The First Friend

First, do not buy this. If you already own it, my condolences. You can try to get it working natively on Linux with the following steps, which I tested following a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1484580/discussions/0/2984162084708751555/#c3191362449936244574]discussions post[/url]: [code] [browse local files and rename as posted or copy the commands below when in the appropriate directory] mv The\ First\ Friend\ Linux.x86_64 The\ First\ Friend.exe mv The\ First\ Friend\ Linux_Data The\ First\ Friend_Data copy libsteam_api.so from another game to the Plugins directory in the new "data" directory launch the game from the terminal, it will crash and restart using Steam [/code] Steam may re-download the Linux files again so lucky you, you now have 2 copies of everything (nearly 11 GBs in total if you are counting)! Achievements will not work, and the game rarely autosaves. There are also absolutely no options if you want to adjust graphics, audio, controls ... anything. But it will launch and you can move painfully slow through the [strike]familiar assets[/strike] environment while it slowly eats your memory (no pun intended) until it crashes. The developer is non-responsive …

Alright. I've played [i]The First Friend[/i] to the point where you pass the gate at the end of chapter two, then head out across the water, at which point, after about ten seconds, the game suffers some sort of fatal Unreal engine error and crashes. The third time, I uninstalled the game. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3171972352 The game uses a single autosave file at the beginning of each chapter, so to add insult to injury, when the game crashes, you have to replay the entire chapter. Which isn't what I'd call fun. It's a shame, because as Unreal engine walking simulators go, this one is pretty good. The story is voice acted, triggered by new areas and objects you find, and was pretty decent. The terrains are pretty. The OST is pleasant enough. After reconfiguring the shift (run) button from L3 to R2, the game became very playable on the Steam Deck. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3171972400 Sadly, from all appearances, the developer stopped actively supporting the game several years ago and the few forum requests for bug fixes have gone unanswered. With that in mind, and in light of my own experience with this game, I'm reti…

This game is straight walking simulator to the next memory of the narrator. The ending I didn't see and had me in tears... While I had some moments of blindly wandering and everything looking the EXACT same, it wasn't terrible. I would recommend on sale and maybe a walk through as there is no direction to be given. Some of the maps were not needed to be as big or maybe different assets could of been added to break it up. Overall, not a bad game.

It's okish. The narrator isn't great but there is some beauty in this game.

I was really looking forward to trying this game because it looked so atmospheric and beautiful, even if it's gameplay was very simple. Hell, I've played lots of walking sims that are gorgeous and story-rich but unfortunately this was completely unplayable. Full of lag in the FPS and there were no options for me to optimize so that I could fix this and actually play the game. I knew something was off the moment I could barely navigate the main menu and started the game. FPS just was jerky as hell that I didn't even make it outside the house. Very disappointed, I mean it was on sale so I didn't lose a ton of money, but still, this was a real let-down, bummer.

This game takes a certain mindset to appreciate. It's not a typical game, and it's not for everyone. Yet, it is quite the work of art. It tells the story of a person's life through fragmented memories that you must seek out in various vast landscapes. That's about the extent of the gameplay mechanics. However, if you can get past the fact that this isn't a game, it's more like an auto-biography told using gaming as a platform, it is wonderful. It's a difficult start if you're going in not knowing what to expect. So, if you go in with zero expectations, you will be blown away by the magic. Maybe it's not the ultimate source of knowledge or has all the answers to life, but it does tell the tale of one man. It shares the emotions, fears, significant life events, and all the beauty there is to what makes a person. I wouldn't change a thing about this. It is exactly the way it needs to be.