Unlike more dramatic games like The Walking Dead or Mass Effect that constantly place their characters in precarious positions, Henry doesn't need to make any intense, life or death decisions.
FIREWATCH WIKI SERIES
Is the sound desolate or gentle? Foreboding or relaxing? As you work your way further into the campaign, your perspective may change.īeyond solo exploration, the game's real focus rests on Henry's relationship with his boss Delilah, which manifests as an extensive series of walkie-talkie conversations with branching dialogue options. When you stand still and focus on the blowing wind, it's equal parts ominous and enticing. Soothing as it might seem, there's also a sort of profound complexity to it. New areas always feel distinct, and the ever-present sounds of leaves rustling, birds chirping, and brooks babbling, make every moment spent in Firewatch feel like all the best parts of a real life camping trip. The world also does an excellent job concealing its edges, making you feel as though the forest extends for miles in every direction. The painterly art style imbues everything from the rocky vistas to the peeling paint on your tower's steps with a welcoming warmth. Still, because the captivating wilderness is so inviting, even just commuting to and from objectives can feel rewarding. an in-game, handheld compass and paper map that do not provide glowing way points or a fast travel system) add an immersive albeit occasionally frustrating touch. There's not much to discover beyond the supply caches marked on your map, though the purely analogue navigation tools (i.e. Because firewatch volunteers work in remote areas, you spend the vast majority of the game wandering alone through Firewatch's dense, detailed forests. The story follows Henry, a middle-aged, first-time fire lookout working near Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1989. Some of the best conversations are just random banter, which feels justified considering the boredom and isolation of the job. Though its central mystery ends up feeling muddled and several major story beats are ultimately out your control, Firewatch's refreshing premise, endearing characters, and achingly beautiful world anchor a thoughtful, engrossing experience that succeeds in spite of its flaws. Instead, it's about atmosphere, immersion, and exploration, both of an expansive Wyoming forest and a burgeoning friendship, one born of mutual isolation and built on idle radio chatter. There are no puzzles, no quick-time events, and no combat of any kind. But over time, the fire spreads, and as its intensity escalates, so too does the tension of the narrative.Īs with other story-driven, first-person adventure games like last year's Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and the seminal Gone Home, Firewatch isn't about gameplay, per se. She comments on the fire, how beautiful it looks, how it's all smoke and ash during the day but utterly resplendent under the cover of darkness. It's Delilah, radioing from her own tower several miles away. It's a natural brush fire, unlikely to do much harm, so for now I rest my elbows on the railing that surrounds my lookout tower and admire the view. With the sun having long since disappeared below the horizon and endless acres of forest warding off the artificial light of civilization, its flames flood the night sky with incandescent hues.
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