Firewatch is a game that caught me completely off guard. I first saw it during a game reel when the PlayStation 4 was revealed. The art style, with it’s heavy emphasis of orange’s and light cel shading, caught my eye immediately. My familiarity with wildland fires because of my job at the time made the concept all the more intriguing. I kind of lost track of this game leading up to it’s release because it was deemed a ‘walking simulator’ and as a retro gamer at heart I had little interest in the concept. Eventually I downloaded it for my Xbox One console. Firewatch hooked me immediately and I was surprised at how hard it hit me on an emotional level. Here’s my review.
I wasn’t prepared for how the story was to start. You begin with a bit of written story, as well as choices. You play as Henry who starts this adventure reminiscing about how he met his future life Julia, and making selections to determine how their initial reactions went. It turns out that Henry and his wife met in college, and leads up to the proper start of the game as Julia suffers intense dementia and our hero accepts a job as a lookout in Wyoming after getting a DUI. After two days of hiking he arrives at his post, and on the radio to greet him is fellow lookout Delilah.
The action picks up immediately as the pair of lookouts notice is fireworks being set off in the woods. Henry is called to action to deter the pyromaniacs from burning down the entire forest. He sends them on their way after giving them a warning. From there things get weird. Henry returns to his lookout post to find the place ransacked. The next day he finds that the camp of the girls who were setting up fireworks is also wrecked. There’s someone else out here, and it doesn’t spell well for Henry and Delilah. Things get progressively more strange as Henry finds surveillance equipment, articles left behind by former campers, and more. They begin to suspect something nefarious is at work here, and thus begins the big mystery in Firewatch.
As a walking simulator the game is entirely based on its story. The one told here in Firewatch is actually really good. I worked for a land management agency (one very similar to the Forest Service which manages the land in this game) and the details are actually pretty accurate. Firewatch perfectly captures the feeling of hiking alone to a degree that the developers must have experience with it. Henry is not alone though; almost everywhere he goes he carries along with him his handheld radio. Chatter with Delilah is a constant. The two characters feel like real people with their interactions, and none of it feels candid in the least. At first Delilah seems abrasive but as time goes on her voice becomes a comfort as you’re not going to encounter many other people.
Firewatch shows the action from a first person viewpoint which adds tremendously to the feeling of isolation. There’s a small reticule in the center of the screen and you point it at various objects to interact with them. Most of the time when you do so you’re given the option of talking to Delilah about it using the right trigger button. Sometimes Henry will take these items with him, and other times he won’t. It’s not uncommon that you’ll need an item found in one of the lockboxes around the forest to proceed past an obstacle. It’s usually ropes to drop down a hill or something of the sort. Often times you’ll just find notes left by people here previously. They aren’t even always pertinent to the story, but help to establish the lore in this world. The Shoshone national forest feels lived in.
One thing that must be said is how well the game keeps you from feeling comfortable. The forest is generally a peaceful place, but in the Shoshone National Forest you feel like you have to keep looking back to make sure no one is following. It’s unnerving. Things are weird. You’ll never feel entirely comfortable as you unravel the mystery of just what is going on here. The orange hues caused by the sunsets don’t help, nor do the notes and various things left by previous campers. This is a place where you really relate to Henry, and you feel like you’re in constant danger. I’m very impressed with just how immersive this game feels even though you can only select candid responses in conversations with Delilah. By the end of his stay you really feel like you ARE Henry.
As with any game wherein you select dialogue responses however you soon realize that you have no real impact on the story. Everything unfolds exactly the same no matter what you choose to say. It’s a little disappointing that you don’t have multiple endings. This holds especially true with just how devastating the finale is. It wrecked me. It’s not that I found it to be a bad option, but rather, at that point you’re emotionally connected to the characters and it’s not particularly happy for them. Many have criticized this, but I felt that it was perfect and memorable.
Navigation is really interesting in Firewatch. You’re given a map and compass to figure out where you are and where you’re going, and this is more than enough for what the game asks you to do. Delilah will often ask you to check out places and you’ll have to reference your tools frequently to find them. I really liked this aspect of the game. It adds to the whole feeling of being alone. At the same time you get to know the landscape throughout the course of the game. By the end I barely needed the map unless I was going to a new place. There’s a real sense of familiarity that grows as you explore. You become pretty intimate with a lot of the terrain and landscape as you play.
In terms of graphics here less is more. Firewatch isn’t going to win any awards for pushing the hardware in any meaningful way. The game is softly cel shaded with a very pastel style behind it. Gameplay mostly takes place during sunset so there’s a harsh orange hue to absolutely everything. It’s the signature style of Firewatch. The terrain is absolutely beautiful with swaying trees and grass as well as some really excellent smoke effects later on when the fire is raging. The soundtrack is okay and really puts you at ease as you play. The real highlight is the voice acting. Both Henry and Delilah are instantly likable because of it. Their banter is believable, and they are both downright charming. I can’t get enough of listening to them giving each other guff.
Firewatch is an absolutely incredible game. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and you really grow attached to both characters. Heck, you even learn to love this stretch of the Shoshone National Forest. There aren’t any games that hit quite the same notes as this one, and Firewatch has actually sold me entirely on the whole ‘walking sim’ genre that I’ve been resisting for so many years. Firewatch really could have been its own movie had the writers chosen to go that route. I’ve played few games that have thrust me into roles so specifically as this one has. The ending gives no closure, but that’s actually just perfect if you ask me.
