Following the intergalactic hype of No Man’s Sky and the disappointing fallout following its release, Hello Games scales things down in The Last Campfire and introduces us to a curious conundrum of a world. With its own mysteries, an emotionally driven story, fairytale charm, and subject matter that resonates with the current climate, Ember’s short journey may fizzle out too soon, but it’s unquestionably captivating. Even more so thanks to the admittedly adorable pillow-esque protagonist!
On your search for a way out of a mysterious land, spanning dark forests, swamps and ancient looking ruins, Ember – a reference to both the protagonist and others of their kind – goes out of the way to find and help other Ember’s who have lost hope and been left in a catatonic state, known as Forlorn. These Forlorn are eerie and add to the somewhat depressing ambience of the backdrop, fated to rest in their fallen spots as stone, Medusa-like victims deprived of hope. As you approach one of these Forlorn, Ember can hear their anxieties echo before stuttering into their minds to complete puzzles and rekindle their literal flame of hope, revitalising them so they can make their way back to the warmth of a nearby campfire. All the while accompanied by a soft-voiced narrator, adding a fairytale quality to the world, as though The Last Campfire were a children’s bedtime story. In this sense, The Last Campfire comes across as a spiritual successor to the WiiWare gem LostWinds (2008), as much as it is a followup to Hello Game’s No Man’s Sky.
It’s a charming adventure that gives emphasis to its chill atmosphere and whimsical simplicity, even if it does mean The Last Campfire ends up being perhaps too simplistic. We are presented with themes of anxiety, loneliness and depression, where the Narrator’s voice vocalises the last words of each of the fallen Embers – as well as puzzle actions and key story segments. However the message of hope and triumph over adversity is clear and adds an almost theological, existential feeling to its mood. Like Hello Game’s last title, No Man’s Sky, The Last Campfire tells a more personal story, though dwelling on loss and hope. In many ways it is perhaps more successful than its predecessor in large part thanks to the comparatively slight nature of the game, where as No Man’s Sky‘s greatest failing was it’s over-confidence in attempting to deliver something extraordinary. Given the current climate, the themes present throughout Ember’s puzzle-infused adventure will likely resonate with players, leaving a lot to interpretation, including it’s rather open-ended ending.
Awakening the Forlorn and completing puzzles unlocks new areas, and you’ll come across other NPCs – such as a giant turtle chef who needs help finding new ingredients – and, funnily enough, campfires, where revitalised Embers will gather, overseen by a guardian ghost. Puzzles tend to involve moving large blocks to form paths or activate switches and rarely repeat themselves, giving the impression that each puzzle is unique. This keeps the puzzle aspect of the gameplay fresh, with each area acting as a mini dungeon and an impressive aspect of the games design. However, while they do become gradually more complex, there is little by way of an actual challenge to be found. In some ways this stays true to the relaxed, tranquil tonality of the game, though it may come across as too simple for what it’s worth.
Hidden chests can be found scattered throughout each area and hold journal entries that help establish the almost dystopian landscape, acting as The Last Campfire’s collectable. They too are read aloud by the ethereal entity that narrates the story and further heightens the fairytale feel of the world. These chests act as Ember’s optional collectible item, often hidden behind a puzzle, and alongside other obstacles – including a pig blocking a bridge or a dried up ravine that must be flooded to progress to the next area – adding deeper layers to the puzzle-esque world around Ember.
Visually, The Last Campfire sports a simplistic, yet effective style. Environments are different enough to be unique and characters are charming – especially the Embers themselves with their cutesy pseudo-Jawa-stuffed-animal design: there’s surely a plushie to made from this! The art direction is one of the strongest aspects of The Last Campfire and certainly eye-catching enough to grab the attention of digital window shoppers with bold colour choices that add to the tone, and character designs that convey a stylistic cartoony look. This is accompanied by a tranquil soundtrack that drifts in the background, creating a dreamlike atmosphere, making use of a simpler arrangement.
On Switch, it runs at 720p and admittedly looks tighter in handheld mode. However, for something that seems as minimalistic as The Last Campfire, it is, sadly, consistently glitchy – an issue that seems prevalent across all platforms. There are issues loading textures at times, the frame rate will occasionally hiccup while traversing the map, but the most notable instance would be the moments when it loads a new puzzle dungeon. While interacting with Forlorn, the area surrounding Ember and the Forlorn fades to black before the next area loads with a stutter. This is likely due to the speed it has to load the map, though there are far more complex titles from indie studios that have less obvious performance issues. It’s a shame as the atmosphere of Hello Games’ charming puzzler is alluring, yet moments like these harm the experience and take you out of the game.
Despite performance issues, The Last Campfire is a captivating puzzle-adventure title, with satisfying puzzle designs that never outstay their welcome. If anything, there are times when you wish they were a little longer and more complex, though the simplicity plays into the overall ambient mood. It’s just a shame performance issues distract from the engrossing world and exploration. That and that there isn’t an Ember plushie yet…!
