Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DXis not an ordinary firefighting game. The genre has existed as far back as the SNES, or maybe even further. There haven’t been a lot of roguelikes in this sub-genre though.
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Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DXstars a recruit to one of the most active fire fighting stations in the city. Players go into a level and try to rescue as many people as possible before exiting out a safe passage. Levels are randomized and story progression happens through the collection of magical books called Fire Tomes. What else is there to know about this game? Here are a few helpful tips to get started.
8A Couple Of Upgrades To Focus On
Various upgrades can help players in theirnext roguelike run. One of the first upgrades they should focus on is the Water Tank and Water Pressure. This will increase the amount of water in reserve and increase the length of the spay.
Players should then buy one piece of armor, like the boots, to increase health. After that players should hold onto their money until they rescue Vinny. He can give players tax breaks which decrease the cost of all upgrades.
7Hazards To Be Aware Of
There are a lot of things out to kill the player inFiregirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX. Some bats swarm after them. Spiked stationary orbs float above, waiting for unsuspecting players to bump into them. There are also the normal fire monsters that spread throughout levels.
Two fire enemies can kill players quickly though. One shoots out from ceiling deposits. The other hangs out on doorframes. Both shoot out at lightning-fast speeds and without a dodge ability, players can’t react in time. Be wary of doors and ceilings is the overall tip to avoid death.
6Be Aware Of Backdrafts
There are two types of arrows players will encounter in the game. Green arrows signal an exit area wherein players can finish their level no matter how complete it is. Orange arrows will point players in the direction of survivors.
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These orange arrows also signal players that there is no way back. Once players pass through one of these doors, a backdraft will ignite. There is no way to put these fires out either. Before crossing the threshold, make sure you’ve done everything possible. This mechanic is founda lot in roguelikesexcept with less flame.
5When To Fight Fires
Even thoughFiregirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DXis a game about fighting fires, that’s not the goal of most levels. Asan action platformer, players need to focus instead on rescuing survivors. Only put out fires if they move, like the aforementioned bats, or they are in the way. If it’s just a normal cluster of fire monsters and they can be jumped over, do it.
Putting out more fires will increase fans but it is more important to rescue as many survivors as possible and to beat the stage without dying. That will increase fans more in the long run.
4What Happens When You Die?
The concept of death should be addressed as that is a big mechanic in roguelikes. The bad news is that there are no difficulty levelsor assist optionsin the game to help players out. That means death will be inevitable.
However, the good news is that death will not cause players to lose anything. The payout will be lower but players will still get something. If a rare item is collected, like a Fire Tome, it will still count. This is true for special rescued survivors too like the upgrade folks. This is one game where players should freely embrace death.
3Pay Attention To The Meters
Players might only focus on two things in their HUD inFiregirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX. First is health which is represented by hearts like in theever-growing adventure seriesThe Legend of Zelda. Second is water is shown with a pressure gauge.
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It’s important to keep both of these things in mind but there are three other things to be aware of too. One, sometimes a health pack will appear below the heart meter. Two, time is everything as it is constantly ticking down. Three, also below the hearts will be an insignia for people. This shows how many human survivors are left.
2Don’t Forget To Equip Medals
After a few successful missions, players will unlock the trophy case. This does not correlate to any sort ofin-game achievement system. The better players do, the better chances they have at unlocking medals.
There are three types of medals and players can equip one of each of the three categories. Some early examples include a medal that will decrease water usage and one that will increase the time allowed in a level. Check back with this case frequently in the chief’s office.
1There Is Fall Damage
There is one more hazard that can kill players in a flash.Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DXhas fall damage. If players drop from a significant height, they can die instantly. It doesn’t matter if they have armor and full health either.
Players cannot also lighten their landing by using the hose’s spray. If players are falling with enough velocity, the water won’t do any good. It’s a shame this game has an instant death mechanic like that. For now, just becareful when platformingbetween buildings or between train cars as two examples.
Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DXwas released on Jul 26, 2025, for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. It was released first in 2021 for PC.
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