Firewatch

Even better than presenting its dangers, Firewatch presents the threat of danger. This is no feel-good summer beach read; this is a brutally beautiful and fragile story of people running from their problems—and problems running away from any tidy conclusions. This is the video game equivalent of a page turner, and adventure games have rarely been in finer form.

Firewatch is amazing for many reasons, but above all because it’s an adult game that deals with serious issues, with realistic adult dialogue to match. And it deals with those issues just like actual adults would: sometimes with humor, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with sadness.

Firewatch distinguishes itself through integrity of its structure and preservation of its characters. Allowing control over Henry and Delilah's perilous connection provides a sense of ownership over the narrative and creates an important bond between action and place. Other story-focused games suffer from a damaging disconnect between agency and intention, almost as if they don't trust the player to act reasonably in accountable situations. Firewatch proves this dynamic not only to be valuable, but necessary to go forward.

Firewatch contains some of the greatest dialogue we've heard in a while. If you like story-driven games with minimalistic gameplay, you should definitely play Firewatch.

Firewatch manages to keep you on the edge of the seat from the beginning to the end, even when you're performing mundane tasks as a ranger. It is thanks to the amazing and intriguing conversations with beautiful landscapes that this game gets the player on the hook.

This is a rare game that tackles strong morals and emotions under the guise of a beautiful walk through the wilderness that always manages to keep you on your toes, a walk you’ll be hard pressed to ever forget.

A stunning example of interactive storytelling, Firewatch's greatest success is making you feel like it's really happening to you. And the less you know about it going in, the more you'll enjoy it.

Behind an amazing art direction and great dialogue lies the moving story of an ordinary man, lost in a forest and in his life. It's a survival game in the most profound way, the survival from the fires that burn inside our soul.

Between its excellent dialogue, enchanting visual design and care handling delicate subject matter, Firewatch is one of my favorite narrative experiences of 2016 so far.

Firewatch is at its best when it allows you just explore is captivating landscapes and spend some time on your own thinking about everything and nothing all at once.

Firewatch really gets you thinking, plays on your emotions, and delivers a unique experience that stays with you long after the final credits roll.

It's only about 4-5 hours in length and in some ways, that does feel too short given the amount of unanswered questions that continue to bounce around our brains. Still, the game offers one such a unique and palpable sense of tension, and it excels in the realm of pure immersion.

Firewatch is a simple game that tells a simple, far from impactful, tale, which approaches greatness thanks to superb writing, acting and design work. Gameplay is kept light and straightforward, but is always engaging – befitting a game that revels in the unique storytelling potential of games. This is a new studio's debut title, but it bears the quality of a product made by a team of veterans who have a great deal more to offer.

Firewatch is a fine way to spend a weekend. It’s one of those rare games that can be enjoyed with a friend or loved one simply spectating; it’s marathoning a few episodes of Lost. Terrific writing and voice work along with a gorgeous world outshine the game’s flaws and make for a game that sticks with you long after you’ve watched its closing credits.

Through the grounded reality it portrays and simple jobs players are tasked with, Firewatch sneaks up and surprises you when it zeroes in on a powerful message about the human condition.

Though Firewatch hiccuped and jerked its way to a rather flat ending, I’d recommend it all-the-same to anyone who just wants to get lost and explore a beautiful environment, meet a great cast of characters, and escape from the real world for a few hours.

Firewatch is a fresh idea, with an excellent script and memorable dialogs. The walkie-talkie relationship between the protagonist and his boss, Delilah, is simply brilliant but the decisions we make has no real or coherent consequences and, therefore, the magic disappears.

Campo Santo's debut adventure offers up a taut mystery built around two tremendously engaging characters.

It's not perfect, but Firewatch is one of those games that thanks to an outstanding narrative will drag you into its world and make you forget about its imperfections.

Firewatch is burdened by some technical issues with the PS4 version, although it offers such a solid narrative experience only paralleled by its dialogue, which is masterfully written and performed. The unfolding of the plot pushes you forward, paving Campo Santo's way as one of those studios you want to keep track of.

Firewatch left me both disappointed but also pleased. The system performance on PS4 is a bummer and I can overlook it, as this is a game about its story and choices in dialog, so performance never affected my input to the gameplay. It just simply feels rough around the edges and it shows.

Firewatch has a funny, surprisingly intelligent narrative all captured within a spectacular and grand setting that worth a picture or two. Even though there were some obvious performance issues with the PS4 version of the game, Firewatch is still more than worth playing, multiple times.

Firewatch feels like a natural and smart evolution of the adventure game, offering choices without as many constraints, but at the same time expertly funneling players down a path.

Firewatch is an incredible and excellent adventure. Despite some frame rate issues, Campo Santo’s first project is a must have for anybody in search of a solid and unforgettable story.

Firewatch is for those gamers looking for something fresh or a slow-paced adventure. The result isn't perfect and it's clear that the studio still has a long way to go, but this is a good game and proof that you don't need a complicated narrative to tell a story that can captivate you from beginning to end.

I played through the game once and was disappointed by its unsatisfactory ending. After running through it again and making different choices, I have a better appreciation for how well the dialog is crafted and delivered, even if the mystery’s resolution was just as flat the second time around. My initial feeling of “That’s it?” gave way to a bittersweet feeling that, just as in real life, “That’s it?” is sometimes all there is.

While some players will probably enjoy Firewatch, others will find it very boring. Campo Santo's production will divide the audience, that's for sure. But we have to admit the game is below our expectations. With slightly stronger writing and some real choices with important consequences, Firewatch would have been something exceptional.