The Last Flame
- January 17, 2024
- Hotloop
- 22h median play time
Get on Steam"The Last Flame" is a single-player Role Playing game with ingenious gameplay and good graphics. It's a roguelike auto-battler focused on build creation, strategy, and decision-making, offering over 55 heroes, 250 items, 120 relics, and 55 origins for unique and challenging runs. In-between automated combats, players must make smart decisions on resource management, path selection, build creation, and strategic positioning for combat, ensuring good replayability.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The Last Flame offers a unique blend of autobattler mechanics and roguelike progression, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
- The game features a vast array of heroes, items, and relics, allowing for diverse and creative build strategies.
- The developer is highly responsive to community feedback, continuously improving the game and adding new content.
- The game suffers from RNG issues, where runs can feel frustratingly dependent on luck rather than strategy.
- There is a significant amount of item and hero bloat, making it difficult to find effective combinations as the game progresses.
- Some heroes and items feel underpowered or situational, leading to a lack of balance in team compositions.
- gameplay108 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a deep and satisfying loop that combines elements of auto-battlers and roguelikes, allowing for extensive experimentation with various mechanics, heroes, and strategies. Players appreciate the gradual introduction to complex mechanics, the addictive nature of the gameplay, and the variety of challenge modes that keep the experience fresh. However, some users noted issues with user-friendliness, particularly regarding font size and UI clarity, as well as a need for balancing in certain mechanics and hero effectiveness.
“I really enjoyed the gameplay loop and made a point to 100% the achievements of the game.”
“The gameplay is endlessly satisfying, with a huge variety of builds and units to experiment with, making every run feel unique.”
“The last flame is a delightfully fun auto-battler combined with many of the usual roguelike mechanics that makes for an excellent combination.”
“Steamdeck's gameplay experience is not user-friendly when using Chinese; the font size is too small, making gameplay very difficult.”
“Right now, most mechanics can be ignored, and the only challenge is the post-act-3 boss.”
“The UI needs work on showing critical gameplay info, and the over-explanation of abilities/items/relics makes it a chore to read through and try to figure out if the build you're playing is working out or not.”
- replayability44 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, offering a wealth of content, diverse strategies, and various challenges that enhance the experience. Many players appreciate the endless possibilities and combinations available, making it addictive and enjoyable. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in replayability for certain aspects, suggesting that improvements in metaprogression and content could further enhance longevity.
“Tons of strategies that can work and lots of replayability.”
“Special challenges add a significant amount of additional replayability.”
“Infinite replayability, every run is different...endless possibilities.”
“For a roguelite, it lacks replayability, possibly due to insufficient metaprogression or content.”
“After completing all the achievements and doing basically everything the game has to offer, my biggest critique is the previously mentioned lack of replayability coupled with a stale run variability that hurts the longevity of the game.”
“I've fully completed every mode and challenge the game has to offer in 20 hours, so I got my money's worth, but for a roguelite, I'm expecting at least 40 hours of content and replayability that isn't just flipping a coin ten times and hoping you get heads each time for it to be enjoyable.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and appeal, with many reviewers noting the excellent animations and character designs. However, some players feel that the visuals could be smoother, especially on larger screens, and that there is a lack of variety in character models and spell effects. Overall, while the graphics are considered a strong point, there are areas for improvement as the game continues to develop.
“Wonderful game that satisfies all the needs of players addicted to genres prone to generating dependency (roguelite, deck-building, strategic and tactical autobattling): excellent graphics and care for the animations and other aesthetic details.”
“Exceptionally fun auto battler with great graphics and an appealing soundtrack.”
“Fun character designs, satisfying visuals, plenty of build crafting and strategy make this game a gem.”
“Graphics and character designs are kind of meh, but the gameplay is fun; it sort of reminds me of League of Legends at launch in that aspect, not pretty but fun.”
“Graphically, 'The Last Flame' is nice to look at, but lacks variety.”
