Fireboy and Watergirl have found themselves in a quandry. They need to escape the Forest Temple, but it’ll require cooperation and determination to reach the finish. Deadly traps await them as you guide them through the temple’s many levels, so keep a sharp eye out. This game is both challenging and fun.
In an underground temple filled with booby traps, lava pits and glistening diamonds, it’s up to the world’s best elemental duo: Fireboy and Watergirl. Using their unique powers and a bit of teamwork, they’re out to take the rainforest temples by storm.
Fireboy and Watergirl requires the ability to multitask. Your hands are used to playing for the same goal, but you’ll need to split your attention between them to use two different sets of controls: one for Fireboy and one for Watergirl. Fireboy is controlled with the arrow keys, whereas Watergirl requires the WASD keys. No other buttons are required; all you need is the dexterity to move two characters at once to their separate exit doors while avoiding obstacles.
In order to unlock their exit doors, you have to collect color-coded diamonds that correspond to each character. Fireboy’s diamonds are red, and vice versa with the blue diamonds for Watergirl. Some of the traps found in the game are aimed at either character by using their weakness (fire for Watergirl, water for Fireboy, etc.). However, green pools are toxic to both and will kill them if stepped in.
Puzzles in the game require strategic placement of either character to accomplish the goal, such as one holding a lever while the other jumps across a platform. There’s a lot of problem-solving involved that keeps the game interesting. Speaking of teamwork, you don’t have to play alone. Since the controls are divided up for both characters, you can invite a friend to play as Watergirl or Fireboy. Sometimes, it takes two to tango, or in this case face off against a series of challenges in a temple in the middle of a rainforest.
A good platforming game is hard to find nowadays, and while Fireboy and Watergirl isn’t anything particularly special, it does keep you engaged with challenging tasks and cleverly designed levels. The added feature of collecting diamonds has been used before, but don’t write the game off because of it. Like all problem-solving games, it has its own unique features that make it worth playing.
The characters are adorably designed; they’re basically blue and red blobs with anime eyes, and we’re okay with that! Cute doesn’t require a great deal of detail. It just makes you love them more to see their bobbing forms parading across your screen as you jump over firepits and avoid blasts of water. Luckily, the game has a few sequels, so you can continue the fun even after you finish this one!