There’s a review for Bonfire Peaks up on the website Video Chums, which gives the game some pretty high praise. (I should point out that they were a bit more generous than I was, though I do think the game’s puzzles are astonishingly well designed.) However, Video Chums had two complaints: They wanted to see some sort of Achievement or collectible system in the game, and they wish there were some kind of hint feature. Their reviewer played the game on Switch, but if you play the game on PS5 (like I did), you’ll actually have access to both of these features.
The Trophy system comes baked in, which isn’t surprising considering Bonfire Peaks is a PlayStation release in 2021. The Game Help feature, however, is new to me. In fact, a lot of people don’t even know it exists. This is the first time I’ve played something on PS5 where Game Help feels like a core part of the game experience, so I thought it would be worth explaining how it works.
Basically, if you get stuck on a puzzle, you can press the PlayStation button to bring up the game “cards.” If you select the card for the stage you are currently playing (it should always be the one on the far left, there’s a message on it that says “Hints inside.” If you select that, you’ll get to watch a video of that puzzle being solved.
Bonfire Peaks is an incredibly devious game, with some amazing puzzle design. However, some of those puzzles can be really challenging. The Game Help feature lets you quickly see the solution to a puzzle if you’re stuck, so you don’t end up with your progress being halted because of a particularly challenging level.
My opinion on this is mixed but mostly positive. The downside is that it’s kind of addictive, and once you get used to using it, there will always be the temptation to overuse it. Sure, that’s ultimately your own decision, but it’s a hard nut to un-crack once it’s been formally cracked.
The upside is convenience. It’s admittedly really nice to be able to see the solution to a puzzle you’d been scratching your head over for 30 minutes. It can be kind of satisfying to actually get closure on a puzzle that almost feels impossible. And Bonfire Peaks is really good at creating the exact type of puzzle that will leave you feeling bewildered.
Bonfire Peaks and the PS5’s Game Help feature are a really great pairing. While those of us who write game guides are seeing our services replaced by something much more convenient than Googling solutions, I have to say this is a net good for the gaming community in general, and I look forward to seeing what other games do with this feature.