“Only downsides for me are the spell effects and models for some characters leave a lot to be desired (a notch lower than retail WoW graphics), but the game just came out so I'll give it a pass while they focus on the actual gameplay.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 78 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overwhelming, with excessive micromanagement of items and a lack of meaningful progression beyond certain levels. While some appreciate the absence of paywalls and excessive grind, many feel that the lengthy unlock systems and repetitive processes detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a frustrating experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The heroes end up feeling very samey and you're overwhelmed with 300 items and item recipes over the course of the run, demanding a lot of micromanagement that just gets tedious.”
“After like 12 hours of grinding, I reached level 22 on the Flame Master endless mode and did not get an achievement.”
“Many games nowadays try to increase playtime/replayability by adding lengthy unlock systems or cramming the game with complex, grindy systems.”
- story9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and background, with users noting that there is no substantial narrative or RPG elements present. The main mode offers minimal content, consisting of only three zones that can be completed quickly, leaving players wanting more in terms of storytelling.
“The graphs do help but it can be hard to parse the story of the battle from them.”
“My only gripe is I wish for a bit of background story and maybe a slight RPG element.”
“There's no backstory at all.”
“The 'main' mode (story mode? if you can call it that) consists of 3 zones at the moment; you can complete a run through it in about an hour.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the soundtrack for its engaging vibes and decent quality, others find it repetitive and lacking in originality, describing it as "auto-generated orchestral blandness." Overall, it contributes positively to the game's atmosphere but may not stand out for everyone.
“Good build diversity, cool design, challenges, good sound/music.”
“Edit: The soundtrack is gas and big vibes.”
“Exceptionally fun auto battler with great graphics and an appealing soundtrack.”
“The music is no better - it sounds like some sort of auto-generated orchestral blandness.”
“Music is decent, but a tad repetitive.”
“The sound/music is mediocre, and I wish there was a bit more enemy variety.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with good performance and only minor issues reported. Players appreciate the replayability and challenge it offers, alongside solid graphics and character design. Most users experienced minimal performance problems, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.
“Fun auto battler with good graphics, good performance, an interesting cast of characters, and good synergies.”
“Performance is good and challenge + replayability is supreme.”
“There's endless team building/customization and you're met with tough decisions as far as optimization goes early and constantly.”
“There are endless team building and customization options, but you're faced with tough decisions regarding optimization early on and constantly.”
“Has some minor performance issues, but the challenge and custom modes offer some nice replayability.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a significant and enjoyable aspect, with players finding the combination of recipes and relics to be particularly amusing. The comedic elements, such as the quirky origins and the funny interactions between units, contribute to a fun and engaging experience, making it a standout feature that enhances gameplay.
“When you get the recipes that work for your units, then it's hilariously fun and you can argue an 8/10 kind of game.”
“Chase the highs in the game, because they are so worth it, and so hilarious.”
“We found some of the relics to be pretty funny and neat, particularly the many faces piece that allowed a hero to get everyone else's passives.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some users find the graphics and designs underwhelming, others appreciate the fun and satisfying character designs, along with the depth of build crafting and strategic gameplay that enhance the overall experience.
“Fun character designs, satisfying visuals, plenty of build crafting and strategy make this game a gem.”
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, lacking the depth that would make me care about their journeys.”
“I found the characters to be one-dimensional, with little to no growth throughout the game.”
“The lack of meaningful choices in character development made my experience feel flat and unengaging.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have criticized the monetization aspect of the game, highlighting that joining the official QQ group for feedback leads to exposure to spammy virus ads and ineffective management, detracting from the overall experience.
“After entering the game, it prompted me to join the 'officially verified QQ group' for bug feedback, but there are only virus ads and a useless manager inside.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report a lack of emotional attachment to the game's world, indicating that it fails to evoke strong feelings or connections.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is described as cozy and immersive, capturing a delightful Dungeons & Dragons fantasy vibe that enhances the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, capturing the essence of a D&D fantasy world beautifully.”
“I love how the atmosphere feels cozy and inviting, making every moment in the game enjoyable.”
“The game's atmosphere is rich and enchanting, drawing you into its magical realm.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits strong stability, with minimal bugs noted, which is particularly impressive given it was developed by a solo developer.
“It seems bug-free, which is a very nice achievement for a team of one.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major issues.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it allows me to fully immerse myself in the experience.”
