Skip to main content

Firework

92%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
grinding, optimization
92% User Score Based on 526 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsCloudCloudPhonePhoneTabletTabletNVIDIA GeForce NOWNVIDIA GeForce NOW

About

"Firework is a single-player Horror Adventure game set in a remote Chinese mountain village, where a rookie police, Lin Lixun, re-investigates a closed case of a massacre after an accidental fire at a funeral. The game features a wonderful and wholesome story, delightful visuals and soundtrack, creating a very atmospheric experience as the past of the victims emerges, leading to a bewildering case of supernatural phenomenon or an elaborated murder."

Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot
Firework screenshot

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews
story164 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions

  • The game features a captivating and emotional story that resonates deeply with players, often evoking strong feelings.
  • The art style and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the narrative.
  • The game effectively integrates elements of Chinese culture and folklore, providing a unique perspective that enriches the storytelling.
  • The gameplay is overly simplistic, with easy puzzles and a linear progression that may disappoint players seeking more challenge.
  • The translation quality is inconsistent, leading to confusion regarding character names and plot details for non-Chinese speakers.
  • Some players found the pacing slow, particularly in the early chapters, which may detract from the overall engagement with the story.
  • story
    359 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is widely praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and engaging narrative, often described as a compelling blend of thriller, horror, and cultural themes. Many players found the storytelling to be captivating, with unexpected twists and a strong atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, despite some criticism regarding linearity and pacing. Overall, the narrative is considered the standout feature, making it a must-play for those who appreciate story-driven games.

    • “The story is captivating, drawing you in further and further with each twist and turn as everything is slowly pieced together.”
    • “This game is a journey into a heartbreaking story full of symbolism.”
    • “The story is touching and excellent, with strong themes of family and duty that resonate deeply.”
    • “However, the progression of the storyline and the puzzle-solving elements are not well integrated.”
    • “The story cohesiveness is the biggest thing that took me out of the moment; it really felt like the devs had an ending in mind and the protagonist came secondary.”
    • “The story didn't make any sense at all until they explained everything at the very end.”
  • atmosphere
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating blend of art, sound design, and storytelling, creating a haunting and immersive experience. Many reviewers note that it effectively builds tension through a spooky, eerie ambiance rather than relying on jump scares, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror. While some critiques mention issues with dialogue or pacing, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to evoke a sense of unease and emotional depth through its atmospheric elements.

    • “The atmosphere, the artwork, the gameplay... the story, so far, is captivating.”
    • “A beautiful game with great storytelling and an amazing atmosphere.”
    • “The art style is lovely, it tells a gripping, dark story, and it sets a fantastic atmosphere that sends chills down your spine; overall an enjoyable experience.”
    • “Maybe the devs were going for a Silent Hill kind of eerie atmosphere, but it just feels lazily written.”
    • “It's not too scary overall; the game focuses more on maintaining a persistent creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The horror is light but keeps up the pressure and atmosphere well; there are no jump scares, and the puzzles are fun but not overly complex.”
  • graphics
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful and unique art style, which effectively enhances the atmospheric and narrative elements. Many reviewers noted the artwork's ability to create a haunting yet captivating experience, with a strong emphasis on aesthetics that complement the story's themes. While some critiques mentioned a lack of depth in gameplay, the overall visual presentation is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's immersive quality.

    • “The art style is lovely, it tells a gripping, dark story, and it sets a fantastic atmosphere that sends chills down your spine; overall an enjoyable experience.”
    • “Overall quality of the game is amazing and I'm extremely pleased with the visuals as well, transitions are clean which is crucial in a game with a graphics style like this.”
    • “Great story, great scares, and hauntingly beautiful artwork.”
    • “This game feels pretty cheap; the art style doesn't look like something that has been worked on for super long. There are many typos and grammatical errors in the English subtitles, and the sound effects are the same ones over and over again.”
    • “Sluggish controls for a game with 2003-era graphics.”
    • “Not much in terms of gameplay, more a graphical novel than anything else.”
  • gameplay
    52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is largely simplistic and repetitive, primarily consisting of walking and interacting with objects, with only a few easy puzzles that lack challenge. While some players appreciate the straightforward mechanics as a means to enhance the story, many find the gameplay dull and unengaging, often feeling more like a chore than an enjoyable experience. Overall, the game prioritizes narrative over gameplay depth, which may appeal to fans of story-driven experiences but disappoint those seeking more intricate mechanics.

