Sacred Fire
- October 18, 2021
- Poetic
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Sacred Fire is a narrative-driven role-playing game set in ancient Ireland. As a Celtic warrior, make strategic choices in dialogues and battles, manage your relationships, and confront your inner demons to survive. With its unique emotion-based combat system and poetic storytelling, Sacred Fire offers an immersive and intimate RPG experience."
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Reviews
- The game features a captivating and well-written story that keeps players engaged.
- The mechanics of character development and emotional management add depth and uniqueness to the gameplay.
- The art and music are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- The game is currently short, with only a few hours of content available, which may leave players wanting more.
- Some players have reported frustrating RNG mechanics that can lead to repeated failures and the need to restart sections.
- Character customization options are limited, which may detract from the player's ability to create a unique avatar.
- story474 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "Sacred Fire" is highly praised for its engaging and immersive narrative, where player choices significantly impact the unfolding events and character development. Reviewers appreciate the emotional depth and psychological elements woven into the storytelling, making it feel personal and dynamic. While the game is still in early access, many players express excitement for future content and the potential for even richer storytelling experiences.
“Sacred Fire gives you an excellent story where choices really matter.”
“The story feels incredibly dynamic thanks to the reactiveness to all the checks.”
“The choices feel real and impactful; failure mostly adds to the story and doesn't feel like a punishment.”
“There seem to be very few bad story-ending choices.”
“Thus far, in the short amount of content, I have seen a couple of 'choices' actually be railroads, which is about the biggest red flag out there for an 'interactive' story.”
“However, there are still some decision paths which reduce the story length drastically and leave the character with almost no experience or favor with the NPCs.”
- gameplay152 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sacred Fire" is characterized by its innovative mechanics that blend psychological decision-making with traditional RPG elements, creating a unique experience focused on emotional management and relationship dynamics. While some players find the mechanics initially confusing, they become intuitive over time, enhancing the narrative immersion. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and replayability, though some users express a desire for further refinement and additional content.
“The core gameplay loop is about micromanaging which psychological impulses you want to give into vs. which ones you want to expend energy to quell at any given moment.”
“A great blend of narrative game with RPG elements and light combat mechanics, backed by a really neat system of psychological decision making.”
“This is one of the most innovative games I have ever played, the developers take on how to reflect character development in game mechanics and the narrative system that gave so much more feelings of tension and weight while still making me feel free to take the risk of a low chances action because I know it won't ruin my playthrough is levels above any other game of this type I have ever played before.”
“The actual gameplay, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired.”
“Combat mechanics are very confusing even after the 5th chapter.”
“Although I have now reached the end of Act 2, I am still unsure of how important certain mechanics are.”
- graphics92 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the unique and realistic art style that enhances the storytelling. While some noted that the graphics could use further polishing and are not overly complex, the overall aesthetic is considered stunning and immersive, particularly for a solo-developed title. Players appreciate the depth of the visuals, which contribute significantly to the game's engaging narrative and character development.
“The graphics and the atmosphere are magnificent, and the concept and the world setting are brilliant.”
“What I can say is the graphics are stunning; I hope in the future they add a gallery or wallpapers to highlight how gorgeous the game and characters are.”
“The artwork is stunningly gorgeous, and what's available of the story so far is truly phenomenal.”
“Graphics need some polishing.”
“Don't go in expecting a graphics powerhouse (this is developed by one person).”
“The visuals look clean but could use a more elaborate approach.”
- music64 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance immersion, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While the soundtrack features a limited number of tracks, they are described as engaging and fitting for various scenes, particularly in combat. Overall, players find the music to be exceptional, elevating the gameplay experience and making it more captivating.
“Everything from the storytelling to the soundtrack was done perfectly to keep your attention and allow yourself to enjoy the journey you are on.”
“The music, look and style are gorgeous, and it's nothing short of impressive what this small team managed to create, while still holding so much more potential.”
“As for bugs: there's the occasional music stutter between transitions, a few spelling/grammatical issues, and some sounds seem far louder than they need to be while voices can be fairly quiet.”
“Though limited in variety, the music fits the game.”
“The music fits the scenes well, with intense movie trailer music for battles, etc.”
- emotional40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deep emotional storytelling and innovative mechanics that integrate emotional states into gameplay, allowing for nuanced character interactions and decision-making. Players appreciate the focus on emotional intelligence and psychological principles, which enhance the narrative experience, although some feel that certain clichés detract from the overall emotional impact. Overall, it offers a unique blend of role-playing and emotional awareness, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a heartfelt gaming experience.
“It gives a completely unique view on interactions between characters, because the main feature of the game is that among your usual 'strength' or 'intellect' points, they have their own feelings, ambitions, emotional traumas, and grudges towards each other, represented via personal attributes.”
“The gameplay is centered around micromanaging the emotional experiences of your character and having those experiences strengthen or weaken your ability to deal with the world around you.”
“This is an incredible game full of heartfelt moments and real choices; it's a real treat to play something with so much character and heart in every action and scene.”
- replayability20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its mechanics that allow for varied dialogue paths, character insights, and multiple endings, making each playthrough feel unique. Players appreciate the enjoyable experience, although some express a desire for a longer game. Overall, the emphasis on story and choices enhances its replay value significantly.
“This game isn't one of those though; it's completely focused on story and choices, and its various options make it very replayable.”
“My only complaint on this part is that although the game has a lot of replayability, I still wish it was a bit longer.”
“As a final thought, the replay value is very high, as every single scene can lead you down different dialogue paths, unlock (or not) new insights into characters, and lead to successes and failures in battle.”
“It took me about 3 hours to finish the first act, and from what I understand, there are multiple endings, so there is definitely a lot of replayability.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its stunning visuals, engaging music, and effective voiceover acting, creating a deep and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the magnificent graphics and brilliant world setting, noting that the atmosphere enhances both the gameplay mechanics and the overall storytelling. Overall, the atmosphere is described as gorgeous and ever-present, contributing significantly to the game's entertainment value.
“The graphics and the atmosphere are magnificent, and the concept and world setting are brilliant.”
“The voiceover acting and the music are great for enhancing the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is gorgeous and always feels present in whatever scene you are in.”
- character development12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game excels in character development, offering players meaningful choices that influence relationships and outcomes, enhancing the overall narrative experience. While individual character designs are praised, there is room for improvement in the design of soldiers and slavers. The innovative integration of character development into game mechanics creates a unique sense of tension and freedom, making it a standout in the text-based RPG and visual novel genres.
“I would recommend this game if you like text-based RPGs (or visual novels) with a strong emphasis on character development and impactful decisions.”
“I really liked being able to control the outcome of a battle based on stats and friendships/hostilities grown with character development.”
“This is one of the most innovative games I have ever played. The developers' take on how to reflect character development in game mechanics and the narrative system gave so much more feeling of tension and weight while still making me feel free to take the risk of a low-chance action because I know it won't ruin my playthrough. It is levels above any other game of this type I have ever played before.”
“While in early access, there were not too many physical character design options available; it seems like on full release there will hopefully be more.”
“This is one of the most innovative games I have ever played, but the developers' take on how to reflect character development in game mechanics and the narrative system could use improvement to enhance the feelings of tension and weight.”
“I really liked being able to control the outcome of a battle based on stats and friendships/hostilities grown with character development, but I feel there could be more depth to the relationships.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its playful scenarios, such as the amusing interactions with family members and the comedic visual quirks, like characters awkwardly ducking or falling. Players find joy in the game's lighthearted moments, particularly when they can laugh at their own mistakes and the silly animations. Overall, the humor adds a charming and entertaining layer to the gameplay experience.
“It's funny to see my 4 kids line up in my office asking me to 'read the videogame book' lol.”
“Funny, when one can use the retry button for stupid decisions.”
“When any given character ducks down or falls, it would be nice to redraw a ducking character instead of just moving the standing character to a horizontal way (it looks really silly and funny).”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in conversation mechanics where rolling for responses feels unnecessary. While many "choice matters" games emphasize grinding for resources, this game offers engaging content with meaningful dialogue at every turn, shifting the focus from mechanics to the psychological and social implications of choices.
“Rolling for answers in a conversation is tedious.”
“Every 'choice matters' game is too focused on game mechanics and grinding for stuff. You grind and grind until you get to the meat of the game story, where one or two choice conversations decide everything.”
“Rolling for answers in a conversation is tedious.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the optimization aspect, noting that the reliance on random number generation (RNG) for ally performance can lead to unpredictable and often disappointing outcomes, undermining their overall experience.
“I understand that optimization can be beneficial, but it's incredibly frustrating when allies, whose performance I can't control, fall victim to a terrible RNG roll.”
“The reliance on RNG for ally performance makes optimization feel more like a gamble than a strategy, which is quite annoying.”
