I knew two things about this game, going into this review. One, it came from the same developer
that did Storm...which is this beautifully simple puzzle game based on nature and its
processes. Two, I knew the name, Fireburst. Putting the two together, my guess was that...this
might be a game about fire, right? Something really elegant, like Little Inferno...maybe
applying the physics of fire to a more traditional genre.
After all, this is from the same team that did Storm.
Turns out this is the exact opposite of Storm.
Fireburst is neither simple nor beautiful nor elegant. Nor is it about nature. On the
contrary, it�s about machines, it�s about explosions and more specifically, it�s about
combustion. This is a racing game you could call high-octane, but in a very literal sense...which
is to say, every f*cking thing seems to be doused in it.
The NBA Jam announcer would have a freaking aneurysm here.
So I know this is probably a reference that, like, five people will get...but this game
is very similar to a Wii game called Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast. So you would build up
a speed boost, right? But you could only extend it if you slammed into barrels while boosting.
So if you didn�t string together barrels, you lost the boost.
This is the same idea, only...replace barrels with water. And bananas with...bananas that
are on fire. EVERYTHING�S ON FIRE.
The whole point of Fireburst is that...your car
can catch fire. Sounds bad, right? But it�s a good thing, because it boosts your speed
and can blow up your opponents. Of course, it�s also a bad thing. Your car has this
vitally important heat gauge. And if you let your heat get too...hot...well, forget speed
boosts. Hope you got insurance.
And I actually love the gimmick. It adds a real sense of danger to your races. See, you
want to just boost like crazy, but...you really have to be careful. And once you get better
at the game, you end up pushing that gauge to its limits...like Aerosmith, circa 1993.
You�re living on the edge.
I really like the settings for the courses, too. Salt Lake, in particular, is an awesome
concept...blasting through these dried-up salt beds. The game looks good, too. But the
thing is, it reminds me of Barrel Blast both because it has a similar gimmick and similar
issues. See, in Barrel Blast, the barrel-combo gimmick kinda felt underutilized, as the levels
didn�t hold up their end of the bargain in terms of barrel placement.
Oddly enough, I felt exactly the same way about Fireburst. You can cool down your gauge
by driving through water or hitting water barrels, which theoretically allows you to
extend those speed boosts, which theoretically should be where the skill lies. But water
is kind of sparsely placed, which leaves the game�s great gimmick on the sidelines for
most of the race. That means its core racing has to shine.
And sadly, that�s when the game�s not as exciting.
There�s not much content here, either. I mean, you have individual races and some challenges,
which unlock new content. But there�s no main mode to use that content, which makes
unlocking it feel kind of pointless. Fortunately, there�s multiplayer, both online and local...and
like any crazy racing game, playing with friends is great.
Fireburst is kind of a mixed bag. Of combustible items. On the one hand, the whole bursting
gimmick is fantastic. On the other, it feels like it could�ve been integrated a bit more
deeply into the track design. It�s a pretty game, but...it�s buggy, and the physics
are bad. It is worth playing, but...it�s hardly at the front of the pack.
And the whole catching fire thing? Actually kind of fitting.