Developer: Corey Martin
Publisher: Draknek
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5
Tested on: PC
Bonfire Peaks – Review
Bonfire Peaks appeared as a big blip on our radar not that long ago. We were quite intrigued by the trailer and the overall premise of the game. The original trailer gave us the impression that the game would have a deep narrative experience to uncover, all while solving short puzzles to progress. Instead, we found a very meaty puzzle game that has a very distinct atmosphere but sadly came without any story value whatsoever. The game lets the player speculate on what might be going on, and that also has a certain charm.
Story
Bonfire Peaks is void of any story content. The game throws you into a fairly big overworld, where you have access to tiny puzzle levels via campfires scattered all over the place. The game is cryptic in nature, as you have no clue why you are burning a box of your belongings in every single level of the game. This could be a metaphor for many things, where one is closing a certain chapter of their life or where one may see that true happiness does not come from having a lot of stuff.
Graphics
Even though Bonfire Peaks uses voxel-based graphics, the game looks amazing. Everything is designed out of a lot of smaller voxels than the ones you see in Minecraft. For a game of this (small) scale that works a lot better, as you’ll see a lot more details in these small environments the protagonist finds himself in. The levels themselves become a bit ‘samey’ after a while, but it never truly becomes bothersome. The overworld changes its appearance a bit more, especially with the random clutter that can be viewed in the different areas of the central hub.
Sound
The backdrop in Bonfire Peaks is as relaxing as it is unsettling. The music is very calm and emanates a certain relaxing vibe, but it also feels very haunting and creepy at the same time. We don’t truly understand the motivation for designing the soundtrack in such a fashion, but we reckon it has to do with the fact that you can somewhat speculate on what the main character is going through. Is he leaving baggage behind? Is he moving on? Or is he himself moving on from life itself? The sound effects do their job and feel polished enough to go hand in hand with the soundtrack.
Gameplay
Bonfire Peaks is a puzzle game that could best be compared to a 3D Sokoban experience. In each level, you’ll have to move around blocks in order to reach the fire to burn your stuff. As the game progresses, you’ll get different types of blocks to use, as well as hazards blocking your path, and so on. When picking up blocks, you’ll have to navigate in such a way that you don’t bash into other blocks, as this may move them, or they may just block your path. More than often you’ll have to ascend towards the fire by walking backwards, to then rotate your character in the right direction to place the next block, to pick up a new block, or to shove another block out of the way. The game is very straightforward in how it works, but it proves to be very challenging at times at well. Luckily, the game allows you to progress to the next areas in the overworld, even if you only clear a few puzzles per zone. More than often you’ll always be able to finish several puzzles easily, while the other ones in the same zone prove to be trickier.
The biggest problem with the game lies with its controls. Even after clearing many stages, we still found ourselves struggling with the controls, be it via keyboard or controller. We found that the controls felt very counterintuitive, and this detracts from the overall fun. Luckily, there’s an undo button that resets your last move in case you mess up. The problem lies with the fact that both turning around and moving are done with the same stick (or arrow keys). This problem would immediately be solved if you would walk forwards and backwards with your left stick, and turn around with the right stick. We have to emphasize that your character can only walk forward and backwards, as walking sideways would make a lot of puzzles too easy to solve.
Conclusion
Bonfire Peaks is an exquisite puzzle game that allows you to enjoy the game at your own pace, without ever actually getting stuck for too long. As the game allows you to progress if you can beat only a few levels per zone, the game proves to be accessible for both veterans and newcomers to the genre. There’s more than enough content to plow through, and the game’s soundscape is simple but very memorable. We would have loved a story to go with the great art design, but it’s also fun to speculate as to why the protagonist is distancing himself from his belongings. For the current asking price, you’re getting a meaty puzzle game.
No Comments