The First Tree was one of the first indie games I played, after years of neglecting gaming at any level except for the occasional MMORPG with my partner and guild friends.

I don't know why: The First Tree had already been out for a few years (we are around 2020) and I think I remember that it was a bit on the wave of success both for itself and for its creator, David Wehle, having created it all by himself and with third-party assets. Proof that anyone, at this point, could theoretically create a video game closed in their living room.

Steam offered it to me as a suggestion and although I already knew the name, I only took it into consideration at that point: it seemed nice, in my style and was quite obvious. Little effort and little investment to try to play video games again, moving away from the AAA games that had not interested me since my adolescence.
So why not?

The game struck me and I remember the desire not to review in the strict sense, but to share what I thought and to do it in a place that was not the usual social network, where everything lasts a blink of an eye and then gets lost in the infinite nothingness.

And here we are!

The First Tree is, for me, an unexpectedly beautiful game despite its apparent simplicity, both in terms of graphics and narrative. The latter intertwines two stories, different but parallel, that intertwine as they progress.

We will follow a mother fox in search of her missing kits in beautiful dreamlike settings and a son who tries to heal the wounds left by his past and put at peace the ghosts that concern his father, alienated from his life and living in distant Alaska, now deceased.

All this is approached through the beautiful frames of the different environments in which the adventure takes place.

The First Tree is a 3D game divided into several explorable areas.

Its creator, David Wehle, said that he created most of the game using third-party assets. He had no idea how to program a game, so his personal challenge was to do it while learning how to do it.

"You don’t have to design a mountain when you can use a mountain designed by someone else. You just integrate it into your own game"
(trad: "Non sei obbligato a progettare una montagna, quando puoi usare una montagna progettata da qualcun altro. Tu devi semplicemente integrarla nel tuo gioco.")

“Unity and Unreal have democratized game development, so anybody can give it a shot. It’s exciting.”
(trad: "Unity e Unreal hanno democraticizzato lo sviluppo dei videogiochi, quindi tutti possono provarci. E' entusiasmante.")

[David Wehle, in an interview on Inverse]

I really, really love the graphics and when I say I really love them, I mean I REALLY love them.
"Really" with a totally neurodivergent vibe.

What I love most are the beautiful landscapes, realistic without great fantasy additions and yet so dreamlike at the same time.
One thing I liked to do every time I had the chance was to stop somewhere and simply enjoy the view, relax a bit and meditate on what I had just heard through the narration, myself, my life.

The color palette for each area is so distinctive that it gives you an idea of ​​the type of environment you'll be discovering from the very first moments after loading.

It's true that the graphics aren't the most advanced and are quite simple, but considering that David created a game practically from scratch, he was able to build an attractive visual coherence through elements created by different artists. If I hadn't known, I honestly would never have thought that it was created using (also) ready-made and purchased assets.

The mechanics are pretty basic, but in my opinion it's a strong point of the game.

The journey of the fox is a slow paced one, although it's easy to think that a mother would run breathlessly to find her offspring. However, we are witnessing and emotionally participating in the story and we must not forget that this is what David Wehle wanted to tell us, even with some hints of autobiography.
As I see it, therefore, it is necessary to take the time to explore each area more deeply than would be natural, listen carefully to the dialogues, even stop and think about all the clues and suggestions scattered around and that tell the life of the protagonist.

Strictly speaking about the game mechanics, the fox has a good variety of different actions: walking/running, jumping/jumping higher, digging, interacting. And that's really all you need to play, without feeling like nothing is missing. And that's also the reason why we can slow down and poke around in every corner of the game.

Beyond the most basic actions and the search for puppies, we can collect "stars" (there are 150 in total), find memories and objects connected to the "other half" of the story.

The first time I played, I missed some of the stars, some details, as is normal and wanting to complete it was a great opportunity to replay it.
Unfortunately, at some point I lost everything I had recorded and after a year and a half I was forced to play it again, without remembering much of the first experience. So I did it as if I had never played it before and with a little more dedication (and a pinch of luck, of course) I was able to collect all the stars without having to look at guides.

There are a small set of achievements, half of which are not that easy to get, in my opinion. Playing carefully and investing a good portion of time exploring to find the stars, led me to complete more than half of them, without knowing what they were (I don't like peeking at achievements until I've completed a game at least once, it takes away the pleasure of seeing the notification on the edge of the screen when I accidentally get one!).
After taking a look at the Steam page, however, I realized that the game gave me no clues as to how to get the ones I had missed, none of that typical feeling that a certain point or interaction would lead to an achievement.

Aside from chasing rabbits, because we move a fox.
But I thought it was just a note of color. Instead it led to a serious achievement (very difficult, for me, to get, for some reason. In fact I have yet to get it).

Anyway, for the ones I have left, I can confirm that they're the kind that you know exist just by reading about them in the Steam list and it is almost impossible to stumble upon them by chance in the game.

Premise: the music is beautiful.
At least for me.
It manages to be not only an important part of the game as it happens for many others, but also a real integral part, considering how the story is the guide of the whole experience and gameplay (in English, the game is in fact defined as "story-driven"). There can be no "The First Tree" without its soundtrack.

Beneath the surface of a dreamlike adventure of a fox in search of her cubs, The First Tree becomes a complex, profound and multifaceted inner journey, with the ability to hit very close to home for certain people through certain themes.

~Spoilers to follow~
(Story)

It takes you through the story of a tormented son, who tries to come to terms with his father's death and all the painful events of his past: from the anger and difficulties of adolescence, through lifelong misunderstandings, to the end of it all and the beginning of healing inside.

As the fox approaches the First Tree, the son slowly realizes that all that really matters in his life is laying the foundation stone for a new beginning.

The First Tree is a beautiful metaphor about loss, mourning and the pain that follows, about the mistakes and missed opportunities of the past that cannot be remedied; the pain, the remorse and regrets but also the understanding that there is a possibility of healing, learning to look forward and no longer back and to cultivate new hopes where there seems to be none.

A beautiful and delicate game, suitable for everyone but especially for those who have faced or are facing the loss of someone close to them, such as a parent, a brother, a sister, a close relative or a friend or people who simply need time to reflect and heal from previous wounds or other similar difficulties, lifting their spirits from the great weight that afflicts them.

Personal advice: take your time and explore. Stop on top of a ridge and lose your gaze on the beautiful panorama that the game will offer you despite the simple graphics. Listen to the beautiful soundtrack and you will see that at least a little bit of relaxation will filter into your depths.

Beyond that, The First Tree is a wonderful personal project.
David Wehle managed to create an entire video game without being a game designer or a professional in the field of any kind, learning and putting together the graphic assets, programming and voice acting. Already an example and an inspiration for many, but certainly for many "solo devs" who succeeded him and who still want to try the feat!