Firewatch

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1504 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 922 out of 1504
  2. Mixed: 361 out of 1504
  3. Negative: 221 out of 1504

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  1. errdyyy
    Jul 5, 2018
    9
    Firewatch is an excellent game. While the developers did some pretty scummy stuff about the whole PewDiePie situation, the focus shouldn't be taken off how great this game is. The Dialogue is amazing. The story is thrilling. And to be honest, I really like the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this game and I think it deserves more praise.
  2. Grenna
    Jun 17, 2016
    9
    As an adult, I really enjoyed this game. It was short but sweet. I was genuinely scared during lots of it and kept looking behind me while traversing the forest. It's a somber game overall. The voice acting and plot are realistic and top notch.
  3. Gamercritic777
    Aug 14, 2016
    8
    Very interesting and innovative game. I got drawn into the game pretty quick and kept wandering until the end. Short game as can be done in few hours, but well worth it. Like watching a movie, but somehow directing it too.
  4. BobbyJohnson
    Aug 17, 2016
    8
    What an amazing adventure it was - it sucked me right in. The ending was a disappointment though. I expected something else. But it was all right most of the time. And the game isn't too long - I like that since I don't have much time for video games these days.
  5. KudesniK
    Feb 14, 2016
    9
    It was like an interactive seven-hour movie. Nice humor of main characters. Nice story about one summer.
    Not fully open world, but for this type of game it's enough.
  6. Wkgh
    Feb 11, 2016
    8
    An incredibly well made game, that I suggest every gamer who has just a tiny bit of good taste and sense of quality should try. The story is well told and very intriguing. The only reason the game doesn't get 10 in rating is because it is a one time play through. At least in my opinion. But truly it is an amazing game Panic. Inc has created here :) Highly Recommend it...
  7. hhhhojeihsu
    Feb 10, 2016
    8
    -Graphics (8): Well the color is pretty vivid, and i just love the style. You can watch the trailer, screenshots or gameplay if you don't know what I'm talking about. However it lacks of variation.

    -Background Music (7): There are hardly any music through the gameplay, what you heard is the sound of nature or the existence of yourself. -Plot (6): Many folks say that the game has a    -Graphics (8): Well the color is pretty vivid, and i just love the style. You can watch the trailer, screenshots or gameplay if you don't know what I'm talking about. However it lacks of variation.

    -Background Music (7): There are hardly any music through the gameplay, what you heard is the sound of nature or the existence of yourself.

    -Plot (6): Many folks say that the game has a **** ending. THAT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU EXPLAIN THE STORY. Personally thinking, the story is pretty intense except the ending. And it lack of explanation or predictive things we expected. But overall the story itself is fine. Not satisfying but fine. Consider it is an indie.

    -Performance (7): I think my computer's spec is way higher than the recommendation. But the framerate sometimes drop to 40 fps. Considering there's nothing GPU intense scene, I think this is due to poor optimization. But overall it is fine.

    -Control (8): There's no unresponsive control. And the overall control design is fine.

    -Pros:
    //The comm system. It's very creative. And I enjoy the deep dialogue. And it's an important element in the game.
    //The entire firewatch concept is nice. A place without crowd and living with natural.
    //There're many thing trying to express during the gameplay. I think you should try it yourself and you will know what I'm talking about.

    -Cons:
    //There're only one story and the dialogue you choose doesn't effect anything at all. Maybe it's because I played a few visual novel before. Then the dialogue may show nothing to some gamer.
    //To tell the truth, I don't spend much of time exploring. But the devs use the map just for story telling, which is kind of pity.
    //The lack of interactive around the environment and the collection. There are few things you can take, or it's meaningless to take it.

