Fire Commander
- July 27, 2022
- Pixel Crow Games
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamFire Commander is a real-time strategy game that simulates firefighting operations in a city. As the fire chief, you must manage resources, respond to emergencies, and plan structural firefighting tactics to save lives and properties. With realistic fire behavior and various scenarios, the game offers a challenging and immersive experience for players who enjoy strategic and emergency response gameplay.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic firefighting games, appealing to fans of the genre.
- Gameplay is generally smooth and bug-free, providing a fun and engaging experience for casual players.
- The upgrade system for firefighters and vehicles adds a layer of strategy and progression to the game.
- The game lacks realism, with unrealistic fire spread mechanics and no use of hoses, which detracts from the firefighting experience.
- There is no auto-save feature, leading to potential frustration from lost progress after long play sessions.
- AI pathfinding and decision-making are poor, often resulting in firefighters running into danger or failing to complete tasks effectively.
- story156 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is often criticized for being simplistic and repetitive, with many players feeling that the missions lack depth and coherence. While there are over 30 varied missions that can keep players engaged, the narrative elements are minimal, leading to a sense of monotony as players frequently replay missions to upgrade their firefighters and equipment. Overall, the potential for a more dynamic and engaging story is noted, but it currently falls short of expectations.
“The missions that are there, over 30 of them, are really quite well done and managed to keep me entertained until the very last few missions.”
“Upgrading your station, your firefighters, their equipment, and trucks makes completing the missions easier; the final-destination-esque incidents make it feel like you're playing an action game, rather than a firefighting game, and the storytelling is quite nice.”
“I have enjoyed the game very much; it has a lot to offer. Now that I have finished it, there is not much to do, but I love to replay story missions and I hope that the developers will one day work on more missions to come to the game.”
“Too simple and the story is boring.”
“I did enjoy the game at first, but as soon as I began mission 3, I immediately got turned away from this game.”
“The 'stories' in this could use a bit of editing, especially when the stages act like the missions are over and then boom, you got a new area to put out the fire.”
- gameplay58 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its smoothness and gradual introduction of mechanics, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and lacking essential firefighting features. Players noted that while the game offers a basic framework and potential for future development, it suffers from unrealistic fire spread mechanics and a lack of depth, making it less engaging over time. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a double-edged sword, providing a solid foundation but needing significant improvements to enhance the firefighting experience.
“However, the bulk of the development work seems to have gone into the gameplay side of things, which appears to be pretty smooth and fairly bug-free.”
“The player gets slowly introduced to new mechanics such as special classes of firefighters that can, for example, open certain pathways the regular units can't; however, those introductions happen gradually and at no point do those new mechanics feel overwhelming to the player.”
“I agree that the mechanics of the game require some expanding, but what is there provides a good basis for a potential sequel.”
“The gameplay is incredibly basic.”
“The game is far too lacking when it comes to gameplay.”
“Fire spread mechanics are terrible and completely illogical.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them outdated and poorly optimized, while others appreciate the decent visuals for an indie title. There are mentions of specific issues like bland aesthetics and graphical mishaps, but some users also highlight moments of beauty and potential for improvement. Overall, the graphics seem to be a point of contention, with a general consensus that they could benefit from further development.
“Very realistic graphics and missions, and it is very addictive. I can't stop trying to beat all the missions; it's almost as good as the fire squad game, and it's worth the money.”
“The graphics are gorgeous, so my hope is that the team will circle back and add some depth to the fire physics.”
“But overall, the graphics are okay for an indie game, and the fire simulation is quite good.”
“I can look beyond the minimalist game settings and bland visuals, and even beyond the vehicles' washed-out emergency lights having no reflections (unlike in the trailer), fine.”
“But keep in mind it's nonetheless hindered by messy visuals, poor optimization, and design decisions.”
“Graphics are bad even when playing on ultra at 1980x1800.”
- stability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players noting a generally smooth gameplay experience and minimal bugs, while others report significant issues such as freezing at the splash screen, unrealistic fire spread mechanics, and various UI glitches. Overall, the game exhibits an "early access" feel, indicating that while it has potential, it still requires further refinement and bug fixes.
“The bulk of the development work seems to have gone into the gameplay side of things, which appears to be pretty smooth and fairly bug-free.”
“First of all, the game is buggy; the fire spread is unrealistic and makes completing some missions undoable.”
“Every time I attempt to load it, it freezes and never gets past the splash screen.”
“The game is rather janky, with UI glitches, character models that don't match their portraits, and all kinds of small annoying issues here and there, giving an overall early access vibe.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability due to the lack of an increased challenge setting and predetermined vehicles for missions, which many players feel detracts from the experience. While some users note that replaying can yield different outcomes, the consensus leans towards a lack of significant replay value.
“Games can be different too when you replay them, so there's actually a bit of replayability.”
“Dynamic missions for replayability, please!”
“Vehicles are always predetermined for missions, which costs replay value, in my opinion.”
“The game does not have an increased challenge setting, so there is no replayability.”
“Vehicles are always predetermined for missions, which diminishes replay value in my opinion.”
“No real replayability here.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustratingly unbalanced, as training consumes more stamina than actual missions, leading to excessive grinding for resources. The lack of meaningful recruitment and inadequate monetary rewards contribute to a sense of forced grinding, particularly when trying to acquire essential specialized units. Overall, many feel that significant time investment is required to progress effectively.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Unbalanced and incoherent fire station management, with firefighters getting more tired (stamina use) when training than with actual missions. Very little recruitment is actually needed, and the underwhelming money compensation possibly leads to grinding at the last moment to get new mandatory specialized units.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While some users claim the game is not as performance-intensive as suggested, it suffers from significant optimization issues, including startup crashes and poorly optimized levels, alongside various bugs that can affect gameplay.
“It's not as performance hungry as some say in their reviews.”
“Also, it lacks a lot of optimization and bug correction (sometimes it crashes when starting up, levels are poorly optimized, I got all achievements when launching for the 2nd time due to a bug...)”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for prioritizing profit over quality, leading to a perception of it as a cash grab rather than a genuine attempt to revive the RTS genre. Many users express disappointment that developers are focusing on more lucrative shooter games instead of investing in immersive experiences.
“It's just a shame to see a game that, in my eyes, could have had the potential to bring us an immersive RTS and revive a great game with updated graphics, feeling, and realism, but this just isn't it. Not many developers consider making these games anymore because apparently cash grab shooters are where it's at.”
“It's just a shame to see a game that, in my eyes, could have had the potential to bring us an immersive RTS and revive a great game with updated graphics, feeling, and realism, but this just isn't it. Not many developers consider making these games anymore because apparently cash grab shooters are where it's at.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game effectively immerses players in the role of firefighters, with strong visuals that enhance the experience, even if some elements may feel unrealistic. Overall, the combination of game mechanics and visual design successfully conveys the intensity of firefighting action.
“The overall visuals and atmosphere sold the idea of controlling firefighters in action, creating an immersive experience despite some unrealistic elements.”
“The game's atmosphere is captivating, drawing players into the world and enhancing the gameplay experience.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and a rich atmosphere makes every moment in the game feel alive and engaging.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game particularly strong, with one mission standing out as especially hilarious. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the gaming experience.
“One mission in particular was hilarious.”
