This Week I Have Been Mostly Playing…
The Last Campfire on Nintendo Switch
I tend to think we forget, in these angry and difficult times, that the people making things we love and get excited about, are only human. Whether it's the new entry in a book or a hyped up movie, the creators can overstretch themselves, get fucked over by finances or just make mistakes. Cyberpunk 2077 immediately jump's out but it’s actually No Man’s Sky I want to cast your mind back to. There was much hype around this space faring title by a relatively small studio in Hello Games. They were shooting for the stars (HA) with the considerable backing of Sony but the eventual release leaving people disappointed. A million things promised and not many delivered.
Honestly I thought the game was alright but could do with some more stuff. In my (humble) opinion it wasn't terrible but I like it when creatives go as big as they can. Sure it doesn't always work out well but in these terms it was just time was the issue. Several years later and some very hefty updates No Man’s Sky now feels like the game we imagined it would be. Farming, mega cities, super freighters, sand worms!! I ramble on this to point out that people and teams, grow and learn. We should give them more of a chance (unless they are EA).
Long story short, during these updates Hello Games produced a whole other game in The Last Campfire. A short, beautiful 3D puzzle game that was totally unexpected. I bloody love this, I want studios to mix up what they make, push their creative abilities. Who wants to keep working on the same old shit? Create something new, make mistakes, learn. I am intrigued to see what Playground games, known for a lot of Forza games, can do with Fable. This excites me!
In the Last Campfire you play Ember who must go round helping other lost souls by entering into a puzzle and releasing their inner flame. After you solve enough you move to other areas, each pretty unique with its own environmental puzzles. None are overly taxing though there was one I had to come back to. Gentle is probably the most apt description, much more inviting to a wider audience. Though small each puzzle area looks rather good.
The story is told through the narrator, a very soothing Scandinavian voice actor. She read's every secret journey entry as well as the dialog between Ember and all those she meets. It’s an intriguing story, particularly the dark turns some conversations with lost souls take. I would love to know if the colour of each one means something. It's a pretty mournful game though it has it’s bright moments.
I played this every Sunday morning for a few weeks, only about 5 hours long but it’s enough to warrant picking up in a sale or if it’s ever on Game Pass. Think die hard puzzle fans will be a bit disappointed at the difficulty level but most people will find it a fun one and done. You can always go back and 100% it if you are really stuck for things to do in lockdown! It doesn't break the mould but I like that Hello Games took the time to produce and release something that wasn't NMS related. It's short and sweet. I would hope they look to do more smaller releases, trying out new things.
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