    -Overall: I will suggest you to play this game. It's kind of refreshing and creative.    … Expand
  8. amfxc
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    A thrilling story accompanied by absolutely beautiful artwork. Ever since you start playing the game it will be hard to put down. The conversation you have with the other character is never boring.
  9. mevsthevoices
    Feb 29, 2016
    10
    This game is immensly, staggeringly beautiful, it hurts within minutes, I found myself sturggling to decide, torn apart by options, this game is what all games should be, human. The story intersperses with what is, to me atleast, one of the prettiest renderings of nature I've ever seen. It is truely like no other game I've ever played, and I love it, this is what game developers should beThis game is immensly, staggeringly beautiful, it hurts within minutes, I found myself sturggling to decide, torn apart by options, this game is what all games should be, human. The story intersperses with what is, to me atleast, one of the prettiest renderings of nature I've ever seen. It is truely like no other game I've ever played, and I love it, this is what game developers should be striving to be, orignal. Maybe it's not all perfect, but who cares, nothing you'll ever love will be, and this game makes that case throughout, making this game quite often a truely moving experience. A+… Expand
  10. gloriouspotato
    Jan 3, 2017
    8
    With it's striking art style and overall strong presentation, Firewatch was one of my favorite games from 2016, though this is coming from someone who's no stranger to the "walking simulator" genre. Every piece of dialogue between Henry and Delilah was something to look forward to as they conversed about the hardships of life. Through this, Firewatch explores the degradation ofWith it's striking art style and overall strong presentation, Firewatch was one of my favorite games from 2016, though this is coming from someone who's no stranger to the "walking simulator" genre. Every piece of dialogue between Henry and Delilah was something to look forward to as they conversed about the hardships of life. Through this, Firewatch explores the degradation of relationships and the tendency for escapism. This is accompanied by a very fitting ambient soundtrack and an occasional dose of wit and comedy. I thought the resolution to the mystery/thriller aspect was a bit contrived, and perhaps the setting could've felt that more authentic if there was more wildlife and things to see and interact with, but on the whole I found Firewatch to be a fulfilling experience.… Expand
  11. ciopenhauer
    Feb 14, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent game for the non-gamers and gamers alike. It requires a certain maturity and attention span to play. Most cellphone-addicted teenagers wouldn't find this very interesting. It's a very short game, which is its best strength: it's great for casual gamers who want a fun experience without too much time commitment, but also a quick change of pace for most hardcore gamers out there. But if you're someone who wants a lot of content out of his game, you should probably skip this. This is all about the ambiance and the mystery.

    As someone who hasn't played a great many story-driven single player games, I found myself interested in this one. I didn't feel overwhelmed with things to do, because it's driven by a single "quest" every day, and you have a friendly voice guiding you. The mystery is effective. The ending is slightly disappointing, and you'd have hoped of at least finding a picture of Delilah in her tower or something. When I saw that she wasn't there, I started thinking it had all been a lie, until I found her drawing. So the mystery does keep going until the very end.

    The biggest flaw with this game is how you can't go past certain objects and terrain elevation that looks like you easily could. It takes away from the immersion tremendously. The small list of actions gets repetitive as well. I would have liked to see a little bit of extra content/hidden areas that aren't related to the main story, and having the opportunity to explore the area that you can see a little more would have made this an absolutely amazing game.

    Despite its flaws, it's a gorgeous game with great voice acting and an effective, realistic mystery. Recommended.    … Expand
  12. Fadeley
    Feb 10, 2016
    8
    The game plays a bit differently from what I expected going in. But the story kept my full attention, and the experience leaves me pining for more. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, and I truly hope to see more from Campo Santo in the future, but perhaps next time they could make their game a bit longer.
  13. bordibalint
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    Holy sh!t.

    This game is a definitive title in first person storytelling. I haven't experinced anything like it since I first played Half Life 2, which is still one of the best videogames of all time. As an action-adventure FPS it sucks, but if you play it as an interactive artistic movie, it is just perfect. The characters are so real I felt emotionally connected to them during the 4    Holy sh!t.

    This game is a definitive title in first person storytelling. I haven't experinced anything like it since I first played Half Life 2, which is still one of the best videogames of all time. As an action-adventure FPS it sucks, but if you play it as an interactive artistic movie, it is just perfect. The characters are so real I felt emotionally connected to them during the 4 hours of gameplay. You are not controlling much of the events, but it just feels like it's happening.

