I just found a new indie computer game, based on a theme close to my heart. Released yesterday, 22 November, and now in my library, it is called ‘Lost Ember’.
Here is the blurb from the Game’s Steam page:
“A breathtakingly beautiful world holds the secrets of its past for you and your companion to uncover. Experience the contrasting stories of the fall of mankind and the lush life in a world reclaimed by nature with a wolf as your main character and a determined companion at your side.
Explore the land, sea, and air, as you possess any creature you come across to experience life from a whole new perspective. Fly through gargantuan canyon valleys as a parrot! Tumble through the grass as a wombat! Swim through shimmering lakes as a fish! Your journey will take you from densely wooded jungles, to lush rainforest canopies, to barren desert plains and archaic temples.
Ultimately, you’ll discover a tale of loyalty, despair, and betrayal, as echoes of the lost Yanrana culture come to life in a lush wilderness devoid of man.”
The graphics are a bit stylised for someone used to more realism in their games, but acceptable nonetheless. Here is the release trailer:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/256767894/movie_max.webm?t=1574434012
I think this is going to be a favourite feelgood, emotive experience. The soundtrack is amazing. I have just played for an hour and got completely engrossed. To say that it is a “…wilderness devoid of man” is not quite true. True, they are only memories of the past, and the story is a bit metaphysical, turning it into a quest for redemption more or less, but it is fun.
So far I have been a wolf (the central character), and morphing into (preferable to ‘possessing’ in this context) a wombat, a duck and a hummingbird – all with different characteristics, and you can slow-motion the hummingbird.
Flying does feel a little claustrophobic so far, but then I haven’t left the jungle yet and I know there are much more open spaces. And ducks are not the Spitfires of the bird world.
Overall, I recommend the game.

Leave a comment