Review | Embr - WOOOOAH! Your Switch Is On Fire

Before I start this review, I want to mention that I have been playing the Switch release of Embr, which looks to be the most underpowered version of the game. This port is likely where most of my issues lie, however, I can’t comment on other versions of the game. If a manic cartoony firefighting simulator sounds appealing and you happen to own either a PC, PS4 or Google Stadia, I’d recommend that you read another review as the Switch version is essentially on fire. If for some reason, you’re masochistic enough to put up with sluggish controls, modem quality JPEGs and minor game-breaking glitches, Embr is a surprisingly ambitious and fun game with a gameplay loop that feels reminiscent of strategic shooters such as Rainbow Six Siege. 

The life of a firefighter is a blur alright…

In Embr players are tasked with finding and saving fire victims in multi-storey buildings using an array of equippable tools with unique mechanics. Traversing tightly designed corridors and their connecting rooms in a safe manner while rescuing clumsy characters is a challenge that requires a surprising amount of planning and teamwork as death comes quickly both for the player and bystanders. Buildings continually deform throughout the stage as the fire grows, if rescues are not carried out in a fast manner, corridors and rooms will go up in flames, which makes traversal tricky, alongside this, electrical sockets, hazardous gasses and explosive materials can get in the way of a successful rescue. 

Yep. This is the right tool for the job.
Only problem is I think I might need 10 more right tools for this job…

This may sound overwhelming, but each tool at the player’s disposal is as effective as their real-life counterparts, possibly more so when upgrades are added to the mix. The basic loadout includes a ladder, axe and hose, which all must be used in tangent to carry out a successful mission. Even these introductory tools have a lot of depth, as each of them utilises multiple functions which are integral to successful rescues, the hose, for example, can be used to put out fires, connect broken electrical outlets, which opens certain doors, and knock out flabbergasted victims in a safe manner. In addition to this, all the tools also have drawbacks, requiring players to think carefully about handling different situations, the hose can spread electrical fires, the ladder is affected by in-game physics and weather and the axe can cut walls and structural beams alongside entry points blocking your way in.

Money is rewarded for completing missions and their various additional objectives, which can be used to buy upgrades, new tools and uniforms which increases health, speed, strength, and, most importantly, fashion. You could theoretically complete every mission with the standard toolset, but it's definitely worth investing money into every facet of the shop as Embr is not an easy game, especially in singleplayer mode. Even on the easiest difficulty, the hectic gameplay was hard to manage without anyone else to share the chaos with. I can only imagine the game would be improved with multiple players with different distinct loadouts who would juggle the responsibilities required to save multiple lives, but it’s entirely possible to play through the game by yourself.

Mainline missions consist of saving civilians but you can only achieve a perfect six-star rating by completing every level multiple times. There are five variants to each level and they are all mostly welcome evolutions that utilise the breadth of Embr’s expansive levels to pad out the game in a natural and engaging manner. For me, the most fun I had with that game came from a mode that tasks players with throwing expensive possessions out windows as this rewarded my compulsive and possibly destructive mindset the most. If you’re more destructive than me, there’s a pyromaniac mode that involves carefully placing explosives in buildings for insurance money. Also, there’s ‘Embr Eats’ which involves delivering orders to victims before they can be rescued, sadly this fun idea was ruined by a bug that made carrying soda cups impossible.

Stars get tallied up to unlock new levels and, eventually, boss fights against Embr’s Canadian socialist rivals, Fyre, which takes jabs at how inefficient American hyper-capitalist companies are. In around 5-10 hours of play, I came across four non-standard levels, half of these involved escaping linear levels with a limited toolset which were a nice change of pace from the main game as environmental objects were utilised more often in these challenges. The other half were less linear affairs that included a traditional pattern-based boss fight and an incredibly elaborate gauntlet of challenges centred around a broken lift, while I had fun playing through Embr’s varied levels, these expansive areas and the multitude of systemic mechanics are unfortunately hindered by the Switch’s performance as precise movements and placements of objects are hard to pull off with the sluggish controls.

I may not be able to pick up cups, but I drizzle your chips with water.

The lack of pinpoint precision in the controls department is only a minor frustration in comparison to the litany of collision-based bugs that ruin any chances of me recommending the Switch port, however. While I haven’t come across any full-on crashes, the alternatives are arguably more agonising, causing extended losses rather than just a quick reset. The list of bugs include; ditched areas such as sewage systems that unintentionally act as glue traps which causes the protagonist to move at and jump distances that can’t overcome simple obstacles, false star counts on levels (which admittedly worked in my favour but has the potential to hinder others), and the aforementioned cup catastrophe. 

Lasers… You know, normal firefighter stuff…

If you’ve played Switch based FPS games before, you probably won’t be shocked to hear that Embr runs at around 30fps with a native 720p resolution, however, some of the textures seem to be downscaled considerably, and despite having a bright cartoony colour palette, some objects can look unappealing in both TV and handheld play, which is a real shame. The frame rate is surprisingly tolerable, but the controls feel a little off due to sensitivity options that I could never quite dial in, this is a problem that other Switch games have run into, but it becomes a massive problem in Embr as some of the special stages rely on precise aiming for first-person platforming. A major quality of life feature has also been removed in the Switch port as players can no longer see into rooms from the outside to dictate safe routes.

Wait… Is this secretly a horror game?

So, is it worth getting Embr if you only have a Switch? As someone who has had experience testing games in pre-alpha states, I probably have a stronger tolerance to bugs than a casual player, but for the average player, a lot of these problems would be hard to stomach for long. that said, I could imagine this chaos being subsided to a degree in a friendly multiplayer setting where such issues can add to a hectic environment. And while there’s no other game on the Switch quite like Embr, the game is also on other, better-suited platforms. Overall, it’s probably worth waiting until a sale occurs or some of the major bugs are ironed out at the least, though be aware that some of these issues, such as the sluggish controls, are likely tied to the limitations of the Switch’s ageing hardware rather than the causation of annoying but fixable bugs.