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- David Wehle
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- David Wehle
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- David Wehle
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- David Wehle
The First Tree
Released On: Nov 30, 2018
Metascore
Generally Favorable
81
6.2
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 4 Critic Reviews
81
75% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 4 Critic Reviews
81
75% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The First Tree is an exceptional story of loss and regret. The achievement by the game's one developer, David Whele, cannot be understated. The combination of all the elements of this experience creates one of the most memorable games this year. If you enjoy narrative adventure games then The First Tree is more than worth the two-to-three hours it takes to beat it.
The First Tree tells an incredibly personal and melancholy story about the loss of a loved through the eyes of a fox within a dream world. Wandering through beautiful, abstract worlds, you learn the narrator’s story as the fox searches for her missing kits. It has a surprising number of platformer elements, given the nature of the game, but doesn’t distract from the beautiful story within this short exploration game.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 25 User Ratings
6.2
32% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
52% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
16% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 25 User Ratings
6.2
32% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
52% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
16% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
If you are looking for a story driven exploration game, this is the game. I was captivated almost immediately by the scenery. It was beautiful and fun to look at. The way the coloration is used to express the mood, how the music would change or go silent depending on what was going on in the story that was being told. All the little Easter eggs of the mans story spread throughout the areas. This game was a fun ride, very mellow and had some small puzzles to solve, but otherwise it was all about the story. I would highly recommend this game if you are looking for something that is calm, story driven and will keep you going for a good while. I played the whole story from start to end in one sitting. Very good game, i will play again to see what i may have missed.
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PlayStation 4
The topic of the game is really interesting. The artistic direction is simple but inspiring. And most of all, the soundtracks is awesome. It makes you travel on a big smooth cloud. Really well built! Just one hour of time, really good discovery!
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PlayStation 4
Everything aside from the story is simplistic, but it doesn’t matter if the puzzles are non-existent or that the graphics are basic, because The First Tree packs an emotional narrative and is a game that every indie fan should play as a result.
The First Tree hits and misses; hits in terms of story and soundtrack, misses as far as the clumsy controls, useless puzzles and messy technical aspects are concerned.
You can play this game in a 2 hours span. The story is pretty good and feels personal. It's easy to relate to. I like the graphics. The vegetation isn't always accurate but there is a reason for that. There isn't much to do apart moving the story. The jumping mechanic isn't very elegant or fluid and there is basically 2 small puzzles. I like the music and the atmosphere in the game. Considering it's a game made by 1-2 persons, it's a nice piece of work. I give it a 78%. And thanks for the nice story.
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PlayStation 4
Nice graphics, but not very captivating. Interesting way to tell the story but lack of action and not obvious mechanics with collecting of stars
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PlayStation 4
The First Tree
Short But Sweet
The first tree is a 1 hour long adventure game with light platforming where you play as a fox, inside of a dream.
This is game about loss.. both in the perspective of the fox looking for her pups, and of the man narrating the game, talking about his dream, and losing his father. There isn’t much to do here in this game but go forward, collect the stars that lead you to the next part of the game, soakin in the beautiful worlds, listen to the stories, and hope for the best for your little fox friend.
And in general this is a beautiful game, from its message, to its world,
I loved every minute of it.
Again there isn’t much here to this game other than an emotional experience through its unique story telling, but this is one worth taking.
I give The First Tree
a 7/10
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PlayStation 4
I heard the beautiful soundtrack for this game and the nice cover and decided to go in blind. Big regret from me. The game feels like the developer just learned an engine. Very amateur animation, and really nothing to the game other than just walking through a field, collecting some coins and listening to some cheesy narration.
Beautiful soundtrack, poor everything else.
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PlayStation 4
A review for this game is tricky since it's a labor of love from the author. It's an indie game with a minimal budget and a heartfelt center. I admire the passion, the exploration, and the artistry the creator put into this. It really is a beautiful experience by design.
Unfortunately, the game was a drag and difficult to get through from start to finish. The concept sounded interesting and I enjoy myself a methodical slow-burn. However, the maps you explore are barren and uninteresting, the objectives are extremely tedious, and the mechanics are amongst the clunkiest and most awkward I've ever experienced. Getting yourself from point A to point B was an extreme chore and not very pleasant.
For a "story-telling experience" in a game, I also didn't appreciate how unfocused it was. The "open-world" approach where you can go anywhere and do anything at your own order and pace I don't think contributed to the experience. Having a focused objective system with less places to visit that serve no function would've helped the game and the narrative.
The narrative itself isn't voice-acted particularly well with every line being the same somber one note we hear again and again. The emotional thread felt over-the-top and too sentimental as I didn't feel like there was no development of its themes but rather and "introduce and payoff" structure. Unfortunately when there's no development, the payoff means very little.
Again, I don't like to harp on passion projects with limited budgets and resources. You can tell there is real passion and I would be interested in this creator's future projects. I simply have to categorically assess the experience on its own and I just didn't really like it, nor would I recommend it to anyone.
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PlayStation 4
Summary A 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.
Rated E
for Everyone
Platforms:
- PC
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Nov 30, 2018
Developer:
- David Wehle
Publisher: David Wehle
Genres:
