Firewatch

Dares to ask us how we deal with mistakes. It’s a shame the answer it provides is flat and unfulfilling. [April 2016, p76]

Firewatch is an odd game, not only because it’s an indie title with no combat whatsoever. The world is so beautiful and the first hour is pure gaming magic. But in the end the story feels a bit flat. However, the artwork alone makes it worth playing.

Firewatch doesn't provide the same emotional heights or satisfying conclusion you'd expect from such a story-heavy game, but Campo Santo definitely shows promise with their debut project. Even if it won't have you reaching for the tissues by the end, this woodland walking simulator still provides a pretty great way to burn through an otherwise unoccupied afternoon.

Firewatch is great little game among all the big productions this spring, as it only takes you four hours to experience this glitchy game world. It is a good adventure with a few emotional moments, but it simply does not impress as much as we were hoping for.

I wasn’t really captivated by what I played in the end. The beautiful setting of the Wyoming forest and the dialogue between you and Delilah kept me wanting to progress the story, but it ended up falling flat at its conclusion.

You already know if you are going to be buying Firewatch, and if you loved Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture or Life Is Strange then this is the game for you. It’s small, short and almost perfectly formed, it’s just the shame the game broke so many times when I was playing it. I’m hoping these problems can be found and fixed very quickly after launch and I would suggest holding off buying the game until a patch has been released, but until then we don’t have much of a choice but to mark an otherwise lovely game down due to the problems encountered.

Despite featuring some awful stuttering and skipping, Campo Santo's Firewatch is one of the strongest debut projects in recent memory. The Olly Moss-designed world shines on screen, and the engaging relationship between Henry and Delilah elevates the story, even in the face of a weak closing act.

Firewatch suffers from minor yet persistent technical issues on PS4: Every time the game autosaves or quietly loads a new section of the world, the framerate noticeably stutters. That means every few minutes, there's a second or two of chugging, which hinders the immersion in a game that thrives on atmosphere. I also experienced two crashes--one while playing, and one while in a loading screen between story chapters.

Brilliantly written on a small scale, Firewatch creates believable and engaging characters but is let down by the nonsensical tale they become embroiled in. [Issue#267, p.68]

In 4-5 hours time, we see and hear many beautiful things. And we feel that something is in the air. But even if there's some great lines and acting, stunning visuals and great audio, we can't help but feel that something is missing at the end to make this experience special.

An absolutely beautiful game from new studio Campo Santos fails to nail its narrative ambitions.

Firewatch has the embers of a great narrative-driven game, but it fails to ever ignite into a furnace. Unforgivable performance issues detract from the otherwise outstanding art direction, but it's the abrupt story and unconvincing characters that really douse the hype here. Campo Santo's inaugural outing starts incredibly strongly, but your alarm bells will be ringing long before it burns out without ever really sparking into life.

The most bizarre narrative bait and switch in video game history, as a tense, emotional thriller sticks the worst landing since Eddie The Eagle.