    Everyone should experience it! It is an interactive 4 hour movie, so don't expect some life is strange, but it is awesome!    … Expand
  14. jlcfreitas
    Feb 9, 2016
    8
    If you are tired of something, and you want to play anything different, go Play Firewatch and enjoy a good story, funny/serious characters, enjoy the music and the visuals meanwhile you are searching the woods. I really needed a game like this for a long time, just chill and play
  15. Daedulos
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    this is a really great and fun game. i was hooked from beginning to end. only problem i had was the length which wasn't too bad considering the game and content and the anti-climactic ending. but all and all this is an amazing game about nature, mystery, and finding ones self in the woods. i highly recommend this game to anyone who with a PC or PS4. great game. great visuals, greatthis is a really great and fun game. i was hooked from beginning to end. only problem i had was the length which wasn't too bad considering the game and content and the anti-climactic ending. but all and all this is an amazing game about nature, mystery, and finding ones self in the woods. i highly recommend this game to anyone who with a PC or PS4. great game. great visuals, great writing. truly a adventure into the great outdoors.… Expand
  16. CJozsa
    Feb 10, 2016
    9
    Amazing characters, dialogue and voice acting.

    Beautiful visuals and aesthetic. Story was great. Loved how it explored human emotions in an isolated environment, with a childlike sense of adventure. Sad to see so many haters posting 0's when they could've known it wasn't their cup of tea before playing (which i doubt many of them even did) by simply watching a trailer. I guess    Amazing characters, dialogue and voice acting.

    Beautiful visuals and aesthetic.

    Story was great. Loved how it explored human emotions in an isolated environment, with a childlike sense of adventure.

    Sad to see so many haters posting 0's when they could've known it wasn't their cup of tea before playing (which i doubt many of them even did) by simply watching a trailer. I guess that's just the internet though.    … Expand
  17. bisson420
    May 14, 2016
    9
    Firewatch is great!

    That being said, I have to say that Firewatch is not for everyone. The story is great and the voice acting is one of the best I've ever heard in a videogame but it is for a more mature audience, younger gamers might not understand what Firewatch is about. Tackling some very serious subjects, the game is beautifully directed, I really felt like I was in Henrys    Firewatch is great!

    That being said, I have to say that Firewatch is not for everyone. The story is great and the voice acting is one of the best I've ever heard in a videogame but it is for a more mature audience, younger gamers might not understand what Firewatch is about.

    Tackling some very serious subjects, the game is beautifully directed, I really felt like I was in Henrys shoes and after a short time, I was completely absorbed by the story. There is a lot of plot twist, strong emotional moments and some very creepy parts that made me wish I wasn't playing alone in the dark.

    The atmosphere is great, the art style is wonderful and animations are well done. The only thing I could say against the world itself is the lack of animals, you are in the middle of the forest and you encounter very few living creature during the whole game.

    I give this game a 9 out of 10 because it kept me searching for answers. I did not want to interrupt this beautiful adventure, I wanted to know more, to know wtf is actually going on. The story, atmosphere, voice acting and the lack of dull moments makes this game a MUST. Campo Santo is an independent developer and this is an example of what gem can be created when you think outside of the box, they hit the bullseye!    … Expand
  18. riniolosalvator
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    This game is not for everyone. I believe its one of the most mature games ive played in the sense of empathizing with very real relationship building and life's moral dilemmas. Its one of the few games that uses not responding as a response in itself and the game is not AAA big budget length which I really appreciate. It was enough to get through in one setting without the story gettingThis game is not for everyone. I believe its one of the most mature games ive played in the sense of empathizing with very real relationship building and life's moral dilemmas. Its one of the few games that uses not responding as a response in itself and the game is not AAA big budget length which I really appreciate. It was enough to get through in one setting without the story getting old or repetitive. Don't play if you just love saving the galaxy, social team experiences, or shooting your friends. Do play if you want to see and feel something interesting in a well done piece of independent art.… Expand
  19. darkwolf79
    Feb 13, 2016
    10
    It's a fantastic story driven experience with some of the best voice acting I've heard in a while.
    Some might complain it doesn't have much gameplay, I would say however that this is more of an interactive experience.
    A fantastic one at that. I am not going into any details here to not spoil anything but the character interaction felt meaningful throughout the game. Also. the ending,    It's a fantastic story driven experience with some of the best voice acting I've heard in a while.
    Some might complain it doesn't have much gameplay, I would say however that this is more of an interactive experience.
    A fantastic one at that.

