The First Tree: Console Edition

 Switch
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 23
  3. Negative: 7 out of 23

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  1. thaesino
    Nov 30, 2018
    9
    What a derivative, beautiful piece of ****. I love it and hate it all at once.

    At $10, this game is a steal. Yes. Yes and no. No, and yes. See? That's the feeling I had the whole time playing the game. The music is really nice. Wow... oh wait... wtf? The scene is so beautif... huh? Neverm-- Oh wait! Wow that's pretty. Very clever. The story is so heartwarming and uniq... oh    What a derivative, beautiful piece of ****. I love it and hate it all at once.

    At $10, this game is a steal. Yes. Yes and no. No, and yes. See? That's the feeling I had the whole time playing the game.

    The music is really nice. Wow... oh wait... wtf?

    The scene is so beautif... huh? Neverm-- Oh wait! Wow that's pretty. Very clever.

    The story is so heartwarming and uniq... oh nevermind, another sappy, badly written piece of cr-- oh that's so lovely. Very nice momen... what the hell is this derivative plot tw...

    And just like that, I went through the whole game.

    You'll have to give it a chance, that's all I can say. And no, I'm not saying this like some people out there out of some pity bullsh*t that... "Oh, just one guy developed this to deal with depression so you should buy it to support him." Nope. That's $10 you could spend somewhere else if you wanted so I won't say that to you. What I will say is that this game has a lot of unexpected moments of beauty, and that, quite possibly, because as a creator with depression myself, I know what the highs and lows can be like, this developer has tremendous potential which, every now and then, was thwarted by his depression.

    There are moments of beauty in this game, to say the least, which I wish could've been in Breath of the Wild... whether it's some of the scenes we're talking about, or the music.

    Anyway, that's all.    … Expand
  2. alexbarea
    Mar 14, 2021
    10
    an amazing experience. Beautiful music. Beautiful story... I play nintendo switch version
  3. dannyk_115
    Feb 9, 2020
    8
    Are the controls perfect? No. Is there much to do in this game? No. Do these things matter in what this game is trying to achieve? Absolutely not. The atmosphere is pretty, the music soothes the soul, and the theme, while bittersweet, is spiritual in its message. I enjoyed the game very much, and the last few parts of it are a real treat.
  4. JMan182
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    Incredible game so relaxing and beautiful, music it's atracting and inmersive.

    Simple gameplay but it depends how much do you want to explore and narrative gives you a good feeling.
  5. GamingCouchSpud
    Dec 8, 2021
    8
    From the mind of David Wehle comes The First Tree. A 3rd person exploration / walking (galloping??) sim, that has you playing the part of a fox trying to find her missing cubs, which itself is part of a retelling of a dream that the narrator is talking to his wife about, but that also becomes a story of a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska.

    That might sound slightly    From the mind of David Wehle comes The First Tree. A 3rd person exploration / walking (galloping??) sim, that has you playing the part of a fox trying to find her missing cubs, which itself is part of a retelling of a dream that the narrator is talking to his wife about, but that also becomes a story of a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska.

    That might sound slightly complicated, but it isn't really. You play as the fox, but as you progress through the game, you will hear the conversation of the narrator. The story he tells of reconnecting to his father, becomes a parallel story to that of a fox trying to find their missing cubs.

    As this is an exploration game /walking sim, this is more about the story, than the gameplay itself, you will explore areas, collect artifacts, dig up things that expand the story being told. And if you play with commentators' mode on, you can also find audio clips that further tell the story from the game makers perspective, and give insight into how the game was made, the thought processes and so on. I would highly recommend playing with the commentator's mode turned on.

    You will play through various landscapes, each one as beautiful as the last.

    The First Tree really is a game created by one man, and although his real-life wife is part of the narration, and a beautiful musical score, you can really feel that this is a creation by one man, and his love for the game shines through.

    The stunning cell-shaded graphics are gorgeous to look at, the music is great, and although a relatively short game, about 2 hours to complete, the meditative nature of the game will leave you feeling quite fulfilled. I was slightly reminded of Journey on the PS4. If you were a fan of that, then you will like this.

    There are puzzles to solve, and platforming elements, but nothing too difficult, mainly how to reach areas, powering up your jumps with butterflies, but in general this is more a game that you should play to really lower your heart rate, to relax to.

    The Good
    This is more of an experience than a game, and it's a good experience, a deep and meaningful story, mixed with beautiful music and stunning graphics. A truly meditative game.

    The Bad
    There are sometimes long periods of you just going in one direction without much else going on, but if you have headphones on, and are relaxed in the moment you won't notice. And also, the game is quite short.

    Overall
    The First Tree is a meditative experience, that is the best way to explain it. No enemies to kill or avoid, just a chill out experience.

    I score The First Tree a fair 8/10    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 5, 2019
    70
    Clumsily narrated yet strongly delivered tale, told through the eyes of a seeking fox and set in a gorgeous dream-world, The First Tree is an hour long video game you will not forget for some time after beating it.
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  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 7, 2018
    65
    The First Tree only lasts about 2 hours and is essentially a walking sim through a handful of gorgeous settings with bits of narrative threaded throughout. That being said, the ending truly is something special, and if you choose to get this game in the future, I’d recommend enduring through the rough narration and reaching the finale. The finale is worth it.
    Read full review