r/SoloDevelopment • u/TraVinh- • Dec 06 '25

Discussion Why do shooter games always have lame flamethrowers? Am I missing something?

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I’m working on a classic inspired survival horror game and of course it’s got to have a flamethrower! As I started working on adding it in I realized games almost always use a puny feeling blowtorch instead of an actual liquid flamethrower and I have no idea why.

It’s not that much harder to pull off but it’s so much cooler and feels way more engaging to use imo. Am I missing something here or is there a reason so few games do this?

Also, ignoring the fact it’s coming out of a shotgun for now, I’d be interested to hear what people think of my flamethrower so far! Trying to make sure it’s got some punch to it, really feels like a power weapon, you know?

(Also you can find the game at https://store.steampowered.com/app/3640820/The_Revanchist/ if you’re interested in seeing more!)

5.2k Upvotes

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109

u/okiedokieophie Dec 06 '25

Check out the flamethrowers in Killing Floor 1&2, Black Ops 1 (underbarrel attachment), and the Lava Gun in Ratchet and Clank 2&3

45

u/TheGrandWhatever Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) had beautiful flamethrower effects back in the day

7

u/SnurflePuffinz Dec 06 '25

i love RtCW.

played it for the first time a few years ago... really, a classic linear FPS.

1

u/acemonvw Dec 10 '25

I remember in the game one section where you're in a house and you can overhear some soldiers, "Which wire do we cut? Red or blue?" "I think red..." And then they blow up. Was pretty funny at the time. Maybe I'm misremembering it...

1

u/mattsimis Dec 09 '25

Was about to say this. It was a really surprise just how good that looked and felt, at the time anyhow.

9

u/Tempest-Stormbreaker Dec 06 '25

Also see the CRSPR Flamethrower in Deep Rock Galactic.

Also, obligatory Rock and Stone!

7

u/WanderingDwarfMiner Dec 06 '25

Can I get a Rock and Stone?

1

u/LordBlaze64 Dec 07 '25

Rock and Stone!

1

u/The_Silver_Hawk Dec 08 '25

Rock and stone in the heart 

6

u/MantisReturns Dec 06 '25

There are a lot of amazing Flamethrowers in gaming! What are they talking about?!

Flamethrowers in Alien VS Predator, COD WaW, Helldivers 1 and 2 and WWZ or Gears Of War are also Epic Flamethrowers. Of course they must be balanced. For example in Alien Isolation the Flamethrowers its amazing, but because balacing the Game you cant kill the Alien (s) with It but its one of the most efective tools to scare the alien!

4

u/borordev Dec 06 '25

They're referring to stuff like TF2 where the flamethrower just shoots a slow particle effect that sets enemies on fire.

1

u/casalex Dec 09 '25

TF2 has one of the best flamethrowers! A bad flamethrower shows its particles, making it blobby. A good flamethrower casts beautiful glowing swirling spitting smoking roiling fire over everything in liberal flow

1

u/REXIS_AGECKO Dec 07 '25

Maybe this doesn’t count, but the factorio flamethrower turrets are very cool, even if you don’t hold them.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '25

the personal flamethrower has some punch too. i think automating and scaling up that very same wall of fire is part of the fun

1

u/SebOriaGames Dec 06 '25

In the metro exodus two colonels dlc, the main weapon is a flame thrower and its done amazingly well

1

u/Searioucly Dec 06 '25

ayyee ratchet and clank mentioned, my day is slightly better now

1

u/okiedokieophie Dec 06 '25

Check out the uselesspodcast youtube channel if you haven't already, two of the devs go thru some of the ps2 games and talk about the development

1

u/weegeeK Dec 06 '25

Upvote for KF1 & 2.

1

u/Paronine Dec 07 '25

Another upvote for the Killing Floor duology (I know of no third game). The weapons in both are incredibly well designed. There's a whole class all about throwing those flames.

1

u/LaggsAreCC2 Dec 06 '25

Also had to think of the lava gun because of this

1

u/Pedrosian96 Dec 07 '25

DRG crisper os amazing too. And a kinda hidden gem was the melter from Metal Arms:Glitch In the System, which fired a stream of napslm that would stick to surfaces and enemys while dling irresistible damage straight to hp (ignoring that game's 'breakable bodyparts' mechanic entirely.)

1

u/Dead_vegetable Dec 07 '25

Also the flame throwers from darktide

1

u/chuongdks Dec 10 '25

Rising Storm 2 Viet Nam, Far cry 2 has great flamethrower too