up come in handy here as you have to survive five minutes against them and it becomes very intense. Ignis can use his health to build towers that have village residents on top of them to throw spears at enemies. You can also unlock other traps to help take out enemies. Flame Keeper is a difficult game but this adds to the fun of the game. It also means you need to be wary of what powers you want to upgrade, because if you die, back to wave one and you go again.
Now of course this three wave design can become repetitive the more you progress in the game as the levels, despite looking different in design from swamps to temple like areas, are basically the same. The gameplay does keep it all appealing and fresh. The combat is simple. Punch enemies or dash into them to kill them. Players can also unlock special abilities like missiles or a magic hammer that can damage a horde of enemies of you can time the attack perfectly. The hammer will smash down in the small area, wiping anything in the area out. Best weapon to use, especially against the hordes of enemies when defending the cauldron.
There is a hub world in Flame Keeper. Ignis can upgrade abilities at Vulpius Village. You can come here to upgrade buildings that also level up your abilities. This also includes upgrading your attack power and stamina so it is your best interest to visit and upgrade buildings as much as you can.
Boss Fights
There are multiple boss fights in the game. These boss fights are challenging like the spider boss fight that spits acid around the platform you are standing on. It can knock you off so there is a lot of things to consider when tackling these boss fights. The most important thing is you picked the best abilities that suit your playstyle as everything you unlocked in the previous levels can be used here. There’s not much else to the boss fights. They have cool designs and are challenging. It is satisfying to take them down knowing you earned it with the challenges you overcame. The beauty of a roguelite game.
Verdict
Flame Keeper is a fun little game to play. It is a welcome addition to the roguelite genre. The combat is simple but fun and the abilities you can unlock are satisfying to use against enemies. The boss fights are challenging and a fun time. The tower defense type wave where you defend the cauldron for five minutes is also a welcome addition and can help keep things somewhat fresh after completing the other normal waves. Some of the levels can get repetitive over time as it does follow the same formula and waves. The story is also forgettable but the art style can keep player’s attention. The game is only about 5-6 hours long, depending on how many times you may die in the game but it is a reasonable length for this type of game. Flame Keeper is a good time for any interested in roguelite games.
