I don’t usually review three-year-old games, but I’ve had The Last Campfire on my radar for some time. Factor in a couple of spare evenings and the current Black Friday event on the PlayStation store, it meant that I decided to get around to it. It was only £2.39, so why not?
The Last Campfire is simply brilliant. You play as a creature called Ember, who is on a journey to rescue the Forlorn, similar creatures who have lapsed into despair by seemingly solving puzzles in their mindscapes and bringing them some harmony. There are no instructions for these puzzles other than knowing that you need to reach the destination – but there’s no frustration here. I’ve never known a puzzle game that has gauged this difficulty so well – every puzzle has some challenge, but never enough for it not to click within a couple of minutes.
There are three areas to explore within the game, each one home to seven or eight Forlorn in need of help. You don’t even need to rescue all of them to continue your journey, but you will want to as the puzzles are a delight. As the areas open up, they too become part of the puzzle as you work out how to reach the next Forlorn, or how to unblock the next path. New characters and objects are slowly introduced, and once you’ve picked up the Lanthorn you gain the power to move certain objects. This adds another dimension to the puzzles, in particular, the swamp map is truly inspired.
The graphics and animation are gorgeous, the soundtrack is outstanding, and the voice actor who supplies the narration is phenomenal. Collectable enthusiasts have the option of collecting journal entries, which can be a puzzle in itself. The game never outstays its welcome, coming in at around six hours of relaxed gameplay. You cannot die, there is never frustration, and it really is a delight to play. Utterly, utterly charming. I wish I had bought it three years ago. 4.5/5
