A mountain spewing flame. A river of magma reshaping the landscape. Heat so intense it warps the air around you. Volcanoes are some of the most dramatic settings imaginable, but for how often they appear in video games, it’s rare to see one actually grapple with their power. Shown off at a Thursday indie games showcase, Into the Fire could be the exception, focusing closely on the terror and beauty of volcanoes seen up close.
The inspiration for Into the Fire came from the 2022 documentary Fire of Love, according to game producer Maciej Dobrowolski. Fire of Love, revealed at the Triple-i Initiative, follows the relationship of two volcanologists who explore volcanoes in the course of their work. Combined with other documentaries by Werner Herzog and research into real-world volcanoes, the story in Fire of Love inspired a game that attempts to capture the otherworldly quality of volcanoes and the raw power of nature.
Into the Fire isn’t about studying volcanoes, though. It’s about running headlong into the chaos of eruptions to save anyone who’s caught in the path. Gameplay in Into the Fire has a lot in common with extraction shooters, where players take on individual missions and fight to secure some resource and come out alive. The difference here is that rather than battling living opponents to take home a prize, the goal is to fight fires and safely extract survivors to a base camp. Each mission begins in a settlement that’s already being consumed by fire, and making your way to your goals quickly is key to success. As you make your way through each environment, fire continues to consume its surroundings and make the work more dangerous, using game systems that developer Starward Industries says are based on real-world understandings of how heat and fire spread.
The camp serves as a hub where you can use tools like a seismograph to predict the dangers ahead on each mission and choose which gear to take with you. Starward Industries has shown off tools like water cannons and fire extinguishing shotguns, as well as more familiar implements like axes to chop through doors and find survivors.
Players take on the role of a researcher turned rescue worker, who’s joined by a cast of other characters as he saves them from the eruption. It’s not clear exactly how much players will be able to shape the game’s story, but its trailer does show some decisions about how to deal with the cast of characters who come to live at the base camp.
While Into the Fire’s hero is a scientist, the game isn’t sticking to strictly logical ideas of volcanology. Starward Industries says the story will explore mythological notions of volcanoes as much as scientific understanding of them. Its trailer shows one way this will manifest in the final game, with a fiery spirit causing an explosion as the player searches a burning house for survivors.
Into the Fire is one of the most impressive games shown off at the Triple-i Initiative showcase for all kinds of reasons. At the most basic, it’s a gorgeous looking game, capturing the frightening beauty of volcanoes and raging fires in its striking visuals. But more than that, I’m eager to see more games that explore alternate avenues for action that go beyond already well defined action genres. Fighting fires and saving trapped people look every bit as exciting as the combat shown in other trailers, and Into the Fire is made more exciting by its sheer originality.