    I am not going into any details here to not spoil anything but the character interaction felt meaningful throughout the game.
    Also. the ending, critisized by some, worked well in my opinion. It felt right. There doesn't need to be a payout or reward or whatever else some might have been expecting. In live, not everything pays out. Sometimes all you get are lessons learned.

    In any way, fantastic game. :) If you like well told stories then this is up there amongst the best.    … Expand
  20. AstiX
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    Oh. My. God. This is not a game. This is art. This is something completely different, a next level experience.

    The graphics are amazing, the atmosphere is beautiful and haunting. You really feel like you're there. I felt shivers throughout the entire game. The acting is incredible, the characters are so believable and really manage to get you immersed in the story, which is by the way,    Oh. My. God. This is not a game. This is art. This is something completely different, a next level experience.

    The graphics are amazing, the atmosphere is beautiful and haunting. You really feel like you're there. I felt shivers throughout the entire game. The acting is incredible, the characters are so believable and really manage to get you immersed in the story, which is by the way, not what I expected, and I loved it.

    Most of the negative reviewers were disappointed because of how the story turned out, but in fact if it turned out any other way (to meet the average player's expectations) I wouldn't have been writing this review. The game is exactly what it's supposed to be, it's realistic, and conveys it's story perfectly.

    I completed this in one sitting, and for about 4.5 hours I was completely isolated from the real world and couldn't move away from my screen playing. I don't spend too many hours in the day playing games, so I don't remember the last time a game kept me glued to the chair for so long. BUY THIS GAME!    … Expand
  21. Bloiky
    Feb 21, 2016
    10
    I love open world first person games with strong elements of exploration so this fits the bill perfectly. Looking forward to more titles like this from this highly creative software house.
  22. Messiah9000
    Feb 27, 2016
    10
    This game goes all the way to 11, on the scale of 10 of course :) I think all the positive reviews have said everything there is to say about this game, so I won't add much in that department. But I wanted to mention that this game stays with you long after you have finished it. The experience was so immersive, that even 3-4 days after completing it I miss the characters and world it allThis game goes all the way to 11, on the scale of 10 of course :) I think all the positive reviews have said everything there is to say about this game, so I won't add much in that department. But I wanted to mention that this game stays with you long after you have finished it. The experience was so immersive, that even 3-4 days after completing it I miss the characters and world it all happened in. I want to go back to my tower, look at the breathtaking view, push my walkie-talkie's button and ask Delilah: "Hey, what's up?" :)

    But what I am worried about is a new trend with players complaining about the cost of the game. Since everybody is downloading games on Steam, there are no more physical packages. So that kind of gives a feeling of games and money quickly moving both ways and some players feel that they always have to have a say on this subject. Steam has (too) consumer-friendly refund rules and some players have started to become vile and childish exploiting those rules.

    Good example is Firewatch. Some reviewers here say it is too short and it's not worth the asking price. That the "fair" asking price should be 2-3 times lower. How can someone judge if the price for a product is fair or not? If its too expensive don't buy it. If you bought it and didn't like, tough luck. That's life. Then in the future avoid games from the same developer. Same thing with movies and books. If the movie sucked then you don't go to movie theater's website complaining and claiming that instead of 8 bucks the ticket should have cost 2 bucks. If you saw your first Michael Bay movie and you think it was horrible, then suck it up and in the future don't go to another Michael Bay movie. It is that simple.

