Taking place in the remnants of a tragic event known as The Fire of ’98, you play from the perspective of constable Kenneth Abbey. A group of officers wait outside a building near the burned city, and send you in first to scout ahead. It’s kind of strange isn’t it? Why would they send in a recruit first? When you walk up the first flight of stairs, they fall apart behind you. There’s nowhere to go but forward.
The Fire of ’98 feels like it has some inspiration from Quarantine and the Metro series as well. The shadow’s of people long passed fill the rooms and hallways when you make your way deeper into the building.
Like the movie Quarantine, you’re sent into a blocked off building by those who knowingly sacrificed you for their mission. They lied to get you inside, offering you to the shadows who still live there. At one of the exit’s one of the other officers slams a door on you, confirming they mean to trap you there.
The Truth of The Fire of ’98
The reason behind the conspiracy is never revealed, but we do find out the original fire was started purposely. After being burned alive, the people who lived there and became shadows remained. They endlessly seek revenge, possibly being kept at bay by the sacrifices that are periodically sent in.
The Fire of ’98 is one of my new top favorite indie horror games. The developer created an excellent mix of horror themes, while also making it a shooter. Many times I don’t think shooter indie horror games work well, but keeping a balance like in this game is the right way to do it.
What made the game stand out even more was the voice acting, and the custom made sound track used at the end. The ending track fits in perfectly, and the voice actor really nailed the part. The ending and description on itch.io makes me wonder what the rest of the story will be. Now that they found this, what will be the result? Will anyone face justice? The game features found footage VHS style graphics, as it’s meant to look like the tape being replayed by those who found it.
