3 stars as its no where near worth $20 imo. It was a decent game though. Good voice acting and engaging story. Playtime varies but I did mostly story routes and finished at around 7 hours
I really enjoyed playing the game, I love the way they tell the story, I love the atmosphere. But ultimately, the story feel a bit rushed in the end, and therefore dissapointing. The build up is so so good, that you really need to get a great finish, and that didnt happen here. Anyway, the gameplay is innovative and I will remember this game just like one nice summer. Its quite short, one evening session, so for 5 usd its nice experience.
Immersive, enjoyable, relaxing, and unconventional. Firewatch is a game you play if you're looking for down-to-earth characters in an outdoor adventure that lacks both puzzles and combat. The game is dialogue driven, and the story is less important than the relationship you choose through the dialogue. The game constantly provides the player with choices, both in your responses during conversation, and with which trails you take around the map and where you explore. There are no right or wrong decisions - nothing will kill your avatar in the game. Firewatch is an existential story, an exploration about the meaning, or lack thereof, in the choices we make.
Some reviewers have complained about the ending, but I think it's actually quite fitting. It's a game about fantasy and reality, about how reality intrudes on fantasy. It has a lot of emotion, drama, humor, and occasional suspense. It's light-hearted and heavy at the same time.
All of this is embedded within a visually arresting world, complete with textured sounds and splendid voice-acting. It's not a game for those looking for stimulation or craft-heavy open worlds. It's a relaxing game. It took me about 5 hrs to complete, and i just enjoyed the scenery and the walk and the speculation and the banter and the mystery. Let the game take you away, set aside your expectations, and be absorbed into a very unique, charming, and satisfying world.
Seemingly more interested in snubbing the player than being a game in and of itself, potential buyers of Firewatch should make like the gameplay of this product, and just keep walking.
Despite everything that is said about how the game could have been better with more choices (which I do not believe because the game is mainly narrative driven and does not need any different endings, and serve solely to get the player immersed and attached to the characters by giving them some sense of control), or that the ending is underwhelming, I think the game still excels at what it intends to be. I too was at first a bit underwhelmed by the ending but I believe that this was exactly the feeling that the developers intetended to convey, and actually has a meaning (it is not just some bad and nonsensical ending written out of laziness) and really does not need anything more to be good.