Survival games are big business these days, and the genre works very well with the Early Access model. This allows developers to see what works, make changes on the fly, and slowly grow their game’s ecosystem until it’s ready to release to the public. frozen flameDreamside Interactive’s new survival RPG is one example of why it needs early access.
It teaches you almost nothing and drops you into the loincloth of a player-created character. Kingdoms of Amalur: ReckoningThere is some story going on, but no real context is given and you are submerged in the world. was asked to
The world itself is very beautiful, with all the swaying grass, flowing rivers, and shaded forests rendered in sharp, rich colors. You’ll need to craft axes and pickaxes, break trees and rocks, and gather resources. Harvest plant fibers to spin clothes, build workbenches, and eventually start crafting weapons such as bows and swords.
My first problem with Frozen Flame is that it’s very familiar. Crafting, gathering, and exploring in such a small starting area is uninspired at best. How many times have you wandered aimlessly until something like adventure appeared?
After some searching, you come across a companion who wants you to find the four sacred masks…something. This is the closest thing to a proper quest, but highlights another issue I’m having with Frozen Flame. No sense of grandeur. If you’re just told to do something and you have nothing else to do, why not?
I don’t want to be too harsh on frozen flames, as there are some decent ideas, such as needing to level up honorable flames at special shrines dotted around the place. is not. Combat, for example, is hack and slash and block until the enemy dies. No flares or characters. We need something more exciting. More enemies and weapons might make it more appealing.
It’s a beautiful game, but there’s a lot going on that suggests exploring a detailed world. There are lore nodes scattered throughout that flesh out the backstory, pointing to greater depths to come later, during and after Early Access.
Frozen Flame has several possibilities. The world is intriguing, even though it’s a little empty right now. A few tweaks could make combat a lot more fun. There is nothing here that I actively dislike. Not particularly new or fresh. At this point, Frozen Flame feels overshadowed by most of its genre and needs to forge its own path.