Firmament Game Review | New Cyan Puzzle Adventure
Shaun M Jooste 
Firmament Game Review | PC | New Cyan Title in 2023
Read our Firmament game review if you would like to know what the graphics, story, and mechanics are like, and if you should buy the puzzle game!
Operating System: Windows 11
Application Category: Game
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Our Firmament game review looks at a new puzzle exploration game developed and published by Cyan Worlds Inc., released on 18 May 2023. It features a brand new world containing different realms, with you as the Realm Keeper. Much like the Myst classic games, it has stunning environments you’ll explore to solve various types of puzzles.
So, buckle up for our exciting Firmament review that evaluates different aspects of this puzzle game!
Disclaimer: We received a free review copy of this game, but this does not affect our review.
Cyan Firmament Review Section 1: Story and Exploration
Cyan’s worlds are all about the story. On the previous version of our site, we reviewed Myst Remastered and Obduction, while we still have every Myst game ever created that we want to play through again. For now, let me start my Firmament game review with the story element.
Firmament Release Date
The official Firmament release date is 18 May 2023 on Steam. I’ve been playing it since then, and for a second time again. There’s something magical about this world, and one of the realms even inspired me to create a seed vault in real life.
Exploring the Realms
When you awaken in one of the Realms, a voice guides you around your bunker room, explaining that you’re a Realm Keeper. Your role is to maintain the realms, even though they are now in a state of disrepair. Due to being asleep for so long, you have no memory of what happened before. All you know is that it’s now your task to visit the Realms and restore them to their former glory.
Solving the Mystery
As you explore the three Realms and The Swan in Firmament, you start finding notes and an idea of what went wrong before. There was a Keeper who wanted more, and in so desiring, inspired others to want more. They forsook their Realms, which is why many of them were abandoned or not cared for. The more you delve into the mysteries, the more you discover what happened before you awoke. Also, the apparition joining you starts acting strange, making you wonder if you can trust it.
Firmament VR mode
If you have Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Rift S, or Quest 2, you can play the Firmament game by Cyan in VR mode. It places you in the world and realms, making it feel like you’re really there. Thanks to my motion sickness, I steered clear of trying the virtual reality mode.
Buy Firmament – The Keepers’ Bundle
Fans of Cyan and Firmament can treat themselves to The Keepers’ Bundle. It includes the main game, a soundtrack, a digital guide for how to play the game and solve mysteries, and a digital art book.
How long does it take to play Cyan’s Firmament?
Depending on how long it takes to solve the puzzles, Firmament may take you between 15 to 20 hours to complete. There are basically two phases to the game. The first half is exploring and opening spires in each of the three realms while obtaining upgrades to your equipment. With the second half, you’ll head back to each realm to restore them. You end the game solving the final mysteries.
Firmament Review Section 2: Gameplay Mechanics
I didn’t want to give too much of the story away in the first part of my Firmament review, so I’ll mostly focus on the gameplay elements. You move in real-time while using a specialised device to interact with the environment. It’s not point-and-click like the original Cyan adventures.
Learning how to play the Firmament game
As you explore the realms in Firmament, you’ll come across books and instructions on how to use your adjunct, a device attached to your arm that you use to solve most puzzles. While it guides you on using some items, the game won’t give away the solutions to the mysteries you’ll need to solve. That’s all up to you.
Your powerful adjunct and mods
As mentioned, the device on your arm is called an adjunct. You connect it to ports on lifts, transport, and other devices to power them up and use them. It lets you switch between different modes, depending on how you want to operate machinery. As you traverse each realm, you’ll receive three mods to increase range, amplify its power, or catenate ports in chained actions.
Working out how the Realms work
The main goal in Firmament is working out how each Realm operates. There are massive spires in each one, but you’ll travel to various locations. Sometimes, it involves powering up harvesters, while other areas require walking in a suit under the water to clear ice with heat pumps. These huge environmental puzzles are what make the game a gem to play.
Travelling between locations
Your main mode of transport varies, but you can either use these specialised pods that roll on rails within a realm or these other interesting teleport devices between realms that make you feel like you’re on a spaceship. On my first playthrough, my character became stuck in the wall of the latter when I arrived at a destination, which is why it’s important to save at every chance you get.
Firmament Review: Graphics and Sound
Cyan doesn’t simply make games with puzzles to make you think. They also focus on the beauty of the worlds they make. Like Myst and Riven, you’ll want to concentrate on every visual and audio item to help you solve the clues around you.
Stunning environments
If you’re playing on a PC with the recommended requirements, you’ll be treated to exceptional views in each of the realms. The graphics are pristine, and you’ll feast your eyes on beautiful environments and machinery. Cyan doesn’t fail to deliver.
Gorgeous animations
The animations are even more stunning than the visuals. It’s worth taking another trip in one of the gyroscope pods just to travel through the air and view the surroundings. The adjunct makes the device spring into action, and it’s fun to see what the machines will do when you activate them.
Integrating sounds and Stunning voice acting
Every device you work with has some sound attached to it. Sometimes, they sound eerie in the vast areas with no one else around. You also have the apparition as the only company, speaking to you whenever you reach new areas or puzzles. It sounds almost like a French accent.
Yes, I’m aware that the voice and some content were assisted by AI during the development, but that doesn’t phase me. All I care about is how good the game is and how much I enjoyed it.
Final Verdict: Is Firmament Worth It?
Three groups of gamers will absolutely love Firmament: true Myst/Cyan fans, anyone that loves puzzles and mystery, and newcomers to the puzzle-game genre. While the story isn’t as detailed and complex as in the Myst games, it still makes you want to know what happened to the Realm Keepers before you. If anything, you’ll love exploring the various areas just to see the beauty of the game’s design.
Top Features of Firmament
Luckily, there aren’t times when you’ll die in the game, as you’ll mostly scratch your head with how to progress through Firmament. For those who like to think a lot and work out puzzles, this exploration game is perfect.
Here are some of the top features of Firmament:
- Beautiful voice accent accompanying you
- Stunning locations and environments
- Massive realm puzzles
- Adjunct is fun to work with
- Tests different parts of your brain
- Underwater exploration!
- Interesting lore and background
Where to buy Firmament?
At the moment, you can buy Firmament on Steam for PC and macOS, and in the PlayStation Store for the PS5 and PSVR2. The console version should be arriving soon.
Have a look at our Reviews and Writing Services
If you enjoyed this article, then please, feel free to check some of our other game reviews. Also, we do offer game writing services for projects like this. If you love casual stories with a bit of adventure, make sure you don’t miss out on The Adventures of Johnny, which is a book we’ve published.
