Firewatch

I remember when Firewatch came out I got so into it that I ended up playing through it all in one sitting! I pulled an all nightery as I was so invested in what was going on and needed to know what the mystery of this shadowy figure and government research lab was all about. This is a game for those of you that enjoy more story than gameplay in your games. Do not get me wrong, this is a perfectly serviceable first-person adventure game, but the story is the main reason this is worth experiencing.

Henry The Lookout

As Firewatch is a game that heavily relies on its story I do have to be careful about what I say here. The game takes place in Wyoming in the late 80s and we play as a guy called Henry who has taken a job working as a fire lookout in the forest. He communicates with his supervisor Delilah and you get to shape the way the conversation goes.

Standard To Scary

This is not a horror game by any means, but I think the game does a great job of making you feel uneasy and unsure about what is going on. A meeting with some teenage girls setting off fireworks starts a series of events that have you questioning if there is some kind of supernatural element to what is going on here. Add to this the disappearance of a guy and his son who worked here before you and the finding of what looks like a government research lab and you have all the ingredients for an episode of The X-Files!

All In Your Mind

The thing is, I kept expecting Firewatch to throw some kind of supernatural twist my way. Be it some kind of spirit haunting the woods, an ancient creature, or maybe the people in that government lab were messing with something that got out? There are a million things that run through your mind as the mystery of the game unfolds before you and that was something I really did like. Now, I will admit I feel the setup is far, far better than the ending we get, but it still was a solid experience and when the credits rolled, I was not exactly disappointed.

The Game In The Story

Ok, so the story is good, but what about the gameplay of Firewatch? This is a first-person adventure game. You control Henry and you walk around looking for items, clues, and things to interact with. You also communicate with Delilah via your walkie talkie as well. It is a bit of a slow burn and in all honesty, the gameplay is nothing to shout about, but I will say it does what it does well and serves as a good way to move the story along.

Pros:

• I liked the two main characters
• The plot keeps you guessing for a very long time
• It does keep you on edge
• This is a game that is a lot of fun to talk about with others

Cons:

• I will admit the story and the ending did not go the way I would have liked
• It does have a few framerate issues here and there