Firefighting Simulator: Ignite from astragon Entertainment and weltenbauer will have you jumping into the role of a firefighter out to take on the raging fires. Check out our Firefighting Simulator: Ignite review!
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite from astragon Entertainment and weltenbauer will have you jumping into the role of a firefighter out to take on the raging fires. You’ll be stepping into the boots of a new U.S. firefighter in the Midwest city of Oakridge, as you take on dangerous missions that will have you going up against the raging flames of destruction. While you’ll be able to go online and play with gamers from around the world, you’ll first need to complete the starting missions in the game before you’re allowed to jump into multiplayer. This is a good choice since that handful of missions will serve as an extended tutorial so that you can get the hang of things. Up to four players can enjoy missions while playing in co-op.
The game has been developed in Unreal Engine 5, and this is put to good use for presenting us with realistic fire, heat, water, and smoke simulation during the different missions that must be completed in order to save as many victims as possible. This release features real tools from brands such as HAIX, Fire-Dex, STIHL, and Leatherhead. You’ll also be driving around on Rosenbauer America fire trucks, such as the TP3 Pumper, Viper, and Roadrunner 68. Elements like these are always nice for sim experiences.
I previously had a chance to do a Firefighting Simulator – The Squad review on Nintendo Switch, so I was definitely up for a new firefighting game, now on Sony’s PlayStation 5. The first step will be to create the character that you’ll be playing as during your time with Firefighting Simulator: Ignite. You can choose its name, voice, pick from one of six different character models, add a helmet, select the turnout gear, and pick a pair of boots for the job. Once that’s been taken care of, you’ll create your profile and begin your firefighting journey.
You can play through Firefighting Simulator: Ignite by choosing one of three difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, or Hard. The Easy difficulty setting is the least challenging of the bunch, since incapacitated firefighters can be picked back up by squad members or respawn at the medic. The Medium difficulty option offers a balanced experience that will challenge your skills. For this one, incapacitated firefighters will become unconscious if not rescued, and they can be carried to the medic by a squad member or will respawn there after a while. Missions will fail if half of the victims are lost. If you decide to pick the Hard difficulty setting, then firefighters must be carried to the medic to be respawned, and missions will fail if any firefighter or victim is lost, so there’s certainly no room for error!
Once you dive in, you’ll be taking control of your character by using the left analog stick, as you use the right analog stick to move the camera around as needed. You begin from a first-person perspective, but can quickly switch to a third-person camera by pressing in on the right analog stick. Sprint by pressing in on the left analog stick. Crouch by pressing the X button, which will help you get through some tight spaces. Interact by pressing the Square button. Open the map menu by pressing the Touchpad on the DualSense. Since some spots are going to be too dark, you’ll need to activate your flashlight by pressing and holding right on the D-Pad. Activate your Command View by pressing the L2 button. This will allow you to quickly glance at any potential victims, deadly hazards, or other elements that you – as a firefighter – should be aware of.
When you have a tool on you, you can use it by pressing the R2 button. Some tools have a secondary function, which can be activated by pressing the Triangle button. Say you have a Halligan bar on you. This can be used to open up a locked door. You can press the R2 button to begin, and then press the Square button when the moving ring hits the target ring area. Once the Halligan bar is inserted, you’ll need to leverage it forward by quickly pressing the Square button. Some heavy doors will require some extra prying.
Another important tool will be the nozzle that is connected to the firetruck, which you’ll be using to hopefully take care of the fire in each mission as soon as possible. You know, unless you’re dealing with a grease fire, in which case using water is a big no-no! But when dealing with an old-fashioned fire, you’ll have to press the R2 button to send some water toward the burning flames. You can press the Triangle button to change the water pattern for spraying, depending on what is needed. Just be sure to completely soak each spot so that the fire stops spreading and does not come back! Just connect the supply hose to the firetruck, and then connect the other end to a hydrant. You’ll then be able to use the water hose to put out a fire. To make it easier on your end, the supply hose is yellow while the water hose is red. Oh, and don’t forget to put a nozzle on the water hose!
If you’re playing with other gamers from around the world, you can ask for their help – and then can ask for yours – by issuing commands and requests. If you’re playing on your own, don’t worry, since you’ll be able to add some CPU-controlled teammates to your squad. You can then give them commands to perform different actions to hopefully act faster, so that you can save as many victims as possible. Asking someone to open up a locked door while you prepare the water hose could end up saving you enough seconds to enter a building and bring out a victim to the medics before it’s too late!
And now… let’s talk about the trophies! This experience features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to try to add to your collection. The trophy list is a long one, and it’s going to be split into 30 Bronze trophies, 6 Silver trophies, and 4 Gold trophies for you to work on. What do you need to do to get that shiny Platinum trophy? Some of the objectives include completing 10, 20, and 30 different missions, completing 10 and 20 side missions, completing all mission with at least a silver rating, becoming a Captain, unlocking 7 vehicles, forcing open 50 doors, forcing open 25 windows, cutting open 15 garage doors, cutting 40 ventilation holes in roofs and ceilings, using every handheld tool at least once, giving 30 commands in one mission, extinguishing 10 grease fires, clearing 15 flammable liquids, and saving 30 unconcious victimns, to name som examples.
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite from astragon Entertainment and weltenbauer will have you jumping into the role of a firefighter out to take on the raging fires. You’ll be stepping into the boots of a new U.S. firefighter in the Midwest city of Oakridge, as you take on dangerous missions that will have you going up against the raging flames of destruction. Always pay attention to the situation, and make sure you spot any potential additional hazards that could be dangerous, not only to your squad members, but also to the victims you must rescue at each location. Be sure to turn off the electricity to avoid any potential electrical fires. Remove highly flammable elements that can end up feeding the fire. Check if you’ll be able to access each area of a mission without much issue, or if you’ll need to make use of ladders, special tools, or the large retractable ladder from the firetrucks that you’ll be using to arrive at each location.
Since there’s also a PC counterpart, it’s certainly appreciated that the developer decided to include some accessibility options that can make it easier for those of us playing on console to have a better time. There’s the option of activating subtitles, as well as changing their colors and size. You can also change the UI scaling, which is a great touch. There are also some color blindness filters, levels for camera shake, being able to activate or deactivate first-person camera motion, and even activating simplified inputs. Firefighting Simulator: Ignite launches tomorrow on PlayStation 5.
Disclaimer
This Firefighting Simulator: Ignite review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by astragon Entertainment.
