It was only recently that I learned that the writers of THE WALKING DEAD S1 had jumped from Telltale to make this game. As you start making your way through FIREWATCH, you can definitely tell. Despite being a walking simulator, the writing elevates almost everything within the game.
The story begins with a quick intro of Henry, the protagonist, who has come out into the Shoshone National Forest to escape after his wife succumbs to dementia. Henry has taken the job of being a lookout for fires, living on his own with his supervisor in the next tower over, Delilah, as his only form of human contact.
As you play through FIREWATCH, the relationship between Henry and Delilah takes on an interesting kind of complexity, as both of them are dealing with isolation. It's this interaction, often presented in the form of branching dialogue, that drives the game forward as Henry tends to his tasks in the forest.
The dialogue feels natural, the voice actors put in some fantastic performances, and the themes of isolation and guilt are ever-present throughout the story. What really had me annoyed at the end of FIREWATCH, and what had me wondering if I was going to give this a high score or a low score, is just how artificial the ending feels. The writing is strong, the dialogue is strong, the theming is strong, the environments are wonderful, but this is still a walking simulator with what was probably a lower than standard budget.
Although the game gives you many options for how you can "play" Henry, those options don't quite matter in the end. The game cuts to black and railroads players into a specific ending that doesn't quite jive with, say, a man who has decided to move on. Perhaps the relationship between Henry and Delilah is so bright, that it outshines any struggles Henry has with regards to his wife. It outshines the conflict that the ending insists on suddenly pushing to the forefront, as if proclaiming, "Remember this? You must care about this now."