    Is there a manual how to evaluate games? Reading the negative reviews here it seems there is. First and most important criteria must be - more hours of play equals a better game. If a game leaves you a deep impression then whats the difference if play time is 3 hours or 30 hours? My humble opinion is that the value of a game should be measured in the amount of positive emotion not in hours played. So if you didn't like the game, or you didn't understand it then just say so. It is ok to say that you didn't like the game. Complaining about short play time is absurd.

    And last but not least - this is a game for adults. By that I mean someone older than 14 :) Main driving force behind this game is a quite layered and somewhat complicated relationship between the main characters. Middle aged and older people are not really into games, that is changing, but slowly. So most reviewers are younger and you can really see that in the users reviews here. This game should be reviewed like a movie or a book. On that scale this game is a full 11 :)    … Expand
  23. Davidtiger
    Aug 19, 2016
    10
    A beautiful story starts with introducing the main protagonist with text in conversational form, first pleasing you, then causes worry. The feeling of anxiety doesn't leave you during the entire game.
    "Firewatch" is a story about problems, usual problems of simple life.
    It teaches us to not run away from those problems, but to face them, to continue live with them. Fiction tells us to    A beautiful story starts with introducing the main protagonist with text in conversational form, first pleasing you, then causes worry. The feeling of anxiety doesn't leave you during the entire game.
    "Firewatch" is a story about problems, usual problems of simple life.
    It teaches us to not run away from those problems, but to face them, to continue live with them.
    Fiction tells us to love at all costs instead of teaching us how to make decisions within a romantic relationship that aren’t ultimately centered on selfish motivation. This creation centers on making right decisions. It teaches us to let it go when it's necessary.
    This beautiful and short story is accompanied by a delightful graphics and an excellent theme music.
    The game has it's logical ending, and it's very disappointing to see how many gamers haven't understood it.    … Expand
  24. Zoup
    May 4, 2016
    10
    MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing MindBlowing
  25. TheWaffle
    Feb 19, 2016
    8
    Having completed the game, I'm bumping up my rating. The game does a good job of building tension, confusing you with misdirects, and engrossing you in the world. It is very much a novel in game form. It also does a good job at making you feel a variety of emotions based on what's going on at any given point. A spoiler-free note on the ending, I've seen many criticisms of the plot and itsHaving completed the game, I'm bumping up my rating. The game does a good job of building tension, confusing you with misdirects, and engrossing you in the world. It is very much a novel in game form. It also does a good job at making you feel a variety of emotions based on what's going on at any given point. A spoiler-free note on the ending, I've seen many criticisms of the plot and its conclusion, but almost all of those criticisms ignore every note from the prologue and the characters' development. From the very start, as you craft Henry's backstory and get to know Delilah, Firewatch makes it very clear that there are no clean and easy paths in life. The sort of plot that most people seem to have wanted would have conflicted jarringly with Firewatch's entire philosophy.

    Firewatch is certainly not for everyone, it wasn't necessarily even great for me. But considering how many books that I've started and never finished it's worth pointing out that I finished Firewatch, and did not regret the time put in.    … Expand
  26. Neng-
    Dec 17, 2016
    8
    Firewatch is a very enjoyable game that heavily relies on it's main characters, their conversations and voice acting is one of the best i've seen in a videogame and that makes it special. The enviroment is well crafted and looks great.
    Plot wise, it is nothing really special, but as i said earlier, the protagonists make it so believable that you get instantly engaged with the story.
    I    Firewatch is a very enjoyable game that heavily relies on it's main characters, their conversations and voice acting is one of the best i've seen in a videogame and that makes it special. The enviroment is well crafted and looks great.
    Plot wise, it is nothing really special, but as i said earlier, the protagonists make it so believable that you get instantly engaged with the story.
    I really recommend to check this out    … Expand
  27. Riskyreview
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    From the writers of Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1 (A.K.A the best game Telltale will ever make) comes Firewatch!

