Lost Ember

I installed this game three years ago, during one of the darkest periods of my life. Lost Ember came to me at a time when I didn’t yet understand how much a human life matters - including my own.

Back then, I was living in an environment where I was constantly harassed, threatened, and made to feel unsafe. I didn’t have the emotional strength to actually play the game. All I could do was listen to the soundtrack - Main Theme, Your Light, All That You Are etc. Those tracks were some of the very few things that brought me calm when everything else was unbearable.

I finished Lost Ember only now, years later, and I cried almost the entire time. This game speaks about guilt, loss, forgiveness, and the value of a human life in a way very few stories ever do.

I deeply wish I had played it earlier. Maybe I would have been kinder to myself. Maybe I would have understood sooner that my life had value too.

''Lost Ember'' doesn’t scream its message - it whispers it gently, and that is exactly why it stays with you.

Thank you for creating something so quiet, so beautiful, and so meaningful. This game will stay with me forever. ❤️❤️❤️

the story seems cute, but migraine sufferers and people with other light sensitivity issues beware. there are often plain bright white screens as if you are being flash-banged and they made me feel very ill. the time i was able to play was pleasant other than that

I liked the exploration, discovering new areas and the beautiful graphics, which was a good thing considering travelling around was mostly what you do. This was like a "walking simulator" adventure except you had different means of locomotion. Possessing the different animals beyond your wolf, including swimming fish and flying birds, was different and original. Lost Ember controlled relatively well with gamepad but not perfectly all the time. Didn't like the voice of the main actress, and that British voice for the spark wasn't the best choice in terms of world logic. Didn't care for the story much at first, but it got way better, even riveting. There were moments of wonder. The music was generally good but not stupendous. At the time I write this, the game was only available bundled with the remastered version, but from what I read, "Rekindled" is basically the same game with better graphics and more demanding system requirements. The game was too expensive for the amount of hours you get out of it (around 4 to 5 hours), but there are collectibles (too many) to encourage replaying. Recommended at 10 bucks or less, maybe 20 if you really like animals and exploring.

A relaxing animal walking sim in a half open world.
You play as a black wolf with the ability to possess other animals and borrow their skills, like digging underground or squeezing through narrow holes as a mole, flying over gaps as a bird.
The map is divided into numerous areas, where you explore to find specific memory points that unlock story fragments and advance to the next area. There's no in game map or waypoints, which makes it easy to get lost. Fortunately the wolf's running speed is relatively fast, backtracking from wrong paths doesn't take too long.
I enabled commentary mode but didn't hear anything during the first 4 chapters. Possibly a bug, or maybe I missed something.
It is said if you own the original version before the new game is released you get it for free, a nice deal especially now at 70% off.
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really liked this game, beautiful story, beautiful visuals, i really hope there could be a sequel :)

10/10 Beautiful game didn't know that it would get a revamp in a couple days but I'm happy to play again!
Music was beautiful!

There are things I love about Lost Ember and things I don't. Let's start with what I enjoyed.
Lost Ember is an atmospheric journey that succeeds brilliantly in its presentation, even if it falters in its mechanical depth. The game’s greatest strength lies in its art direction; the animal models are well crafted and inhabit environments that are picturesque and visually cohesive. This is bolstered by an excelent sound design and a soundtrack that perfectly captures the tone of each level, creating an immersive world. I was particularly impressed by the storytelling, specifically the way the narrative unfolds through stop-frame animations as you traverse the world, which adds a unique and atmospheric layer to the experience.
However, the game struggles to offer much substance beyond its central story. The experience is heavily weighed down by an excessive number of collectibles, particularly the mushrooms, which eventually become more of an annoyance than a rewarding challenge. The sheer volume of these items actually detracts from the narrative flow, as the act of hunting for them breaks the immersion of the world the game is trying to build. While the narration is technically well-delivered, the specific tone and voice chosen for the narrator felt mismatched with the game's overall style and mood.
Ultimately, Lost Ember is a perfect choice for those seeking a chilled, laid-back experience where they can simply soak in the atmosphere, but for achievement hunters or those looking for deep gameplay, the repetitive grind for collectibles may lead to boredom.