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Firewatch (PC)

Release Date:
81
Metascore
 65 reviews
7.1
User Score
 1412 ratings
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Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Panic Inc.
Game Details: In Firewatch you play as a man named Henry who has retreated from his messy life to work as a fire
In Firewatch you play as a man named Henry who has retreated from his messy life to work as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Perched high atop a mountain, it’s your job to look for smoke and keep the wilderness safe. An especially hot and dry summer has everyone on edge. Your supervisor, a woman named Delilah, is available to you at all times over a small, handheld radio — and is your only contact with the world you've left behind. But when something strange draws you out ofIn Firewatch you play as a man named Henry who has retreated from his messy life to work as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Perched high atop a mountain, it’s your job to look for smoke and keep the wilderness safe. An especially hot and dry summer has everyone on edge. Your supervisor, a woman named Delilah, is available to you at all times over a small, handheld radio — and is your only contact with the world you've left behind. But when something strange draws you out of your lookout tower and into the world, you’ll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making interpersonal choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have.… Expand
Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Panic Inc.
Genre(s): General Adventure 3D First-Person
Number of players: No Online Multiplayer
Cheats: On GameFAQs
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Critic Reviews
(69)
81
Metascore Generally favorable reviews
51 Positive Ratings 78%
14 Mixed Ratings 21%
0 Negative Ratings 0%
Based on 65 Critic Reviews View All
100
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Apr 12, 2016
"This unconventional game combines strong story, beautiful natural surroundings and fantastically written and played characters. What it lacks in classic adventure mechanics, it makes up in great dialogue system between the main protagonists. [Issue#262]"
90
Forbes
Feb 8, 2016
"It’s a gripping, compelling story set in a truly beautiful world that’s worth exploring. Just go in with your expectations clear. This is a relatively short game that’s almost entirely about the story, which consists almost entirely of two people talking over radios to one another. You play a chubby guy in his forties talking to, presumably, a woman of a similar age who you never see. There’s really nothing else like it I can think of, which makes it all the more rewarding...I loved Firewatch, mostly, letdown with the ending notwithstanding" ... Read full review
90
IGN Sweden
Mar 15, 2016
"Firewatch is a fantastic game, it has great storytelling and believable characters. It’s one of the more refreshing gaming experiences I’ve had in years." ... Read full review
80
GameWatcher
Feb 8, 2016
"The ending will be a point of contention for some, but it all comes down to a perspective and regardless of that, you should play this game." ... Read full review
80
PLAY! Zine
Mar 7, 2016
"Whether you're looking for several hours of mystery and drama or just a magnificent world to explore, do yourself a favor and spare a few hours of your time to experience Firewatch." ... Read full review
80
Brash Games
Feb 9, 2016
"If you want fast paced action heavy moments, this isn’t for you. What the game does offer is mystery, intrigue and beautiful design. The game isn’t very long, but doesn’t need to be anything more as it feels compact, interesting and felt like a movie. " ... Read full review
50
PC PowerPlay
Apr 7, 2016
"A bold experiment in semi-interactive narrative that doesn't quite succeed. [Issue#249, p.58]"
Critic Reviews
User Reviews
(337)
7.1
User Score Mixed or average reviews
864 Positive Ratings 61%
331 Mixed Ratings 23%
217 Negative Ratings 15%
Based on 1412 Ratings and 337 Reviews View All
10
amfxc
Feb 9, 2016
A thrilling story accompanied by absolutely beautiful artwork. Ever since you start playing the game it will be hard to put down. TheA thrilling story accompanied by absolutely beautiful artwork. Ever since you start playing the game it will be hard to put down. The conversation you have with the other character is never boring.… Expand
10
Esteron
Mar 7, 2016
Great game. In the first time I judge not only graphic but also atmosphere which is really great and attracting. I don't understand people whoGreat game. In the first time I judge not only graphic but also atmosphere which is really great and attracting. I don't understand people who says this game doesn't have a plot may be they just used to play in alien games but this is realistic plot which is playing with us making as thinking about a lot of crazy stuff:) I love it! I love to be in this forest and probably I want to spend one summer like that:)… Expand
9
brendo214
May 30, 2019
I can understand people being frustrated with the ending, but I think it ended in the only way it could have.
8
scottmland
Feb 13, 2016
Having just played Gone Home (another interactive storytelling experience) just yesterday, I immediately preordered this game, and pre-loadedHaving just played Gone Home (another interactive storytelling experience) just yesterday, I immediately preordered this game, and pre-loaded it. I may or may not have also called out of work to play it on release...
No, I was actually sick, and didn't have much better to do.

And, may I say, it was most certainly worth it.

Now, despite being of the same genre, unimaginatively titled "walking simulator" by some (which i think is biased and has a negative connotation out of the starting gate) and having the same musical composer, this title and Gone Home are succinctly different.

By the way, that composer, Chris Remo, really knows how to create atmosphere with a limited but soulful instrumental palette.

