Roguelikes are known for their brutal difficulty. You lose everything upon death and have to start back at the beginning almost completely from scratch. "Flame Over" is no different. However the sense of progression even in the face of defeat that these games are known for is strangely missing here. Because of that it's hard to recommend Flame Over over the better alternatives out thereRoguelikes are known for their brutal difficulty. You lose everything upon death and have to start back at the beginning almost completely from scratch. "Flame Over" is no different. However the sense of progression even in the face of defeat that these games are known for is strangely missing here. Because of that it's hard to recommend Flame Over over the better alternatives out there even though it is a good game.
In essence it's not that different from The Binding of Isaac, one of the best roguelikes out there, as far as the core gameplay goes. It's also a twin-stick shooter. However instead of shooting grotesque and unholy abominations, you're putting out fires and racing the clock. The flames are wild and unruly, but the the time limit is the real threat. Fail to make it out in time and death himself will come after you and he won't even let the walls get in his way.
Putting out fires might not sound too difficult, but apparently these flames have developed a sense of consciousness; they are more than willing to fight back. Much like real fires they spread easily. Projectile fireballs will start to fly across the rooms if you don't put out the sources fast enough. It's not a problem in smaller areas, but the larger ones can become a nightmare as you find yourself running back and forth having to re-put out fires you already extinguished.
Yes, this can be a VERY frustrating game at times. Some gameplay decisions are designed to chip away at your precious time and not every attempt feels fruitful. The heat will most definitely get to you at times.
Now the thing that makes roguelikes so good and keeps you coming back despite the huge difficulty is that fact that each playthrough grants you something upon death that will help you get farther along next time. Flame Over has that as well, but the way it's handled only adds to the frustration instead of relieving it.
Putting out fires gets you coins that you can use to upgrade certain skills, but the real help comes from the people (and cats) that you rescue. Particularly "Miss Ion." Remember those skills I just mentioned? Well in order to actually be able to start buying upgrades for them you must first unlock them with tokens. That's where she comes in. While the other souls in need of rescuing you grant you extra time or health in return, she gives you one of the much desired tokens. Provided you can complete her mission that is. She's both your best and worst friend in this game.
The game randomly screws you over with these survivors from time to time. You might just get unlucky enough to witness them getting shot in the face with a fireball and killed as soon as you open the door. Not even giving you a chance to save them. With Miss Ion being so important early on it is unbearably frustrating to have her snatched away like that. It's bad enough you have to battle time, fire, and death himself to get to them. Cheap moments like that can lead to rage quits.
The mishandling of the upgrade system is the issue here. The hook with roguelikes is that even when you suffer and quick and brutal defeat, you gain a little something to help you out next time. That isn't always the case here as you can walk away from a decent amount of progress with nothing to show for it. There are times when it's all risk and no reward. It's still worth a look for roguelike fanatics, because it is a good game. There are just plenty of times where all the game did was make me feel like I just got burnt.… Expand
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