The First Tree – The Appreciation of Life

I finished a short but beautiful indie game recently. There’s actually quite a few in my library where you play as a wild animal like a fox. I think this one was the most emotional so far.

The First Tree tells parallel stories of a young man reminiscing his estranged relationship with his father, how it started between them, and what eventually led to the strain. He then dreams of a fox exploring the wilderness searching for her three pups which players take control of.

As the fox, we can dig up treasures marked that piece together Joseph’s backstory and collect light scattered throughout each chapter. Gameplay is simple and easy, and the soundtrack is lovely. The only thing I have to criticize is the lack of save features. My progress is only saved when I complete a chapter, even though they are short, it doesn’t help if I need to stop partway through

The game’s environment seems to reflect each moment of the story. It’s like things started off well until Joseph began to rebel as a teenager, a serious accident severely damaged his relationship with his father. The time when the fox finds her second pup, recently deceased, is when Joseph says he’ll never be able to reconcile with his father because the latter is dead. At the same time, the fox sees a wolf, which is possibly responsible for killing her pups.

Joseph’s wife, Rachel gives him some reassurance that he is not the only one who has been through a difficult relationship in his family so it gives him a reason to look forward. At this point in the game, I like how it started with the fox in the middle of the lake until she comes to the land and its lively again with a herd of deer.

But even the fox reaches a point where she cannot go on when she reaches the tree. When loss happens, we go through grief, we wish we could have done something to prevent it but the best thing we can do is feel the feels and move forward and that is what I felt the fox had to do, and so did Joseph himself. It was lovely to see him find a tree of his own.

Overall, a short but lovely game. If you like games where you play as an animal or with heartfelt messages behind them, then this is a game for you.