    Firewatch is the most atmospheric game I have played to date and the only thing this year that might beat it's atmosphere is Mafia 3 but other than that this is going to be the most atmospheric game this year no doubt! The gameplay is a sort of mix between a    From the writers of Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1 (A.K.A the best game Telltale will ever make) comes Firewatch!

    Firewatch is the most atmospheric game I have played to date and the only thing this year that might beat it's atmosphere is Mafia 3 but other than that this is going to be the most atmospheric game this year no doubt!

    The gameplay is a sort of mix between a Telltale game and a "walking simulator" and the results are incredible!

    Basically if you like mystery, exploration and dialogue choices this is the game for you!    … Expand
  28. Nyxtomania
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    Its an amazing story giving insight to a lonely fire watcher who chose to live in the wilderness far away from any kind of civilization. The artwork in this game is truly relaxing and beautiful.
    The game is about 5 hours long if you just straight out play the storyline and if you do care about exploration you will be quite happy given that you have the opportunity to freely wander around    Its an amazing story giving insight to a lonely fire watcher who chose to live in the wilderness far away from any kind of civilization. The artwork in this game is truly relaxing and beautiful.
    The game is about 5 hours long if you just straight out play the storyline and if you do care about exploration you will be quite happy given that you have the opportunity to freely wander around in the forests of Wyoming.
    Don´t get me wrong its not an "Open-World" game like you would imagine, its more like a patch-finding and exploring the beauty of the places you are. Sure you could say its open world since you are able to wander around with the only restriction being some tools you need to access some areas but it feels different to other Open World games.

    Anyways, i would recommend this game if you like adventure, mystery and/ or a good story with the voices of the "Tell Tale - Walking Dead" stars.    … Expand
  29. turambarturin
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    An amazing linear adventure-walking simulator-visual novel. Name it whatever you want.

    It makes you feel all the emotions freely during the game play.

    If you always imagine a game combined Dear Esther and any survival-choicely game. Buy it. That's all.
  30. Dukay66
    Feb 10, 2016
    9
    Firewatch is a beautiful game that tells a personal story that may not pay off towards the end of it's brisk walkthrough, but it definitely warrants a playthrough. Its an experience filled with nice touches and intricate details throughout the world and more importantly in the conversations you have with Delilah. The world you inhabit is designed fantastically, I felt like I was actuallyFirewatch is a beautiful game that tells a personal story that may not pay off towards the end of it's brisk walkthrough, but it definitely warrants a playthrough. Its an experience filled with nice touches and intricate details throughout the world and more importantly in the conversations you have with Delilah. The world you inhabit is designed fantastically, I felt like I was actually exploring a real place. Firewatch's art direction also boast the game to a whole other level, it's stunning most of the time. I played on the PS4 and it ran fairly poorly, I'm not sure why. There is barely anything going on screen, but the game can't keep up and there are also popups. Another thing I felt could have been better is the movement, it feels really janky at times, which is disappointing considering that's what you do the whole game. Lastly as stated before, the ending loses steam and tries to shoehorn in a secondary plot that doesn't payoff at all. It also goes into a direction that doesn't let it be what it should have been. Firewatch though, is all about the relationship between you and a woman on the other side of a walkie talkie and it's truly moving at some points.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

61
#61 Best PC Game of 2016
13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
55
#55 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 65 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 65
  3. Negative: 0 out of 65
  1. CD-Action
    May 1, 2016
    80
    Firewatch is hands down the best, the most engaging first person walker I have ever played. Something doesn’t let me rate it higher though, and I guess it’s my common sense. [04/2016, p.50]
  2. GameSpew
    Apr 15, 2016
    80
    The look of this game is nothing short of stunning… Each detail is carefully designed and thought out with a charming feel to it overall.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2016
    100
    This unconventional game combines strong story, beautiful natural surroundings and fantastically written and played characters. What it lacks in classic adventure mechanics, it makes up in great dialogue system between the main protagonists. [Issue#262]
See all critic reviews »