The Flame in the Flood

 Switch
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 49
  3. Negative: 7 out of 49
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  1. bobbykjack
    Apr 30, 2019
    6
    An absorbing game which represents value for money, marred by bugs and flawed mechanics

    At its heart lies a very well-balanced game. I really like playing this game. I like that sleep is required, that fires offer several different benefits, that rain is present and annoying, but shelter is readily available. It feels realistic. And, yet, balance can only achieve so much. In the    An absorbing game which represents value for money, marred by bugs and flawed mechanics

    At its heart lies a very well-balanced game. I really like playing this game. I like that sleep is required, that fires offer several different benefits, that rain is present and annoying, but shelter is readily available. It feels realistic. And, yet, balance can only achieve so much. In the long-run, TFITF suffers from another problem often faced by survival games: how to maintain the challenge. Survival games are, at their heart, all about coping with various threats, and learning how to prepare for them. Once the player gets reasonably experienced, threats are all but eliminated.

    The Flame in the Flood still has several standout aspects, most of all the stunning soundtrack which really helps to evoke the solitary, tragic world the player is thrust into. The resource gathering and crafting is enjoyable, and the sense of place is greatly enhanced by unusually detailed references to nature: parasites, ants, aloe, dandelions … seriously, this must be the only game in existence that features sumac, a plant I’d previously never even heard of!

    Ultimately, my biggest issue with TFITF is its ending. I’ve certainly got value for money out of the game, but I feel I was ‘lucky’ not to crack the formula earlier. Actually, the very fact that I perceive a ‘formula’ and I now feel like I could easily beat the game every time is a problem in itself. I want to keep playing the game, because its core gameplay is actually so enjoyable, but now I’ve peeked behind the curtain, I can’t quite get enthused enough to do so.    … Expand
  2. wheidal
    Feb 28, 2020
    5
    First let me say that I really like the concept for this game. I've played a number of survival, rogue type games and this one hits most of the right marks. I really wanted to like it. It's ruined, however, by the incessant barking of the dog which, on the switch version, has not been patched with a mute option. At first I thought the barking was a helpful mechanic for finding items. ButFirst let me say that I really like the concept for this game. I've played a number of survival, rogue type games and this one hits most of the right marks. I really wanted to like it. It's ruined, however, by the incessant barking of the dog which, on the switch version, has not been patched with a mute option. At first I thought the barking was a helpful mechanic for finding items. But it becomes tiresome when you're managing your inventory, dropping items, moving stuff around, and the dog is barking, and barking and barking. After some time playing, gathering items becomes automatic. The dog is not necessary. And yet every time I go to pick up an item, there is the dog, barking to remind me to pick up the item I'm already picking up. It's unnecessary, annoying and serves no function. Sometimes I'll be standing in place, in a safe area with no enemies or items, and the dog is running around barking. Not to mention the break from realism: I mean, what better way to survive a wasteland and avoid detection than run around with a loud obnoxious mutt. Scout may as well ring a dinner bell and wait for the wolves. I kept wishing the dog would die. I would happily have given up the extra inventory space in exchange for no dog, One last gripe: by the time you get to the point where you can actually craft the items necessary to fight the higher level enemies (bears), you have reached the end of the game. I found myself constantly leaving areas because I simply couldn't fight the enemies. All I could do was run away.
    In short, I would not recommend this game. It is short, the menu is unwieldy and the dog is an awful, useless addition.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best Switch Game of 2017
69
#69 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
81
#81 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jan 7, 2018
    60
    A fascinating but flawed journey down a roaring river. [Issue #31 – January/February 2018, p. 23M]
  2. FNintendo
    Nov 3, 2017
    60
    The Flame in the Flood's survival mechanics are worthy of praise. The game has a very well-made background world and an interesting crafting system that puts the players in the middle of the game's concept. However not all of the game's elements are as outstanding and it often feels that it doesn't fully live up to its potential. Nevertheless, dedicated players will be closely around The Flame in the Flood for a long time.
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  3. Switch Player
    Oct 26, 2017
    70
    The Flame in the Flood comes to fill the survival genre gap on Switch. With a unique and enjoyable art style and soundtrack, it is a very brutal experience, that may not hit the target due to a cluttered inventory and crafting systems, but still delivers a poignant adventure.
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