How nice would it be to be able to take up a job that enables you to just forget all your problems and just get away? Somewhere nice, hot and quiet. Well our protagonist, Henry, does just that in Campo Santo’s indie game, Firewatch, out now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It’s a title that intrigued me from its announcement last year due to its normality mainly. You see, Henry is a Fire Watchman in the Wyoming wilderness hired by a faceless voice over a radio named Delilah tasked with keeping a keen eye out for potential fire hazards and other disturbances. A nice and welcome change from blowing shit up which is common in modern first-person games. This is why I wanted to play Firewatch and although my adventures hiking through the lush forestry and ravines lasted a mere two and a half hours, I enjoyed every minute.
Henry didn’t take up this job just because, in fact it’s immediately apparent, thanks to a superbly worded transcript upon starting Firewatch, that Henry has a wife Julia who is burdened with Alzheimer’s disease and a severe form of it at that. It sets an emotional undertone of the road ahead. It’s completely understandable that Henry would exile from it all. I can’t imagine having the love of my life no longer recognise me. It must be tough, Campo Santo seem to just get it right. We are left visualising in our mind what Henry, Julia, and Delilah actually look like as their faces are never seen. It’s part of Firewatch’s charm and mystery. The story is what makes Firewatch so unique. How it is told through radio conversations is genius and constantly maintained my interest from start to finish, I became attached to Delilah and I wanted to know every word she had to say. I pictured her sitting in her watchtower behind her desk issuing orders and opening up as the game progressed. It was a special experience that is rare in a video game. The saddest part was that it was over too quickly. Just as soon as things reach a climax, the credits roll. I didn’t mind, but for £15, I wanted a longer time playing.
Aside from the story, the game play felt half hearted. Although trekking across the landscapes was an endearing experience in itself, it was clear that there isn’t a great deal to it. Henry can walk and run, vault over fallen trees and climb rocks with his radio visible in his hand when talking. There are no puzzles to solve, just a linear stroll through Firewatch’s story. It’s away back and play game. One you can relax to.
You’re never lost in Firewatch. Pressing the up directional button, Henry can raise his map of the area, plus a compass, which are very easy to use. You can’t radio as and when though. You can’t consult Delilah in the unlikely event you do get lost, instead you can inform her whenever you discover something or find something, she then helps you figure things out. You’re never alone. Firewatch does take an intriguing turn some way into it as you discover you and Delilah aren’t the only ones out there. I won’t spoil it, but things turn mysterious and gripped me until the end. Firewatch’s scenery is breath-taking. The Wyoming sunset and eerie nights, including an early storm, are a fitting setting. It doesn’t push the graphical boundaries by any means but there is plenty to see and hear. Forestry, lush meadows, dingy caves, and beautiful streams are all what you will find here, and every one of them kept my head on a swivel nicely.