Firewatch Review – “Walkie-Talkie”

Developer: Capo Santo
Publisher: Capo Santo
Reviewed on: PC
Purchased

Firewatch isn’t really about watching fires, but it is. It isn’t really about the vast Wyoming wilderness, but it is. It certainly isn’t about throwing a boombox in a lake while skinny dipping teens taunt you about how you are a lonely loser, but it is. Firewatch is about life and how we all deal with the sad, terrible, heart-wrenching things that can happen in it. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a nice, neat bow like we are used to with most video games, but is also doesn’t have guns, blood, and zombies. What Firewatch does best is put you in the boots of a man who’s trying to escape a once happy life that fell apart faster than flames sweep through underbrush, a man alone and fearing it.

You play as Henry in Firewatch, and through a very clever introduction sequence, paint a backstory that is both bitter and sweet. The results of Henry’s past lead him to take a job in the forests of Wyoming, one that essentially means he’ll be alone for months on end watching for wildfires. The game gives you control of Henry just as he is first approaching his watchtower, thus beginning his (your) 79 day journey.

Henry is alone in body and mind, but so is Deliliah. Delilah is Henry’s boss and the soul person he can talk to while on his assignment. The first thing Delilah asks him is “What’s wrong with you?” But in truth, Delilah has just as much “wrong” as Henry. Throughout the game you will forge a rather intimate relationship with Delilah who you only communicate with via walkie-talkie. The conversation system allows you to be as talkative or reserved as you want, as open or closed as you want. I have to say that the vocal performances by both Henry and Delilah are what makes this game work. If one of them had missed their marks, the entire game would have fallen apart. That said, if you happen to be turned off by either of them it may be a deal breaker because you will hear them talk. A lot.

Their relationship and trust of each other is what leads to the central “mystery” of the game, but I won’t spend too much time talking about that as it only serves to move the story and conversations forward. A four hour game where you just talk and look out a window would be a disservice to anyone who played it, so there’s a mystery that gets you out of your watchtower. It feeds on the loneliness and isolation of the two characters, and does a fantastic job of showing how much they come to trust each other over the course of the game, despite never physically meeting.

While your conversations with Delilah push the story forward, the gorgeous realization of the world around keeps the conversation grounded. Firewatch uses a slightly cell-shaded style that is pleasing to look at, while not being totally detached from reality. The lighting effects are particularly great; sunrises look hazy from the evaporating dew, and evening sunsets are breathtaking. Late-game environmental effects completely change the way you see the world, making you feel lost in places that were once familiar.

Gameplay is fairly simple and you can classify this game as a “walking simulator”. You can interact and inspect various objects in the world, some of them have lore attached to the them, others are just rocks. Henry moves at a brisk pace, and none of the canned animations you do when scaling cliffs or opening caches get in the way. The only real gameplay complaint I have is that you have to press a button every time you need to climb over something, like a log or low ledge. I would have rathered Henry just do that automatically, as it would have made walking around smoother and less cumbersome. The gameplay is really just used to propel you through the story, similar to games like Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. The difference here is that unlike those other games that are more about the past, the events ofFirewatch take place in the present, a detail I found to be far more engaging.

If the idea of following Henry on his quest of self-discovery through a beautifully rendered Wyoming outback sounds appealing, then I cannot recommend Firewatch enough. For $20 you get an unforgettable journey about two people lost and alone in life that need each other, even if they never come right out and say it. There’s a mystery in the game, but this story is really about what it means to be human, and the relatable yet compelling experiences that go with that.