Firework

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."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 465 reviews

story145 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a touching and tragic story that resonates deeply with players, often evoking strong emotional responses.
The art style and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the narrative.
The game is relatively short but offers a rich storytelling experience, making it a worthwhile play for fans of narrative-driven games.

The gameplay is quite simple and linear, with puzzles that are often too easy, which may disappoint players looking for a more challenging experience.
Translation issues are present, leading to occasional confusion regarding character names and plot details, particularly for non-Chinese players.
Some players found the pacing slow, especially in the early chapters, which could detract from the overall engagement with the story.

story
309 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
1%
The game's story is widely praised for its emotional depth, intriguing twists, and strong thematic elements, particularly surrounding family, tragedy, and cultural beliefs. While some players found the gameplay simplistic and linear, many felt that the narrative's presentation and atmosphere more than compensated for it, making it a compelling experience for those who appreciate story-driven games. However, a few reviews noted issues with coherence and pacing, suggesting that while the story is engaging, it can also be convoluted at times.
- “The story is tragic and touching, the way it's presented is also quite nice.”
- “The story is well done and I really enjoyed unraveling the twists and turns of the mystery.”
- “The story is touching and excellent!”
- “The story is nonsensical, puzzles are self-solving, and you can only progress because the game is extremely linear.”
- “Where this game falls flat is the gameplay/puzzle solving and story cohesiveness; it's fine to have simple gameplay, but why even include puzzles if the characters pretty much solve them by walking through the map normally.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent sound design and artistic visuals. While it leans more towards a creepy and unsettling vibe rather than outright horror, many players appreciate its ability to evoke tension and emotional depth through storytelling. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's impact, despite some critiques regarding dialogue and pacing.
- “A beautiful game with great storytelling and an amazing atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is great, and if you're easily spooked there will be a handful of jump scares that will get you, but it never goes beyond a (well done) spooky atmosphere.”
- “Firework's atmosphere will get under your skin and keep you hooked right until the end credits start rolling.”
- “Maybe the devs were going for a Silent Hill kind of eerie atmosphere, but it just feels lazily written.”
- “The atmosphere is gloomy and weird but not so scary.”
- “It's not too scary overall; the game focuses more on maintaining a persistent creepy atmosphere.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which enhances the storytelling and atmosphere, particularly in the horror genre. Many reviewers highlight the aesthetic appeal and emotional depth of the visuals, noting that they effectively complement the narrative without being overly graphic. While some critiques mention a lack of polish in certain areas, the overall impression is that the art direction significantly contributes to an immersive and engaging experience.
- “Overall, the game's plot had a very interesting twist, the graphics/art style looked detailed, and the music created a great atmosphere for the rest of the gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “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
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
73%
10%
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 focus on the narrative, many find the gameplay dull and unengaging, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Overall, the game prioritizes storytelling over gameplay depth, which may appeal to those who value narrative-driven experiences but disappoints players seeking more interactive challenges.
- “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.”
- “The puzzles are very easy and the gameplay almost nonexistent -- but that's okay; the game leans into the format to tell a great story, and difficult puzzles or twitchy gameplay would have detracted from that.”
- “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
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its tragic and heartfelt storytelling, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking strong feelings and even tears. The combination of simple yet warm artwork, clever puzzles, and a suspenseful atmosphere enhances the emotional impact, making it a memorable experience that balances moments of beauty with themes of loss and family struggles. Overall, players find the game to be a touching journey that successfully elicits a range of emotions, from sadness to heartfelt connection.
- “The story is tragic and touching, the way it's presented is also quite nice.”
- “It's a really well done and touching story about murder, misunderstandings, and family, and the atmosphere is fantastic throughout.”
- “Without spoiling too much it is a tragic, heartfelt, and emotional journey.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
35%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, effectively complementing the story and visuals. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack creates an eerie yet captivating experience, contributing significantly to the emotional depth and tension of the gameplay. While some mentioned minor audio issues, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature that elevates the game's horror elements and storytelling.
- “The accompanying soundtrack is haunting yet beautiful and worth a listen to on its own.”
- “The atmosphere is great, the soundtrack is pretty good, and I love that there is a supernatural theme surrounding the story.”
- “Overall, the game's plot had a very interesting twist, the graphics/art style looked detailed, and the music created a great atmosphere for the rest of the gameplay.”
- “The ending was also really sad and the music made it a lot more depressing.”
- “And I pussied out at several points and turned the music down because I was genuinely creeped out and couldn't handle the music with the visuals!”
- “The game has no audio dialogue -- just some sound effects and background music.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and exhausting, detracting from the overall narrative experience. The drawn-out gameplay transforms what could have been an engaging mystery into a frustrating and disjointed journey. While the graphics may not be the main issue, the repetitive nature of the gameplay significantly impacts enjoyment.
- “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
100%
33%
Reviewers highlight the impressive depth of character development in the game, particularly noting the well-designed characters and the significant growth of the main character, Blin Lixun, despite the game's short length. The combination of art style and soundtrack further enhances 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
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the clever writing of the characters, particularly the main character's ironic disbelief in ghosts while navigating a supernatural murder investigation, which adds a comedic layer to the narrative. However, some players felt that the humor did not resonate with them, finding it neither scary nor particularly 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
50%
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, such as low frame rates (around 6fps), which can detract from the overall experience. However, certain scenes showcase creative performance elements that stand out positively.
- “The performance of some scenes is very creative.”
- “Performance-wise, most of the time for a 2D game, it ran poorly at 6 FPS, but it wasn't to a degree that made it unplayable.”
- “The performance of some scenes is very inconsistent.”