In the current era which is dominated by $60 AAA games, we still see small indie projects like Firewatch truly push the boundaries of the art. Firewatch is a narrative driven first person adventure game from independent studio Campo Santo. The game is set in 1989 Wyoming in which the player assumes the role of Henry who, to escape his problems at home, becomes a volunteer fire lookout. Throughout the game Henry, aided via radio by his supervisor Delilah, uncovers the truth behind strange happenings around his watch tower in the middle of the wilderness.
While exploring the open wilderness your only guide is your map and compass. Unlike other games, Firewatch does not show the map on your HUD, but makes you manually check your map and use your trusty compass. You update your map by finding caches with maps that list trails and routes to get where you need. Eventually hiking becomes natural and you need to check your map less and less. This is the only true gameplay of the game. This minimalistic approach actually allows for an easy to play experience which focuses on telling the player a story in a beautiful world. Firewatch has an interesting art style. It is not a photo realistic style, but instead has a certain charm that I believe makes this game more visually appealing. This games lighting also adds a certain something that I cannot explain that just adds to the beauty of the open world. While the open world is filled with beautiful landscapes, it feels empty. Other than the player there is virtually no other life in the forest. Other than a single adoptable turtle there is no other fauna in this game, even though bears and mouse are referenced. This emptiness breaks player immersion in the world. I also experienced minor framerate drops in the PS4 version of the game. The framerate drops are minor, but are so frequent it becomes an issue. I believe that this should be played on PC as opposed to PS4. Firewatch’s story is about four to five hours long. The story is told through dialogue options of the player in response to Delilah. I actually have little to say about the narrative. The writing can be summed up in one word, fantastic. It finds a perfect balance between a comedic and somber tone. The game tells a cohesive, and at times rushed, narrative. The best way I can describe the ending is anti-climactic. The story is wrapped up and all the mysteries are explained, but it feels like a lot of build for a lot of nothing. Despite this Firewatch’s narrative is a truly meaningful experience. An argument that continues to happen consistently among the gaming community is how much content warrants a certain price. Firewatch is a great game to apply this argument to. If this game came out for the typical $60 retail game price, it would be a massive disappointment. This five hour long game, while being a fantastic experience, does not have $60 worth of content. I have no problem with a short game, but here is not much in terms of actual gameplay. In actuality, Firewatch is perfectly priced at $20. For this amount of content, $20 is fantastic price. Firewatch has had mixed reactions. Some saying it is a fantastic game, while others say its ok, and score it around a 6/10. Personally I believe this is a fantastic idea that that does not live up to its potential. With every pro I give this game I have a con about the same thing. Overall, I will say this is a great experience (I would use the word game loosely), but is not perfect. My final verdict is a solid 8/10. If you are interested in Firewatch I would suggest you play it. Rating: 8/10
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AuthorI am A.J. Goelz. I'm a gamer first and a writer second. I hope you enjoy the content on this page and check out the rest of my content on YouTube. Archives
April 2019
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