Firewatch

Alright, the game itself is quite good. It's a walking simulator with, a necessity for the genre, good writing and engaging characters, as well as some really organic performances by the voice actors, and a beautiful , though somewhat constricted environment to explore. My only main gripe in terms of the quality of the content itself is the ending, which, not to spoil, while not bad, not as good or fulfilling as the story builds it up to be. It creates the suspense of a great mystery, but comes up underwhelming compared to a proper conspiracy thriller it could potentially be. The reason I say buyer beware and to get it on sale, however, is due to the games length and bugginess. I got what is, after looking it up, one of many common glitches that renders the game unplayable, and was only able to fix it by reinstalling the game. Restarting the game, deleting saves. None of it worked, so bare in mind this game may require some work to get working properly if it fouls up. As for length, I finished it in an afternoon, but I got it for 6$, so it was worth it for me considering quality of writing, but I would not recommend this game at full price unless walking simulators are your cocaine and you need a fix. as a whole though, this is a good installment for the walking simulator genre, and a definite buy for those who enjoy it.

Firewatch is another entry in the steadily growing genre of narrative games. Here the focus is on experiencing a story which is more than often done by traversing and exploring an elaborate enviroment (thus the derogative term "walking simulators"). Firewatch thus joins ranks with titles such as The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and many more. Firewatch's twist on the genre is that its main interactive mechanic is dialgoue choices during the protagonist's conversations. For you are Henry, a man trying to get away from his life by becoming a firewatch for the summer. Amidst isolation and guilt in this beautifully presented forest enviorment his only other human contact is Delilah, another firewatcher and his superior whom he talks to over the radio. Their relationship gradually grows close and more intimate before the story takes a turn to the more suspensful. While Firewatch is exectued superbly, its visual style and music are gorgeous, the voice acting simply fantastic, It falls short on its interactive promise. Dialogue choices don't seem to hold the promised importance nor consequences. It feels like the game wants to offer the player the ability to choose what kind of Henry one wants to be, only to realise that ultimately it is not one's story to tell. Firewatch's second short-coming is related to this and concerns its pacing. Whereas the narrative starts off slowly, taking time to evolve the relationship between the characters, it soon rushes its development along by skipping days and jumping ahead, leaving the player in a place of having to catch up with the character's development they are meant to embody. While the ending is great for its balance between drama and mundaneity, its build up seems rushed and perhaps overreaching just a bit too much. Overall Firewatch is an interesting and wonderfully presented entry in the evolving genre of narrative experiences. Anyone only vaguely interested in these should give it a try.

If I had played this when I was a 23-year-old single guy, I would have panned it and complained about the crappy ending and lack of challenging puzzles. As it is, I played it as a 37-year-old married guy with a dog, who has lost family members as an adult. From that vantage, this story was uniquely relatable and emotionally powerful, and has stuck with me. A lot of that is due to the remarkable voice performances (Cissy Jones won a BAFTA for this, and it was totally deserved). It's well-written, and the dialogue trees are shapeable enough that it feels like you have some measure of agency in how the relationship unfolds (you don't, but it feels that you do... kinda like a lot of real life). The real story *is* the characters, and the way that each is a lens for the other to understand their grief and regret. If you expect a mystery thriller, it'll disappoint you. But the characterization here is honestly better than a lot of prestige TV. If you've had experiences similar in kind (if not in degree) to the main characters, you'll connect with it -- including the brutally realistic ending.

This game isn't for everyone, but it's - in my honest opinion - really good with nice graphics and stunning views. After the game I also enjoyed collecting achievements and free walking around the region. Pleasant relaxing game with a little tension!

This game had excellent potential but just ends up having 0 replay value with an overwhelmingly disappointing anticlimactic ending that ruins it completely. At least the hiking is ok.