Firewatch

Poorly planned out, no replayability. Too much fluff for my liking

As of the writing of this review, I have played Firewatch for nearly 6 hours which spans across 2 complete playthroughs. Firewatch, a first-person mystery, adventure game developed by Campo Santo is "walking-simulator" done right, mystery done wrong. You take on the role of Henry, a volunteer fire lookout for one of Wyoming's national forests. Nearly all of the plot & fleshing out of your character is done through communication via walkie-talkie to your supervisor, Delilah. This is one of Firewatch's strongest assets. The pace, knowledge of your character and what goes on around you all grow and move forward through the constant chatter of Henry and Delilah. Both characters are interesting in their own respect. By the time you near the end of the game, you will understand much of their past and present. Almost all of your time spent will be walking through the beautiful lush forests of Wyoming, combing through the brush and discovering clues as to what exactly is going on that is causing the anamolis activity around you. The story is honest and engaging, with an end that fails to meet expectations. The world is beautifully crafted, as is your interaction with it. However, the story felt neglected half way through, like dropping someone off on the side of the road and leaving them there before you reach your destination. The slow burn and buildup was so right, but what intended to be the climax of it all fell flat. I recommend this game to those who love beautiful landscapes, interesting characters and an engaging enough story that will pull you along but never satisfy. Mystery buffs will be dissapointed, however those looking for a short, serene adventure will find all that they need in Firewatch.

The most boring and uninteresting linear game I've ever played.

I wouldn't classify this purely as a game, but going through the story as it unfolds. Fantastic dialog. Beautiful scenery. Some pretty interesting dialogue choices. For me, I played through once and it was a great experience. The length was ideal as any longer and it would have outstayed it's welcome (why does climbing have to take so long?) I don't think I would play it again, but it was worth the time to go through it once.

Since the game already has a lot of reviews, I will instead address some of the criticism pointed out in them. First of all, your choices DO matter because they change they way you interact with Delilah. That IS the story: the bond between two complete strangers that are workmates in a very unusual environment. The game is atmospheric and story-driven, so if you are not interested in getting immersed in this emotional bond, I agree that there is not that much to be found here. Therefore, I think many of the bad reviews simply come from misunderstanding what "shaping the narrative" means. In fact, I would almost go as far as to argue that, in terms of the interaction between the protagonist and Delilah, this game offers even more impactful choices than Telltale games. Secondly, despite the fact that it is short, there are all sorts of secrets hidden around. The biggest fun in the gameplay is simply trying to figure out where you are by reading the signs, checking your map all the time, and trying to read the environmental cues around you. Additionally, there is a neat little thing that you can take photos with an in-game camera that you can then pay for to be delivered to you irl in printed format (not sure if that feature is still available in 2020, but I still find the idea quite nice). I agree that the ending could have been better, but I don't think that's a valid argument to give the game such a low score. In conclusion, particularly given its price, Firewatch is an excellent atmospheric and story-driven, whose quality surpasses that of many games of its genre. Highly recommended!