Story telling unlike anything else you’ve experienced before!
Some key points that this game offers:
- Gorgeous Open World
- Beautiful visuals
- Fantastic Story Telling
- Strong Mature game setting
- Thrilling mystery
- Choices that shape the narrative of the game
Gameplay & Controls:
Firewatch can be enjoyed with a keyboard and mouse or with a controller. Either method is comfortable to use, it comes down to your preferred playstyle. There are a few keys that the game makes use of, but the key mapping was done well enough that it is easy and commutable to use them as you go about exploring this beautiful world.
The game itself plays and handles beautifully, there is no delay in movement or responses as you go about exploring the wilderness. Everything is smooth and enjoyable. Great care was taken here to ensure that every step you take in this world is one to remember.
Do Note: Due to the duration of the game and the beautiful and memorable story that it tells, I will avoid mentioning too much of the story itself. It is through and through a must experience. Firewatch is just best experienced without any spoilers for the sake of not ruining the beautiful story concept it tells.
You play as the character Henry; the year is 1989. Due to some unfortunate events you decided to retreat from your previous life and took a job as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. AS you hike up to your new home, you get introduced to Delilah, your co firewatcher and supervisor. She and your radio will be your only communication for the duration of your Firewatch tour.
Firewatch is meant for adult gamers. The story, the conversations you have with your co firewatcher are all adult based. The humour, the anger, and the sadness all touch subjects that you as an adult deal within your everyday life, and the way that Firewatch has incorporated it into the game makes it that much more brilliant.
Firewatch also features choices, right off the bat you have choices that can be made. These choices change the entire setting of the game and enhances the overall quality of the story progression and character build up immensely.
Graphics:
Beautiful doesn’t begin to cover it. The entirety of the wilderness has been beautifully created and illustrated to give us a constant piece of art to look at as we go about our business. The colour schemes that were used really brings this wilderness to life, there are numerous trees and other vegetation that all have distinct unique appearances and colours.
The day and night cycle are another remarkably beautiful aspect that really adds to the overall beauty of the game. The streams, lakes, and waterfall effects are another beautiful implementation. It adds to the liveliness of this place. There isn’t a single area that you explore that doesn’t look unique, beautiful, or absolutely captivating. Everything has a place and it has been ensured that that place looks beautiful and captivating at the same time.
Under the settings menu, we have some options to fine tune the game.
Sounds:
They did a really good job here! The voice over work is absolutely perfect. Both the voice artists and scriptwriters did an outstanding job to bring the characters to life. You can’t help but take everything in that is being said. The way the conversations are delivered and responded to is more than realistic and captivating. It is you here having an actual conversation with an actual person, that is the incredible work that the artists have done.
Coupled with the amazing script puts the voice over the top and raises the bar for in game narration to a whole new level. The in game sounds and soundtrack further adds to the game and livens up the already living and breathing world. There are sounds for every part of the wilderness, whether it is the water lakeside or the canyons, you will never be alone.
Under the settings menu, we have full volume control.
Replayability:
Firewatch has one ending, but the method of getting there does vary. You have choices that you make throughout the game. Even though they do not always seem major, they change and shape the entire narrative of the game. You can end on good terms or terrible terms, the choice is ours.
This gives you the option to replay the game and experience an entirely different outcome.
There is also now the Free Roam mode where you can explore this beautiful world at your own pace.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
Spoilers Ahead:
As close to perfect as they come. Firewatch is a short game, but what you gain from this game will stay with you forever. It offers a story that quickly changes from a casual exploration to, what the hell is really going on. As you play the game your own mind runs through possible solutions for what is going on and what all of it means, but I assure you, nothing that you think of is what is actually happening.
That is how brilliantly the story telling has been done. It is further improved by the different choices you can make that adds to the overall theme of the main story.
It is an absolutely amazing experience that you have to experience. It is memorable and will leave you wanting more.
By: MGRza
Date: 12 February 2016
Additional Info:
Platforms: PC: Mac: Linux: Steam OS: PlayStation 4: Xbox One: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Adventure: Atmospheric: Casual: Exploration: First-Person: Indie: Mature: Mystery: Open World: Short: Walking Simulator
Censor Rating: Bad Language: Sex
Age Rating: 16
Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Panic: Campo Santo
Release Date: 9 February 2016
MGR Gaming Steam Curator:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32364038/
