The artwork is gorgeous, with artist, Olly Moss ,drenching the screen in exquisite tangerine sunsets, big skies and beautiful ravines and mountains, stretching into the distance. That’s not to say that Firewatch is all peril and foreboding. And developer, Campo Santo play on this fear of the wild and being alone. He’s no Bear Grylls, wilderness master and that means he’s vulnerable – out there, alone, in the woods. It’s at these times that we see the chubby legs of an every guy. Henry has to negotiate scree slopes and sheer drops using ropes. The setting is an integral part of the story and the gameplay. A thunderstorm in a canyon at night, had me scuttling for my tower and wondering if I could really trust Delilah. That’s what kept me playing and made my heart race, at times. A tattered tent, a dark figure on the horizon, an overheard radio conversation – all moments that point to a mystery. There are no guns and interaction is limited to a few actions, which makes you focus on the characters and Henry’s surroundings.įirewatch builds the tension beautifully, through dialogue and discoveries in the wilds. This is an exploration game in the purest sense. Largely, Firewatch avoids puzzles and falling into the Life is Strange trap of trying to add gameplay mechanics for the sake of it. This probably isn’t as immersive on mouse and keyboard via PC, but using a console controller really makes you feel like you’re using a radio, which is a nice touch. A list of dialogue choices appear and you have to hit the bumper on your controller and then release to choose one, before the timer runs out and Delilah just responds to your silence. My favourite game mechanic is the walkie talkie, which appears on screen, in Henry’s hammy hand. Often, it’s what’s not said that’s important and this adds to the tension, which permeates Firewatch. Crucially the voice acting is some of the very best I’ve heard in a game, with Rich Sommer ( Mad Men) and Cissy Jones ( Life is Strange) delivering natural, effortless banter all the way through.ĭuring conversations, you can choose Henry’s responses or whether you want to start a conversation about something in particular. The two characters have a natural rapport, with Henry the more hesitant, melancholy one of the two, whilst Delilah is the funny, carefree and confident one. Henry is sent out to check on rowdy, littering teenagers and campers letting off fireworks, but the real action happens between Henry and Delilah.įirewatch excels, when it comes to dialogue. Once in the park, Delilah is your guide and gives Henry directions for things to do. It’s a long, hot summer, so any hint of fire could send the whole thing up like a tinderbox. Your choices don’t change the overall outcome for Henry and his wife, but they do change the way you think about him and how you’ll play him, going forward. This left me just picking the lesser of two evils and feeling a bit shoehorned. It’s a moving opening, but some of the binary choices were a toss-up between douche bag and total arsehole. These flashbacks could be what Henry is thinking about as he makes his getaway to the wilderness. The text interjects to give us background as flashback. I like the way this intro is interspersed with gameplay footage of Henry on the way to Wyoming to start his job. And then something happens and it all becomes very sad, but I won’t spoil it because it packs a punch that really ties you to Henry. This opening is about Henry’s relationship with his wife – how he met her, what he said, what they called their dog and how he dealt with the challenges along the way. The game begins with a choose your own adventure style, text-based intro, which sets the tone for Henry’s background. His only company is the voice of Delilah, the watcher from the neighbouring tower, who talks him through the job and tries to show him the ropes. Henry takes a job in a national park, which puts him on fire watching duty. Playing as Henry, a forty-something man who has dropped out of life to avoid facing up to issues with his marriage. Firewatch is a narrative based exploration game, which takes you into the wilds of Wyoming.
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