In Flame Over, which seems like a proof of concept build for what would eventually become a better-designed game, you play as a firefighter called Blaze and it’s your job to go from level to level stopping the raging fires that surround you. To accomplish this, you’re armed with both a water hose and extinguisher. The game is essentially a roguelike, featuring randomly generated levels that continue on and reset once you’ve died… and trust me, you will die. Featuring cartoonish graphics and played from a 3/4ths overhead perspective, Flame Over has a lot of good things going for it. In theory.
To focus on the positive, let’s talk about the concept and presentation. Firefighter games are few and far between, and that’s a shame considering how harrowing the job can be. I commend Flame Over for tackling the subject and distilling the experience down into a jaunty time-based action game. On top of that, the game runs smooth and looks great- its cartoon presentation is consistent and looks vibrant throughout despite all the chaos that’s on screen at any given time.
On the other hand, there’s a fair amount in Flame Over that takes away from its solid concept and visual presentation. One of the biggest sticking points for me were the controls. The game feels like a twin-stick shooter when firing off either the hose or extinguisher- you aim via the right thumb-stick. However, when you’re not actively firing, the right stick also controls camera rotation. There are so many situations you’ll find yourself in where you didn’t mean to move the camera, but now you’re stuck with where it’s placed while doing your best to still hit your target. While it doesn’t sound like a major issue, when seconds count, it can mean the difference between clearing a level and starting completely over.
I also wanted to take a moment to discuss the topic of what makes for a good roguelike. For me, it’s all about situational and contextual awareness. Let’s take a title like Spelunky- when you die in that game, you know it’s your fault and not because the game is built on poorly explained and implemented mechanics. You understand fall damage. You understand enemy attack patterns and ranges. You understand your movements and actions.
With Flame Over, none of this is the case. You’re never sure how much time you have before something catches fire again, you never know where a blast of fireballs are going to come from, you’re never sure how fast civilian health bars will deplete when they’re in need of saving… I could go on. If you’re going to build a game that revolves around split-second decision making with life-or-death consequences, everything has to be clear-cut and easily identifiable. That Flame Over lacks these characteristics takes a lot away from the final product.
In the end, the game proves to be a solid concept that could be refined in a sequel or improved upon entirely by a similar title. It’s worth a look if you’re quick on your toes, don’t mind a huge challenge and learning curve, and you possess a great deal of patience. Otherwise, there are other roguelike titles out there that serve as better examples of the genre.