    • “If you enjoy story-driven horror games with straightforward gameplay, this is a great game for you.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple and the puzzles are not much of a challenge, but the story, setting, characters, and dialogue of the game keep the players on edge and entertained at the same time.”
    • “It trades in raw scare value and deep gameplay in favor of well-paced gameplay and a well-told story, which ultimately leads to a remarkable horror-lite experience.”
    • “The gameplay is extraordinarily simple.”
    • “Coupled with a slow pacing and repetitive tasks, the gameplay feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
    • “Regardless of how good or emotional the story might be, I can't find out due to the tedious, exhausting gameplay.”
  • emotional
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players reporting strong reactions, including tears and heartfelt connections to the story. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to blend horror with a touching narrative, creating a poignant experience that resonates deeply, often reflecting on themes of tragedy, family, and personal struggles. Overall, the game's storytelling and emotional depth are considered standout features, making it a memorable journey for players.

    • “This developer is a master of destroying me emotionally, please play this game.”
    • “The story is a journey into a heartbreaking narrative full of symbolism.”
    • “It's heartwarming at times, and depressingly sad at others, so the emotional impact is there too.”
    • “The gameplay is ultra boring, but most importantly, the storytelling is absolutely dull.”
    • “The emotional depth of the game is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I felt no emotional engagement throughout the entire experience; it was all very flat.”
  • music
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its haunting beauty and fitting integration into the narrative. While some mentioned a lack of background music at times, the existing soundtrack is described as compelling and effective in creating emotional depth, particularly in key moments of the story. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's art style and storytelling, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.

    • “Amazing story, atmosphere, and music.”
    • “The soundtrack is a huge hit for me and merges simple rhythms into eerie complex undertones that make for a great 'visual novel' experience.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, the soundtrack is pretty good, and I love that there is a supernatural theme surrounding the story.”
    • “Sound quality: no voice acting, no background music most of the time, sound pool for actions is terrible.”
    • “The ending was also really sad and the music made it a lot more depressing.”
    • “The game has no audio dialogue -- just some sound effects and background music.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and exhausting, detracting from the overall narrative experience. The gameplay is described as drawn out and frustrating, making it difficult to engage with the story, despite its potential. Additionally, there are no grindy achievements to motivate players further.

    • “Regardless of how good or emotional the story might be, I can't find out due to the tedious, exhausting gameplay.”
    • “The game's narrative, centered around a series of crimes in a remote Chinese village, is tediously drawn out, turning what could have been an engaging mystery into a disjointed and frustrating experience.”
    • “Not that old graphics are necessarily a bad thing -- just that the game gets a bit tedious.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers highlight the impressive depth of character development in the game, particularly praising the main character, Blin Lixun. Despite the game's short length, the well-designed characters contribute significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The art style, the depth of character development for such a short game, and the soundtrack are all impressive.”
    • “While I did praise character development, there was one particular development featured in the main character, Blin Lixun.”
    • “Well-designed characters and character development.”
    • “While I did praise character development, there was one particular development that’s featured on the main character, Blin Lixun.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the well-written characters, particularly the main character who humorously navigates a ghostly world while expressing disbelief in ghosts. However, some players felt that the humor did not resonate with them, finding it neither scary nor funny.

    • “The characters were well written, and the main character, who is heavily connected to the supernatural and investigating a murder in a ghost world while claiming he doesn't believe in ghosts, was really funny.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, such as low frame rates (down to 6fps), which can detract from the overall experience. However, certain scenes showcase creative performance elements that stand out positively.

    • “Performance-wise, most of the time for a 2D game, it ran like dog shit with 6 FPS, but it wasn't to a degree that it was unplayable.”
    • “The performance of some scenes is very creative.”

Buy Firework

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
4-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Games Like Firework

Tales of the Black Forest Image
Detention Image
This game contains adult content
Gone Home Image
This game contains adult content
What Remains of Edith Finch Image
DISTRAINT Image
This game contains adult content