Greetings and welcome, I'm ash and this is my review of Firewatch, a very stylish and
atmospheric narrative-driven adventure game where you play as Henry, a would-be writer
who seeks escape from his problems amidst the wilderness of Wyoming.
Your only contact with the outside world, and in general, is your snarky but genuine
supervisor Delilah.
Together, the two of you have a simple job, ensure that the park doesn't get engulfed
in a blazing inferno.
But simple things don't usually stay very simple for long and soon enough you are dragged
in to a mysterious adventure that will have you hiking, climbing and falling all over
the park in search of answers.
And what a park it is!
Firewatch might just be one of the most visually gorgeous games I've played in years.
No matter where you decide to hike your companion is going to be a rich and lively scenery that
is filled with all of the colors of nature, everything from the muted yellow of old dry
grass to the vibrant green of freshly sprouted saplings to the crystal blue of small bubbling
streams.
To top it all off the park is also a very serene place and outside of some late-game
scenarios you'll be able to explore and enjoy it at your leisure, which I do recommend.
The lifelike greenery aside it is the lighting that truly elevates the environment in to
something simply spectacular.
As you hike across mountain trails and over meadows the time of day will progressively
change, resulting in the forest taking on a whole new look.
This is especially apparent during mornings or late at night when the Sun's rays hit the
forest canopy at an angle resulting in quite a scenic view.
But not everything is always fun when you're out alone in nature, as those that have extensive
camping experience will attest.
During the day the rustle of leaves and the bending of grass is a cheerful companion as
you travel across canyons and fields but the same trip during sundown is a terrifying experience
as the looming shadows and howls of wind start playing with your mind.
With very few points of reference and the mysterious story having you on edge you might
feel like you're being stalked by someone whose always somehow out of sight.
While Firewatch never goes in to full blown horror mode expect to have some very, very
tense moments.
While the scenery makes it well worth exploring the national park Firewatch takes place in,
the game itself unfortunately doesn't reward you with much for wandering off the path.
There are almost no optional areas, that I could find anyway, that are simply there because
they are an interesting place to explore.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nifty locations for you to rummage through but each
of those is a part of the main story and you will be "forced" to go through them eventually.
What I'm talking about is the lack of completely optional side-areas of no plot significance
that simply serve as eye candy to the dedicated few.
Another issue I have with the exploration is the overly long climbing, hacking and jumping
animations that while flavorful and realistic end up being very annoying after the half
way point when you begin crossing large sections of the map repeatedly.
Climbing up a steep hill is exciting the first few tries but when you do it a dozen times
in half an hour it starts feeling like Firewatch isn't valuing your time very well.
But even though I ended up being a bit disappointed with the "off-the-trail" exploration, the
areas you do get to visit are all well done and rather unique, each with its own story
to tell and items to peruse.
To Firewatches credit the objects and letters you find out in the world either have plot-foreshadowing
features about them or serve as a way to deliver a couple of actually funny jokes through your
conversations with Delilah.
My favorite example of these items is the rather large amount of books you can find,
each of which has a detailed cower and readable plot synopsis on the back.
Its a small thing that's very easy to miss but it gives you a good insight in to the
characters and their tastes.
While on the topic of exploration, you will find a single use camera early on in Firewatch
that ironically contains more than a single use, about twenty of them actually.
You can use it to capture some scenic vistas or memorable locations you come upon and I
heavily recommend you do so.
The reason for this is that once you're done with Firewatch you'll be able to order a full
set of physical prints based on your photos for $15 (with shipping included).
While not something I personally care about this is definitely a cool idea that I do appreciate
being put in to Firewatch.
There's nothing like a couple of photos to remember your journey, even if its a virtual
one.
And nothing makes a journey as interesting as traveling with friends does.
In terms of Firewatch that means you will be spending the majority of your time chatting
to your boss and supervisor, the extremely sarcastic but still caring Delilah.
I'm not sure whether the two voice actors were locked in a room with the key thrown
away or what but the chemistry between them is simply astounding.
When Henry, the character you play, and Delilah first talk over the radio they are somewhat
distant and a bit defensive but as time goes on and in-game days roll over they start acting
like real friends.
When I say friends I don't mean that Hollywood movie sort of friendship where everyone is
always nice.
No, actual real friendship where the two of them constantly mess with each other, swear
without censoring themselves but always stand ready to go above and beyond what's expected
of them if the other needs help.
The best example of how well their chemistry works is that the very first joke Delilah
uses to break the ice with you is also the final spoken bit of dialogue in Firewatch,
a moment made extremely powerful because of it.
It also helps that the voice acting and the writing in general are top notch.
Which is a good thing indeed because I'd wager 50% of the gameplay is spent with you talking
to Delilah and if that was either poorly written or acted I think I would've been driven insane.
Luckily it is so good that I don't have any major complaints about it.
Both characters act like real people would in the circumstances they're in which a great
boon to immersion because when the mystery ramps up later in the game the panicked dialogue
and confused voice-acting add a lot to the experience.
While there is a lot of pre-set dialogue you still get a decent amount of choice and control
in terms of how the story develops, which includes your relationship with Delilah.
In my playthrough we ended up being best buds and spent the majority of the long summer
nights talking about random nonsense and simply joking around.
But, if you keep choosing the more closed-off and snarky responses you can end up being
simply a lookout and his boss at best or bitter rivals at worst.
I'll admit I didn't test how extensively you can piss Delilah off because I started to
feel pretty bad about acting like an asshole so I called the experiment off, but the choice
is there for you if you want to run around in silence.
As for the main story itself I would absolutely love to talk about it but the fact is that
even mentioning that certain events might or might not happen would ruin the experience
for you.
So I'll be smart, for once, and keep my mouth shut as far as the main plot goes.
What I will tell you is that I went in to Firewatch with the idea that I'll spend a
few evenings in a care-free atmosphere running around the woods but instead I ended up leaving
with a lot of conflicting emotions that will take a few weeks before I can properly process
them all.
It might not seem like it on first glance but Firewatch is a very touching tale about
how different people deal with love and loss, and the consequences of ones actions.
Verdict
Firewatch might have a few small annoyances and its not the most gameplay heavy title
out there but what it does offer is a beautifully realized world to explore filled with interesting
characters, compelling dialogue and a narrative that will stay with me for many months to
come.
So if you are someone that greatly values story and exploration then I don't think you
will regret donning the fire lookout outfit and stepping in to the wilderness of Firewatch.
Thank you guys for listening and if you enjoyed it, or even if you didn't, please let me know
and if you would like to see more you can either subscribe here, or check out the website
linked down below, that one tends to be updated more frequently.
With all of that said I hope you have a nice day and I'll see you soon.
See ya!