With that isolation, the developer turns you into putty that it expertly manipulates. Bringing up a map and trying to orient yourself correctly is a constant reminder that you’re out of your element, which lends to a powerful sense of loneliness that is the heart of Firewatch.Ĭampo Santo is playing you - and it’s incredible Eventually you get some extra items to make bypassing certain areas easier, but you’re still going to spend a lot of the game lost and going the wrong way. On top of this, the only tools you have to help you get around are a map and a compass. This leads to you wonder if you can even trust what you’re seeing. Not having any opportunity to speak with someone who isn’t a faceless woman on the other end of the radio is tough, but then Campo Santo amps this up by putting you in situations where you aren’t sure whether you should trust what she’s saying. This gives you an inescapable sense of isolation. This means all of your interactions are with Delilah or with items you find scattered around the world. You have no way to talk with anyone else. The rest of the time, my sole interaction with others was through my handheld radio that I used to talk to Delilah - a fellow firewatcher stationed in a tower that is always visible on the horizon. I only saw the vague human outlines of a handful of people during my time with Firewatch. He was already feeling lonely, but he deals with that by wanting to go somewhere that he can get away from everyone.īut Campo Santo uses a number of tricks that force you to come to terms with what it means to really get cut off. Then, as the fire moves on top of you over a series of weeks, the smoke fills the air and makes the world feel like it is coming to an end.Īll of this combined to make me feel a connection to what I was seeing.įirewatch starts by giving Henry a reason to want to get away. When it’s off on the horizon, the pillar of smoke serves as a beacon to help you keep your bearings. A handwritten note in a box, which you can read just by holding it up to your face, makes the world feel like it has existed long before you showed up.Īnd when you do spot a fire, smoke fills the sky to various degrees. While your character is mostly alone in the woods, you still feel the presence of other humans thanks to the items they’ve left behind. And you get a glimpse of his uncertain legs when you jump over an obstacle or down from a cliff. You can also see his slightly pudgy wrists and hand when he pulls up his radio. The game conveys that you’re in his body by making his legs and torso plainly visible when you look down. ![]() You play as Henry, a slightly overweight dude who doesn’t seem particularly talented at climbing. Firewatch impresses with its visual cohesion. The environment convinces with its swaying trees and rippling ponds.īut it goes beyond color palettes and well-animated trees. The first thing you’ll notice about Firewatch is that it’s beautiful. It’s a vibrant world of orange and red. Image Credit: Jeffrey Grubb/GamesBeat What you’ll like
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