The First Tree Critic 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.

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.