‘Firewatch’ Video Game Review

As humans, we have the tendency to run away from our problems instead of facing them head on. We don’t like confrontation, and we’re comfort animals. We want the easiest, fast solution to our problems. This is the theme behind Firewatch, a game that is the embodiment of the maturation of the video game industry.

Firewatch is more of an interactive story than an actual game, and this is a genre that has seen a massive increase in the past few years. What makes Firewatch unique is the fact that you’re experiencing everything first-hand instead of after the fact, which would be something like Gone Home. This slight difference makes the player feel like they are making a difference in the world, even if there is a straight narrative path already defined for the player.

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In Firewatch, you control Henry. After an incredibly heartbreaking opening that introduces Henry to the audience, you are thrown into the middle of the Wyoming wilderness. Henry has volunteered to be a fire lookout after the massive Yellowstone fires of 1988. After Henry ascends the steps to his watch tower, he meets Delilah, his supervisor. You never meet face-to-face since Delilah is in another tower. Henry communicates with her with a radio available to him during the entire game. Delilah is the only person Henry talks to while in the wilderness. At first their relationship is awkward and sarcastic, but soon they become friends after getting to know each other.

The relationship between Henry and Delilah is one of the best in any video game. At first the banter between the characters feels a bit forced, but as the player you grow fond of Delilah–much like Henry does. The voice work by Rich Sommer and Cissy Jones is incredible. The writing in the game is also top-notch, and Firewatch has some of the most realistic dialogue in a video game.

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As a volunteer fire lookout, Henry has many tasks, but his main one is to watch out for fires and report them. The story is told throughout the summer of 1989 with hard cuts to the next day, sometimes skipping weeks. You’ll do things like confiscate fireworks, locate damaged phone lines, and retrieve supplies for your lookout tower. There is no shooting or combat in the game. It is just a man experiencing nature while chatting with a witty person, and it works perfectly.

Since you’ll spend all of your time outdoors, it helps that the art in Firewatch is incredible. Olly Moss is the lead artist for the game. You may not recognize his name, but you have seen his art before. Moss does a fantastic job capturing those beautiful moments nature can produce, and replicates them for the player. My favorite scene is at night, and Henry is chatting with Delilah over the radio while they both watch a fire off in the distance. It is such a beautiful, unforgettable moment.

Over the course of the summer, Henry stumbles upon some creepy situations that leads him to investigate different areas of the wilderness. Firewatch is a game that needs to be experienced, so I won’t go too much into the story. But it is a story that hooked me from the beginning, and I didn’t want to stop until I finished the game.

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It is possible to get through Firewatch in one sitting. I put about five hours into the game. I didn’t experience everything the game has to offer, but I felt satisfied with my time. I see myself playing Firewatch a few more times thanks to the short nature of the game and the intriguing story line.

My main gripe with the game is that I want more! I wanted to experience more of Henry’s summer, I wanted more banter between Delilah and Henry, and I wanted to chase more mysteries.

Firewatch is a special game that I would recommend to all. It is a game that you can play with a significant other who doesn’t play video games, or even with a group of people. It isn’t a game that requires precision and quick reflexes; just an open mind and your attention.

Firewatch was reviewed on PC. The game is also available for PlayStation 4. A copy of the game was purchased by the reviewer.

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