Lost Ember

When good people die, they ascend into heaven as their human selves. When people who don’t quite meat those qualifications die, they ascend into the same place, but in an animal form. In Lost Ember, you play one such failed human, ascending into the afterlife as a wolf.

While you are getting your bearings, you meet a ball of light who needs a little help. Apparently they’re deserving of heaven and wish to go there, but have no idea how. It seems you can help, and so the exploration game Lost Ember begins.

Relaxing gameplay

Lost Ember isn’t about action or puzzles. Instead, you roam about the world free to explore, and perhaps learn a little about history along the way. Your goal is to get to the heavenly city in the hopes of being accepted, and to do that you’ll have to find the path.

The path isn’t always easy to traverse, and sometimes you’ll need help to do so. Luckily, you have the ability to temporarily possess other animals, and can use their abilities to get past areas your wolf body can’t.

Technical issues detract from the game

Lost Ember isn’t about combat or puzzles, and gets by with the vastness of the landscape. Unfortunately, that vastness is poorly rendered. When you ascend a mountaintop and look at what might have otherwise been a breathtaking panorama, you’re often disappointed by muddy details that ruin the look.

When receiving animal help from other animals, they often move in odd ways, seeming to float above the ground instead of actually walk. In other games this might be okay, but because Lost Ember hinges on appearances for game play, it makes the 6 hour trek through the woods a little disappointing.

If you’ve played Spirit of the North and were hoping for a wolf version instead of a fox, you may find yourself disappointed.

A fresh story

It’s impossible to discuss the storyline itself without too many spoilers. Yet the story itself is an important part of gameplay. To sum it up without giving it away, the story is a surprisingly deep look at the circle of life itself, and offers insights into why you were reincarnated instead of being allowed entrance to the city. The story itself is well done, and very enjoyable. It will make you reflect on life, and the meaning of the world we live in.

If you just want a game that lets you kick back and relax for a while, Lost Ember has everything you need for hours of relaxing gameplay. If you were hoping to be overwhelmed by the beauty of the world you are immersed in for 6 hours, you may want to look at a better developed game.

Pros:

• Vast landscapes to explore
• Beautiful storyline
• Relaxing gameplay

Cons:

• Poor graphics and CG