Game: Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX
Genre: Action, Platformer, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows & macOS), PS4 and Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: Dejima | Thunderful
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US E
Price: US $17.99 | UK £14.99 | EU € 17,99
Release Date: June 22nd, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Plan of Attack.
Where There’s Smoke There’s FireGirl
Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX is a 2D platformer with rogue-lite elements. Yes, another contender in the genre. Yet, Firegirl manages to keep its head above water not only because its title is kinda brilliant but because it puts a unique spin on its mechanics creating a prominent flame in an overwise bloated genre.
Playing as new recruit ‘Firegirl’ you are tasked with doing the dangerous task of entering burning buildings in order to rescue the civilians and extinguish the demonic flames within. Yeah, one of the weird twists on this story is it turns out all of the fires are being caused by an evil Firelord. Vanquishing demons (or extinguishing them here) is not in the typical job description of a firefighter but it sure makes a fun video game plot.
The story is presented in small snippets between your runs unravelling the mystery of the actual cause of the fire. Despite the demonic presence in places, it’s a pretty witty, family-friendly endeavour, suitable for all audiences. This is further assisted by the comic pixel style of the character sprites. Fire is no joke but this game manages to put a calm spin on an otherwise devastating subject matter.
The Essential Tools
After a handy to-the-point tutorial which teaches you the basic mechanics, you are let loose on the flames. The tools at your disposal include an axe to help you bust down doors and deal with barriers in your path. Then you have your fire hose which you’ll use to extinguish fire enemies and even project you into the air to reach higher ground. It comes with a supply limit so early in the game you need to choose your battles wisely. If your supply fully depletes you end up with a rather weak trickle of water instead of a blast. It might serve you to the exit but it’s not ideal.
You’re better off seeking out a water supply or power-ups which may be dotted around the level, sometimes it can be the luck of the rogue-lite draw if you’ll see any. Controls initially take a bit of getting used to particularly jumping with the fire hose. However, once it clicks it has a satisfying feel to it. I certainly got a sense of being a beginner firefighter to more to a more confident and experienced one by the end of the game.
Rescue
When you start the game you begin by taking on a burning building with the goal of attempting to rescue a set number of survivors before seeking out the exit within a time limit. This time limit can be extended by hosing down flame monsters or finding powerups. When you finish a level you gain a salary and head back to base to upgrade your equipment.
After early runs, you can spend money to recruit specific survivors who you can spend further money on to unlock more handy perks. This includes a dog that will help point you towards hidden survivors and a negotiator that will increase your overall salary per run whether you succeed or fail. If you rescue all the survivors you will gain additional cash from fan donations making for a nice payday.
Upgrade
If you fail you will lose money due to the hospital expenses but this can be removed via some upgrading. By completing specific missions in levels you can unlock badges to add additional perks to your runs. Firegirl is a bit of a slow burn to begin with. Most of my early runs ended in failure and I had a lot of trouble seeking out survivors despite hints popping up saying they were in the area.
After some upgrades, the experience did become pretty addictive and hard to put down. It was also very appealing that most missions last no more than three or four minutes making this a great title to dip in and out of.
As the game progresses you will unlock more environments including a runaway burning train, forest fires and office complexes that pay some small nods to the original Die Hard film by being titled Nekotomi Plaza. Levels are randomly generated, each run changing the positioning of powerups and survivors. However, despite the efforts to make every run feel different, it feels a bit lacking. Level designs are repeated frequently giving too much of a sense of familiarity.
Nostalgia Feels
Graphics have a unique design where the sprites are presented in 2D but the level environments are rendered in 3D. It’s a feeling that really takes me back to the old 90s PC days, tickling my nostalgia. Performance-wise the game ran pretty well in docked and handheld mode. But I did experience some significant slow down when more enemies filled the screen or I entered a large open area. I also encountered a bizarre bug early in, where after finishing a mission I lost thousands of dollars putting my money pit into the negative figures. It seemed very out of place but I never encountered it again.
The general feel of the game felt almost arcade-like. An announcer will excitedly call out when you rescue a survivor or pick up a power-up. Then there are the fans that will cheer you on after you rescue someone and proceed to douse more flames with water. It all makes for a more joyful experience than something of fear and I was totally on board with it.
Firegirl isn’t a very long experience. After collecting a set number of a certain collectable through the levels it will trigger a final boss level and then the game is kinda over. This took probably around the four-hour mark. You can continue with the game after it concludes to upgrade further but it feels like there could have been a little more to encourage additional replays. For example, a harder mode, challenge modes or as mentioned above just more levels.
Conclusion – I See Fire
Firegirl Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX is a short but snappy rogue-lite experience that will really appeal to busy gamers that are not fond of the excessive grind seen in many modern rogue-lites. The downside to this is it does make the game a tad short. Although, there is no denying the uniqueness of the design that is sure to appeal to those looking for something different in the genre. Despite the game’s notable faults of which there are a fair few I found myself won over by this game and its general charm. All in all, when the fires are extinguished Firegirl maintains a spark in my heart that I will remember for years to come. And maybe it will for you too.
Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot
