Developed by Muse games and published by Curve Digital, Embr is a fairly straight forward game but also a quite unique little game. Having previously released on PC back in May of 2020, it’s now time to put out some virtual fires on the Playstation 4. In the world of Embr, there seems to be a huge rise in fires to the point where privatized businesses are now being called up to save the day. Perhaps public firefighters no longer exist; whatever the case may be, you are a member of a privatized firefighting team.
While it sort of plays off as a firefighting sim, the art style doesn’t take itself very seriously. Being in a crazy house burning situation, while in real life would be tragic, in Embr, it’s played off more as a tense puzzle game. With varying mission types, some including money heists, the overall objective is to get into these buildings and figure out the most efficient way possible to complete your tasks, such as saving lives. You will come across hurdles involving electricity near water or toxic gas blocking areas. Hurdles that can be easily taken care of if you know what to do. They could be solved as easy as flipping a light switch or breaking open a window for airflow.
Embr also offers numerous items and upgrades in its shop to help you on your missions. Perhaps you’ll need a trampoline so you can hurl civilians off rooftops to their safety. Maybe you’ll need a longer ladder or an axe that can break wood faster. The selection, while minimal, is all efficient and necessary. What’s nice about little games like this is there is often very little fat in shops, there is always purpose, no more, no less. These items are actually quite expensive though, so money is always on your mind when on the job. The better you do and the more side objectives you accomplish the more money you make.
This adventure is not without its flaws; I actually found the basic controls of just moving around to not feel right. There are controller options that help with sensitivity, but I could never quite find the sweet spot. It almost feels like this game lends itself more to be a really fun VR game. I was surprised to see Embr doesn’t have such support, although I hope it’s a feature they add later on. The R1 button changes your layout I found very daunting at first because with each push it swaps out the item in your hand. So, make sure to always carry only what you think you need in your load out and nothing more. Saving yourself time swapping out what you need in your hand can make all the difference.
I would also recommend giving multiplayer a shot. You can play co-op in groups of four, so this is a great game to play with your friends. Being on the same page to tackle your objective could really make your missions run much smoother. All in all, while Embr isn’t the most polished experience, it lends itself to be a fairly accessible puzzle game. The toned-down cartoon art style really helped sell it, kind of reminded me a little bit of the Overcooked franchise. Puzzle games aren’t for everyone, but I think there’s enough here to welcome gamers not super familiar with that type of gameplay. So, if you’re curious about Embr at all, I’d say give it a shot. Playing with some friends also helps!
7/10
You can check out the Embr trailer here – https://youtu.be/1oqXqrM96Ik
Embr is designed for PS4 and Xbox One, but will run perfectly on PS5 and Series X|S. The game launches on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch today, September 23, 2021, for $19.99/£17.99/€19.99. Embr will also see a physical release on PlayStation and Switch tomorrow.
PlayStation Review
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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