From the way we were being fed information and led to believe that we were really about to be in deep, deep trouble, there came a point where it just finished… and that was that. While I loved the fact I never physically interacted with anyone throughout the game, I must admit I was a little disappointed overall with the bones and climax of the main story. Considering Firewatch is such a short game, it really drew me in to my relationship with Delilah, and sometimes made me question my own sanity. Again, your choices of what to share and how to answer Delilah’s questions seemed to alter how Henry is received. Like I’d stated previously, I was quite surprised by how deep some points were with Henry’s personal history. This brings me on to the story on the whole. I went down the “I’m fairly dry but ultimately a good guy” direction, whilst otherwise you can choose to be as chatty or reserved as you’d like to be with Delilah throughout when given the choice. Given their history with The Walking Dead, the use of multi-choice answers give the players more freedom to choose what kind of guy they want Henry to be. After researching into Campo Santo once I’d finished my play-through, the dialogue choices that the game offers now make more sense. I need it it makes up a solid 80 percent of my humour, and Henry can be pretty salty if he wants to be. Now, for those who don’t know me: I’m a 20-something, British female who responds to dry humour and sarcasm like a dog to a 30-day aged steak. Of course, I got lost a lot but it was more fun than just being shown the way.Īnother thing that drew me in instantly about Firewatch was its script and use of dialogue. Instead you’re given a compass and a map that you can update and unlock areas of as you progress. It runs at just over five hours and takes place over the course of a single, blazingly-hot summer. In order to navigate the area, I also love that you’re not babied with mini-maps or glaringly-pointed directions. It’s a fairly short game which, though it’s saddening, is ultimately smart of Campo Santo, as exploration games – especially in the indie genre – can dry up quickly if they go on for too long. For example, its contrast of oranges, browns, and dry-grass green almost helps us to feel how warm it is compared to the stark, velvet-black nights. The designer’s use of colour and texture not only makes it look good, but also somehow manages to affect the player’s emotional state toward certain parts of the game. Each detail is carefully designed and thought out with a charming feel to it overall. Similar to the recently-released The Witness, and the still-in-early-access Kôna, an exploration game is nothing if it falls flat with its environment, but there’s no danger of that with Firewatch. The look of this game is nothing short of stunning. The only other person you talk to is Delilah, our somewhat inappropriate, mildly sexually-aggressive boss. But when you start up the game, you go through a short, choice-oriented patch of dialog that cleverly explains why Henry chose to retreat to a place of almost complete isolation that summer. The game’s announcement trailer and clips of play made it seem comical and witty and it was, mostly. It takes place in 1989 where our protagonist, Henry, has taken up secluded job in the Wyoming wilderness as a Firewatcher though it’s the beginning of the story that surprised me the most. Not just for its visuals, but also for the promise of quality from the talented duo and their work with Nels Anderson ( Mark of the Ninja, Gone Home), Olly Moss (a highly talented British illustrator) and Jane Ng (an incredible environmental artist) – to name a few.įirewatch is a first-person exploration/adventure game. Developed by the San Francisco-based Campo Santo, Firewatch appeared again at E3 2015 where an interview with the founders of the company (and ex-creative leads on Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead) gave us more insight as to what the real focus of the game was and got me excited really excited. Ding-ding! Firewatch had me at hello.Īfter its first announcement in March 2014, Firewatch has been a game eagerly anticipated by many. But then, if you know my work, you know there’s nothing I love more than game art of all kinds and a decent script. Replace the genteel of the words with capital letters and exclamation marks and you’re half-way to what my actual reaction was an hour in. Upon receiving Firewatch and opening it up, my first impression was obviously: “Wow, this is beautiful,” only… not quite that calm.
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