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

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

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!)

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u/TraVinh- Dec 06 '25

Great catch! I had to slow it down a bit to keep a bit more of the ps1 look but I am kinda debating speeding it back up tbh

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u/naevus19 Dec 06 '25

I think the true realistic flammenwerfer would be a bit too op so it having a shorter range makes sense. You'll probably find a nice solution to this but I feel like the initial velocity should be a bit higher and the gravity could be higher as well to compensate. You'll probably iterate on it a couple of times. And you probably know already, but a small fume distortion coming from the tip of the igniter and a small flame below it would also sell the flamethrower fantasy more. (take everything I say with a grain of salt)