Bonfire Peaks | PS4 Review
Updated: Nov 19, 2021
Bonfire Peaks is a very charming, very addictive, and just an absolutely delightful little indie platform-puzzler. It is developed by Corey Martin and published by Draknek & Friends and it is available now on Windows PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. For the purposes of this review I was playing Bonfire Peaks on the PlayStation 4 with a review key that was very kindly supplied to us by Future Friends Games.
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Bonfire Peaks was a game that I had on my radar ever since I first caught a glimpse of it just over a couple of months ago, so I was delighted when a review copy dropped into my lap. The game uses voxel graphics, and the visuals are incredible, it really is a joy to both watch and play. In Bonfire Peaks you play as the main un-named character and the object of the game is to burn a little crate of your possessions in a bonfire, which is sitting lit and ready to go at the top of the puzzles that you enter. You start off in the 'Overworld' which contains hundreds of unlit fires, and to access the levels you just select one of the fires and in you go. Once in the level, this is where you are presented with the actual puzzle and where you will need to get your crate of belongings up to the fire to burn. But it's not as easy as it sounds.
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There are other crates in each puzzle to help you on your way. Some of the puzzles will take you a matter of seconds to complete, where others will have you scratching your head and crying out in frustration, as you try to work out how on Earth you are going to get your crate up to the bonfire. Thankfully you are not required to complete the level you are on before progressing onto the next, or onto any that are currently available to you. This freedom to play levels in your own order was a godsend at times, and I still have some levels that I need to go back and try to solve, before I complete the game. I should point out here that I have sunk quite a few hours into Bonfire Peaks already, and I no doubt have many more hours left until I complete the game, but I am loving every single minute that I spend in this game.
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After you complete each of the levels, you are returned to the 'Overworld' and your reward is a box. These boxes that you acquire or collect are used within the 'Overworld' itself as you even have some puzzle type situations here, where getting from one part of the terrain to another requires you to use the boxes that you are receiving for completing the levels at the fires. Once you have completed a level, the fire that was previously unlit will now show as being lit, and you can move on to another one. Also, dotted around in the 'Overworld' are little memories from the main characters past, like a car, a sofa, and also a tv, and a laptop.
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The controls in Bonfire Peaks are very straightforward and easy to get to grips with. You can pan the camera partially to help see the puzzle before you a bit easier, there is a zoom in and out option as well. If you make a move that goes wrong, there is a back step button, and you can also reset the level, if you prefer to start again. I did find myself using the back step and the reset options quite a lot in certain puzzles. Talking of the actual puzzles, I found that no matter how tricky they were getting, and they do get quite difficult at times, I never lost any of the actual desire to play, I just wanted to go on and try again, and again, and again, only finally giving up if I was completely stuck, and then moving on to another level. There are hundreds of levels within Bonfire Peaks, with an abundance of hours of gameplay here, so the value for money is quite high. There is a pretty chilled soundtrack accompanying you through the game, which really does suit the overall experience. And as I have said already, the visuals in Bonfire Peaks just could not be any more stunning or more pleasing to the eye.
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To sum up, Bonfire Peaks is a game that I really do not want to end. It is such a joy to play. I think it would appeal to the hardcore puzzler just as much as it would to the casual puzzle players. It is quite unique in its gameplay, and will have you scratching your head more often than not in frustration, but at the same time, will keep you coming back for more, and more. It is one of the surprise games of the year for me. There have been a few, and it has just been such a great year for quality indie games like this, and Bonfire Peaks sits right up there at the top along with them. I really could not recommend this game any more. Buy it! Play it! You will enjoy it. The puzzles are great, the visuals are amazing. So, what are you waiting for?
g1a5w3g1an's Rating: 5 barbequed crates out of 5.
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For more information on Bonfire Peaks please use the following links...
Corey Martin - Developer | Twitter | Website
Draknek & Friends - Publisher | YouTube | Twitter | Website
Many thanks to Future Friends Games for the Review Key.
Bonfire Peaks | Steam Store | PlayStation Store | Nintendo eShop
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