Written by KrustyManMeat
Firewatch is a game that's been on my wish list ever since it was announced that it would finally be making it way to the Xbox One. A first-person story/mystery/walking game hardly sounds exciting but story driven games are the in thing at the moment but is Firewatch a flickering flame or a roaring fire.
As game openings go Firewatch’s hooked me instantly. It's simple presentation told between moments of exploration really tugged at my heartstrings and I was immediately on our Henry's side. No matter what he would say or do throughout the course of the game I would always feel empathy for him. Henry has made the bold decision to escape suburban life after his personal life came crashing down around him. Taking a job as Fire Lookout in one of Wyoming's national parks might not be considered to be the most exciting job and your first day tasks you with a few simple jobs like cleaning up after truly teens who leave their empty beer cans all over the park and letting off fireworks. These mundane jobs do a good job of introducing you to the compass and map reading controls that you will use heavily during the game. This section does a good job of introducing to your job and also the game's sedate pacing.
The story is brilliantly played out via your radio between you and your boss, Delilah. Even the most mundane observations initiate some of the most hilarious/adult conversations I have ever come across in a game. One minute you'll be laughing at the banter and the next you'll be sitting back in your chair listening to a tale of heartbreak so engrossed that you could hear a pin drop. This isn't just testament to the brilliant voice acting of Cissy Jones and Rich Sommer but also the writing talent who's script flows from one emotion to another without missing a beat.
You won't find any directional markers that appear out of thin air here to lead you in the right direction. All you have is your trusty compass and map which you will use constantly so you might as well get comfortable with using them. Both can be used separately and together and while that might sound as if it's going to be an overly complicated system it's implemented very well and it's very simple to use. There are sign posts all over the park and using these and the various cache boxes you find will always ensure that you're never truly lost.
Firewatch tries to fool you into thinking it's a living, breathing open world game but the truth is its very restricted. You're simply going to be moving from point A to point B and there is either one or if you're lucky two routes to get to your next destination. There are certain sections that are inaccessible until you find the right equipment. You'll climbing rope quite early in the game and this let's you traverse any inclines that are too steep to jump down or climb up without assistance. Later on you'll find an axe that you can use to hack away at thorn bushes to open up shortcuts into areas that you would spend ages getting to otherwise.
Visually Firewatch is up there with the likes of Team Fortress and although you might not expect it to look stunning there are certain moments that took my breath away. The sound is limited to conversation and the ambient background noise consists of birds and other forest creatures and little else. But then again you're playing a game set in a forest so what else would you expect.
Firewatch stands head and shoulders above most story driven games I have played this year and that's it's saving grace. The constant move from point A to point B and back to point A again gameplay with very little going on in between slowly but surely drove me insane. Retracing the same ground over and over is not my idea of fun. Thankfully Firewatch is a short but sweet tale with a fantastic twist at the end.
