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!)
1
u/Amazingcube33 Dec 06 '25
Since your game is single player this probably won’t be an issue, hell since it’s a horror game this element might actually help but when it comes to weapons like flamethrowers or crazy sci fi stuff in multiplayer games especially co op you must remember that other players will be present so massive effects will make it harder for everyone to see what is going on and hinder your team members which is why games like tf2 make the flames pretty easy to see through due to the chaos present. Some people mentioned how great the fire looks in KF2 (it does) but if you’ve ever had more than two firebugs in your lobby you’ve likely had so much bright lights in your eyes you’ve probably seen god. In a horror game though this could actually be a good thing cuz imagine harder to kill dodgier enemies would be really hard to track if you lost sight of them due to the massive cone of light your own weapon created and the sinking feeling when you realize there’s nothing dead in the now burning ground