Anyways, Firewatch is beautifully rendered and colored, and does a bang-up job capturing the midwest with an art style that isn't too samey, even as you walk through trees, trees, and more trees. Its environments are built well and I found that it was fairly easy to navigate if you've read a map before, (I turned off the player indicator for ♥♥♥♥♥ and giggles/to test my navigation skills) though I am not a fan of only contextual jumping. Let me jump on things that look jump-onable, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥it.
That being said there is a reasonable amount of environmental obstacles that you need to traverse, and they are perfectly reasonable and flow well with navigation.

Now, if you read my review of Gone Home, you will know what matters most to me in this interactive story experience is just that: the story.
I found myself easily falling into the protagonist Henry's shoes as he is a bit like me, though considerably older, (and in terms of hobbies I'd probably be more like Brian Goodwin). I found his story at the beginning heartbreaking, but enough to bring you up to speed, and the dialog/story options were and interesting feature, though I have a feeling all roads lead to Rome, so to speak.
I really felt the connection between Delilah and Henry as well, very well acted and the amount of dialog choices was plentiful enough to feel like you are actually influencing the conversation. In fact, early on I made a comment that made Delilah annoyed and leave her radio for a second, and I felt genuinely bad for having reacted the way I did.

I felt the story arced well at the beginning, but once it hit the turning point, where things got weirder, it lost its stride. Soon weeks and months were passing, and everything was a rush, and I needed to run all over the map to chase a mystery I didn't really feel was pulling together all that well. It was a lot like putting together a puzzle with no idea what the outcome will be, and being spoonfed pieces that don't fit together, and in the end it came together into something you wholeheartedly didn't expect and didn't really feel satisfied with.

The big reveal, the climax, wasn't really much of one. It left me depressed mostly because the ending to Henry and Delilah's relationship plotline ended in a somewhat lazy way. The mystery started out like it was Scully and Mulder exploring an enigma in a remote location in one of the better early episodes of The X-Files, but ended like one of the crappy episodes without Mulder in the 8th season, where the two cynics leave things completely unfinished.

Now, despite my complaints, I do think if you loved Gone Home, or enjoy interactive storytelling games (or *spits* walking simulators) you should play this game. It is more of a game than Gone Home, as I didn't find myself bored, or running through locations just to unlock the next story bit. Its also a lot more engaging to play with the conversation with a living voice, which you choose your words for. But, unfortunately, I don't think it is worth the price. I would disagree with the price of Gone Home as well, but I got it in a humble bundle, and this is coming longer after I finished that game than my review of it. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. So, buy it on sale and play it. Love the characters and the location and even the gameplay.

But don't expect a great ending.… Expand
7
mikepatyaev
Oct 6, 2016
Extremely short and it doesn't leave you satisfied.

There is almost no interaction aside from the "dialogue" (which was good), which at theExtremely short and it doesn't leave you satisfied.

There is almost no interaction aside from the "dialogue" (which was good), which at the end doesn't matter, there is absolutely /zero/ gameplay, the story was okay (aside from the terrible ending) and that's Firewatch.

Simple and short.… Expand
5
rbeach77
Feb 10, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What a beautiful game, with an incredible start and a total cop out of an ending. What I want to know is did the critics who gave it stella reviews actually play the flipping thing to the end?

anyway.. disappointing.… Expand
0
DRAKULIAN
Jan 2, 2019
Similar to "Gone Home", which is an interactive exploration simulator, Firewatch is not an actual game but rather an interactive fetch-questSimilar to "Gone Home", which is an interactive exploration simulator, Firewatch is not an actual game but rather an interactive fetch-quest story. I was immediately perturbed by the fact that this was sold to me as a game when in fact it was nothing more than a poorly-written interactive story. Regardless of what you do with Henry, the character whose sole purpose is to convey a poorly written story with a lazy ending, you always end up with the same/identical result. I saw no evidence of any kind that Henry could have any real affect on this world at all which is evidenced by a YouTube video that effectively demonstrates this with a "Silent Henry" walkthrough. Also by the fact that Henry can't die nor can he fail any "mission" since there aren't any because this isn't a game.

This "story" was also very glitchy. I had to go online to get a patch just so Henry could open door(s) and pick up objects.

The interaction was tedious and repetitive with all the inane fetch-questing and annoying dialog with Delilah and the over-the-top angsty teen girls who basically kept screwing with Henry throughout the walkthrough to an unbelievable and petty level all because he scolded them for trashing the park.

As to the story, the guy attempting to gaslight Delilah and Henry was ridiculous and unbelievable. The premise of what he was doing up there and why he was doing it was riddled with unrealistic plot holes. Like how could he afford or get all that bulky and expensive equipment way up there and behind that fence. Then, how could he do all of it by himself without anyone ever noticing while at the same time faking permits and setting up all these elaborate government conspiracies and other bs just to gaslight two below average rubes out in the middle of nowhere. All that alone was over the top and pointless. The anticlimactic ending demonstrates pure laziness on the part of the devs. If it made you feel mad or disappointed, go with that feeling because it's the right one to have. Trust your instincts. It sucked and definitely wasn't "art".

Overall this non-game, interactive, fetch-quest of a story/walkthrough was an annoying waste of my time and money. Poorly written, poorly developed, bait-and-switch "game" was a joke. To those claiming "this is art, man" no it's not, not by any stretch. This is a badly written novella. Ask yourself, if this were a book, would you actually buy it and add it to your library?… Expand
User Reviews