Firewatch – Two strangers meet in a forest…
What a devastating, crushing way to start a game. Firewatch begins as a beautiful love story that turns into sadness and despair; life happens in a matter of minutes. Work, kids, disease, impossible choices. I react as someone would in such biting situations, but there is no easy way out. No right answers.
And then I… or Henry, Firewatch’s main character, takes a job far, far away. From home, from his sick wife, from everything.
The Firewatch choose-your-own-adventure text intro hits hard, like a sickening punch in the stomach.
But as soon as Henry sets foot on his lookout tower and Delilah reaches out, the mood of the game takes a drastic turn. Now I’m smiling, wondering who this mysterious supervisor is and why she sounds so peculiar and funny. Firewatch is now a much more relaxed game, and will turn out to be one heck of a ride.
Why haven’t I played this game sooner? It is, for the most part, utterly phenomenal in its simplicity, a wonderful narrative exercise that shines in a way that is miles ahead of most other games of this genre. More than a walking simulator, Firewatch is a riveting story about “two fuck-ups” far away from everything, and their novel relationship in the face of a baffling mystery.
Firewatch could easily be called ‘Henry and Delilah’. These two characters only communicate via a small, handheld radio during most of the time (except for the cave, where there are no comms) and the dialogue is just perfect. It’s amusing, intriguing, often flirty and just feels right. It feels real – not that I would know how two fire lookouts would behave in the face of danger and seclusion, but for the purpose of a game, it works brilliantly. The two main voice actors deserve all the praise, but it’s Delilah that will stick with you and won’t let go of your mind until you finish the game. Or even beyond the ending, as you’ll be trying to match a face with that powerful, sensual voice.
Firewatch is a linear game about choices. Now that your mind is going nuts thanks to this expression, allow me to elaborate. In this game, you have some places to go and quests to complete, but it’s not like you can just go exploring like crazy, as you don’t have the proper tools for some places or the narrative simply won’t develop. Let the storyline guide you, unlock the stuff that you need such as ropes or an axe, and unravel the mysteries of the Shoshone National Forest. You can, however, choose from various dialogue options and use this to develop your relationship with Delilah – will you respond to her obvious flirting, or are you going to be the calm, married and faithful man? Will you share all the clues you find with Delilah, or do you think that she could somehow be behind whatever is happening?
No matter your choices, the plot won’t budge a bit. You’ll still go to the same places and unearth the same mystery, but you should see this more as a way to build YOUR character, to project yourself into the not-so-blank canvas of Henry. It’s not quite impactful game-making, but it could teach you, the real you, a thing or two about how to react to the advances of an apparently friendly stranger. You must play it to feel the connection and the emotion that goes back and forth in each exchange, and it’s up to you to react.
Firewatch could do with some mini-games to ramp up our engagement. Running around, chatting and rappelling is interesting enough, especially considering that the forest has some quite impressive vistas, but more interactivity would be welcome. I’m also not quite sure about the amount of beverage and energy bars that you can “save for later”, as I don’t see any use to it – could it be that Firewatch was designed with some kind of survival system (hunger, thirst, fatigue) that was ultimately dropped?
Contrary to most people, I’m OK with the ending. I didn’t find it abrupt or that it left any loose ties; I think that what happened made perfect sense and ended the story in a logical note. I don’t see a sequel to Firewatch ever being made, as the story is said and done, and the rest is up to your imagination. In fact, my main gripe with the game isn’t even the short duration (four to five hours), but the lack of landmarks to discover and contemplate. I would gladly explore more of the forest by my own initiative if I could stumble upon this… let’s say, ruined asylum with some notes detailing part of its story. Or a formerly lush mansion that was abandoned in a rush due to whatever reason. I remember this small, burnt-out cabin in Firewatch where you open the stove and something unexpected happens – I wanted more of these startling moments.
But I really liked Firewatch. I wasn’t expecting to like it so much, considering that the idea of running around in a huge forest, talking to the same person over and over again didn’t seem very tempting. Boy, was I wrong. Delilah is one of the greatest characters that you’ll ever get to “meet” in a game.
I strongly recommend Firewatch for players who want to be the stars of an exciting, intriguing movie, and I’m now eagerly waiting for Campo Santo’s next game, In the Valley of Gods.
Follow me on Steemit @gamingstation for more thinking man’s reviews and posts!
![steemgclogo_small.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaRU3PVea9qwFdTuEg7HTT7woKVhsVGH62rCaux81ErD5/steemgclogo_small.png)
Sorry I didn't upvote this sooner. Great review of a smashing little game.
One thing: I don't remember still being married when I entered the forest. Maybe I chose a different path. Maybe I have just forgotten...
It's understandable, it isn't easy to follow everything in the feed :)
My bet is that you chose a different path. My choices were pushing me down to marrying, having a kid and the wife taking a job far from home (I made her commute every three weeks, lol!).
I didn't try the other choices, but I'm convinced that they would all end with the wife/girlfriend getting sick. Maybe I'm wrong...
I may be completely wrong but I feel like my wife had either died or we'd split up. Your version changes the story DRAMATICALLY!
Wow, really? I wasn't expecting they changed it that much. "My" wife had Alzheimer at 43 (or 41, can't remember), and I was faced with the choice of sending her to a home for treatment or to her parents, after I tried taking care of her but just wasn't able to handle it anymore.
This actually changes some stuff in the game. I remembered a bit during a conversation where Henry is talking about the wife, how he had to take some time off and he even lifts his hand and we can see the ring. Impressive detail.
I wasn't certain, but now I'm sure that the initial choices shape a lot of the dialogue during the game.
It is entirely possible that I have misremembered. It's just that I remember my moral compass having no issues when flirting with the woman on the walkie-talkie.
I will maybe play it again one day and report back.
I'm convinced that they created quite a few choices. It drastically changes the way you create a relationship with Delilah. I knew I had a sick wife at home, you had no one - this completely changes some of the dialogue.
Some may see this as slight changes, but I see it as brilliance.
Cool! Hoping to try it out!
Definitely do. I wasn't sure myself but I loved it.
This really was a beautiful review. Telling us what to expect but giving nothing away at the same time. This is a game I've wanted to give a shot some time ago but never got around too. My interest is sparked once again...no pun intended. Thank you for this contribution.
Ha! You just reminded me of some "fire" puns in the game, it was quite a bit of fun, actually.
I'd recommend you give it a go. I'm not a fan of walking simulators, but this game was more than that. It had a pair of mesmerizing characters and a mystery to go with it. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a while.
And thanks for the compliment!
Great review and this is a beautifully done game! Especially the atmosphere and whole mood itself that it gives...!!!
Yes, the atmosphere is a real accomplishment, it's even a soothing experience... until the big mystery kicks in.
Agree! Only, too bad that is so short...
me and dayle absolutely loved this game. the way the story pulls you in, the visuals, the tasks, the drama. it was a perfect game to play and stream together.
Indeed! I was expecting a walk in the park (so to speak), but the game had everything: fun, drama, mystery. It was short but worth every minute of it.
yeah i can't wait for their next title. looks interesting, just as much and no doubt will make them a stack of cash on the back of firewatch.
It's looking like a huge evolution over Firewatch, with your partner moving around with you, and the visual style is wonderful. I'm sure they will deliver something really interesting.
Let's just hope they don't stir up another useless and damaging controversy over a certain YouTuber xD
unfortunately drama is a by product these days it seems ;(
People need to let go and just enjoy the good things they get, such as awesome games. Thinking things over before acting usually avoids a lot of drama (for all parties involved).
We won't escape it anytime soon, though.
Your Post Has Been Featured on @Resteemable!
Feature any Steemit post using resteemit.com!
How It Works:
1. Take Any Steemit URL
2. Erase
https://
3. Type
re
Get Featured Instantly � Featured Posts are voted every 2.4hrs
Join the Curation Team Here | Vote Resteemable for Witness
Congratulations, this post was rewarded with a SteemGC Upvote!
Want to meet fellow Steemit gamers and earn upvotes yourself? Join the SteemGC Discord channel!
Or interested in competing in our first community CS:GO tournament!?
Thank you gamingstation for making a transfer to me for an upvote of 22.92% on this post!
Half of your bid goes to @budgets which funds growth projects for Steem like our top 25 posts on Steem!
The other half helps holders of Steem power earn about 60% APR on a delegation to me!
For help, will you please visit https://jerrybanfield.com/contact/ because I check my discord server daily?
To learn more about Steem, will you please use http://steem.guide/ because this URL forwards to my most recently updated complete Steem tutorial?