ith a city on fire in the background, a young firefighter desperately tries to save anyone that may be still inside the collapsing building. With little breath left in her body and even less water to fight the blaze, she continues to push forward in desperate hopes of making a difference. All this, on her very first night with the fire department. Okay, maybe it’s not that serious, but it sets the stage for an epic experience. In Firegirl: Hack 'N Splash Rescue the noir themes and roguelite gameplay elements blend very well in an experience that is difficult to master but equally hard to put down.
The fire that you fight has a mind of it's own!
Firegirl is a 2-D platformer where our main character is just starting her career in firefighting and is tasked with trying to save people (and cats) from what only can be described as fire monsters, while also attempting to restore the old fire station and gain support from citizens and funds from the city. The game relies on quick traversing of buildings engulfed in flames by breaking down doors and debris with your axe and taking out the monsters with a water hose that doubles as a propulsion device to get to higher levels. Keeping a close eye on the environment makes all the difference in finding areas of a possible survivor and avoiding being caught in a backdraft. No, not the movie although the developer has said they were very inspired by the film and watched it often during development which I can’t blame them because that movie rules.
Keeping an eye on the water pressure is important to attack and explore
The game’s levels are procedurally generated, which adds to the replay value of the game in attempts to earn upgrades to the fire station and equipment. No run feels completely wasted, as each attempt can build funds needed to add more power and range to your water hose, medals to equip that give bonuses to Firegirl as well as recruits that can add much needed resources to progression. And just when trying to save people in a burning building gets too repetitive, the game switches it up to a runaway train on fire that needs derailed or a forest in flames that has animals and humans trapped in caves and stranded on treetops. Each level has unique areas to explore and well as hidden items and special survivors that can later be recruited that give an advantage during gameplay. I’m sure there is plenty that I have yet to find and look forward to progressing more in the game.
Upgrades will allow the player to reach higher spots with the water hose
As much as I wanted to get frustrated at times with some of the levels and the oh-so-close to the finish drops, I really don’t think the game misses a step when it comes to traversing and utilizing all the tools presented. Each attempt allows the player to learn and adapt, taking on different approaches and keeping a keen eye on the layout of the world. Looking up and down using the left bumpers was essential in planning my next move and conserving water to keep the pressure and range of my hose made the difference between vanquishing a crowd of fire demons or being engulfed in flames. I just had to smile each time I came up a bit short, not feeling cheated or that it was cheap which I think is a sign of great design.
Recruits will help with upgrades and payouts
The story of the game is present but feels a bit watered down compared to the attention that went into the tight traversing as well as the gorgeous environments and soundtrack. Our protagonist is the daughter of the old fire chief who passed away in a fire a decade prior, and now on her first night as a firefighter all these monsters and random fires mysteriously appear. There is also the city mayor who seems too comfortable with the current disasters befalling his city and a FBI agent that is trying to connect all the dots. It’s cheezy and fun for the most part but falls flat compared to the rest of the game. With other roguelites dominating my headspace recently such as Hades and Dead Cells, more attention to this aspect of the title could go a long way.
Beautiful backdrops and retro aesthetics make each playthrough a treat!
This game does plenty to stay in my thoughts and keeps me from putting down the controller. It is a unique spin on a genre of game that seems to be very prevalent in today’s market and with Firegirl I see plenty of promise from the developer Dejima Games. With a console release scheduled for 2022 on the horizon I anticipate this title will generate more heat soon. Okay I think I’m all out of fire-related puns so I will just say that this is worth your time and investment.