Firefighting Simulator: Ignite

It is probably not very often that you come across a simulator about being a firefighter. However, it exists just like a few others about being a police officer or ambulance driver. I'll be completely honest that even I rarely come firefighting simulations in my work for Gamereactor. I don't have a background as a firefighter either, however, hopefully I can still point out the strengths and drawbacks of the title. This is a sequel to Firefighting Simulator: Squad and like its predecessor, it's a more light-hearted simulation of putting out fires with good company.

For starters, it should be said that going on your first mission is quite immersive. The crickets are roaring, you are greeted by a burning home and, immediately following instructions, you have to rescue a person and extinguish the fire. You also have three other firefighters to help you, controlled by the computer or by friends over the internet. It is thus a co-operative game in the style of Sea of Thieves or Super Market Simulator. Everyone can do everything, but it's when you coordinate your efforts that everything runs smoothly.

Creating your firefighter is a fairly simple process with a few options. As you complete missions and earn medals, you unlock more suits and hats.

I discovered quite quickly that normal was quite easy even with computer-controlled players. This is not a criticism of the set-up as it is possible to raise the difficulty level one more step. In that game mode, no one is allowed to die and it can get very difficult on the last missions. My opinion is that it lacks an option I can customise myself. At the moment there is no middle ground which creates problems if it is either too easy or too hard. Another aspect of the difficulty level is that everything is timed and the faster and more efficiently you complete each mission, the more likely you are to get a bronze, silver or gold medal. These unlock costumes, new fire trucks and more. This concept works quite well, although the material unlocked is somewhat limited. You can also be judged on going to the fires in the fastest time possible. If you don't like driving to the missions, this can be skipped. The downside is that you miss the opportunity to unlock some things.

There are both side missions and main missions, these are selected on a map in the fire station and can be completed whenever you want. Thus, there is no rush before you activate the mission. Once you have accepted a mission and are on site, you have equipment you can collect directly from the fire engine. Some of this is simulated, for example you can screw on fire hoses, get axes or saws and possibly a crowbar. You can also choose between plain water or foam depending on the fire and you always need to use the right tools in the right way. When the job is done, just get in the fire engine and all the hoses, equipment and other things magically teleport back to the fire engine. I felt that although it saved time not to have to pick up the equipment, it felt a bit silly not to simulate this aspect as well. That's my big problem with the title, it wants to be both a simulator and something more light-hearted at the same time.

Training mode literally throws you straight into the fire.

When it comes to the simulation, it is clear that some things are prioritised over others. One such aspect is the decision you are offered to choose whether to go out to the fires or skip that sequence. You can also choose whether you want to go back to the fire station once you have completed the mission or teleport directly there. You can choose to perform some aspects of the simulation, but not all aspects of the call-out. However, it should be said that I both understand and like the set-up, having choices allows you to choose how your experience will be. If anything, the freedom of choice is the essence of simulations. At the same time, you don't sleep, wait for alarms, or put on your gear. You choose when you go out on the missions and by then you have already put on all the equipment. You never have to use the fire pole as a form of game mechanics, which is disappointing. I expect a little more simulation when the title has the word simulator in the name.

It's clear that the developers tried to create a memorable experience. Smoke covers the gas mask, fires spread, roofs collapse and civilians ask for help. Although the studio is known for developing Construction Simulator, this is an exciting profession, rarely represented in the medium. I'm impressed by how independent your computer-controlled companions are. They do what you don't and you can set their behaviours, or order the firefighters around as if you were playing Rainbow Six. Unfortunately they can get stuck sometimes and fail to carry out your direct instructions, at the same time they're great if they can just go around and run their own race. I ended up doing what my computer-controlled firefighters did not.

Rescuing civilians is a must if you want to get good marks for your work. You also have to put out the fires, which means it's good to be more than one firefighter on each mission.

When everything works out, you don't care about the rather disappointing animations, short loading distance of objects and the old graphics. Unfortunately, it's clear that this is not a high-budget production. It doesn't look great and it doesn't always flow very well. There is a lack of animation and the voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. The sounds are acceptable with good pressure and other acceptable sound effects. The music is perfectly ok and does its job of trying to create a sense of stress and lack of time. This is a bit of a shame because with the right budget, the music and also the alarm calls could be considerably more gripping and engaging, the situations could have been even more vivid, with better animations and civilians trying to survive the burning inferno.

What we get instead is something akin to Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. It offers a lot of "jank", but is basically a pretty interesting game. Unfortunately, the flaws eat away at the overall experience and what could have been a great simulation about putting out fires instead offers problems that pull me out of the experience over and over again. This is due to all the technical shortcomings and the lack of gripping drama. There is no life on the scene, no people reacting, no reporters in the distance or people trying to get out of the buildings. However, the people who are not unconscious can be led out to safety at the touch of a button and they always obey instructions. For better or worse, they are more robots than people. In all honesty, you probably don't want to chase screaming people in a panic. At the same time, these freedoms and limitations are a problem if you're going to call it a simulator. Although the title simulates fire, smoke, damage, equipping cars and other good things, the same care is missing in other parts of the product.

No fire station is complete without one of these.

Without criticising the title too much, I like putting out the fires, breaking through doors, carrying people to the paramedics and choosing the right equipment. I appreciate how active computer-controlled allies are and it's fun to co-operate with human players. It offers a more mechanical approach and the human drama has taken a step back. I realise that the costs may be too high and the demands too great on the chosen game engine. At the same time, I would have liked to see such an adventure. Although this is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Space, it is not a high-budget project. Imagine Rockstar building such a game following in the footsteps of an arsonist, trying to put out fires that spread through buildings with more and more rescue personnel arriving on the scene. At the same time, it had probably lost what makes this experience interesting.

If you have a reasonably capable computer, this will work despite some problems with optimisation, bugs and the like. If you can accept a lack of a vivid and dynamic world with limited voice acting and a more mechanical approach, this is fine. The spread of fire and the number of civilians is easy to keep track of via a meter. There is some variety in the main missions and the buildings vary in size and complexity. Despite flaws, I have had fun with this title. It is a mix between arcade and simulation alongside its co-operative mode. All the focus is on the firefighters' tasks, minus filling out lots of forms and sitting in meetings. Firefighting Simulator: Ignite is a good attempt at simulating a firefighter's job out at accidents and fires. However, it's not quite as good at simulating the outside world, human reactions, and the rest of the firefighter's daily life.

Once you've chosen your mission, you need to quickly jump into the fire engine and get to the fire. Once there, you'll need to unpack your equipment and start working to bring the situation under control.

You can play in first person or, if you wish, in third person. Depending on the situation, it can be useful to switch sometimes. For example, parking in third-person is easier than in first-person mode.