Firewatch

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 693 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 404 out of 693
  2. Mixed: 167 out of 693
  3. Negative: 122 out of 693
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  1. darrenandrew16
    Feb 14, 2016
    5
    It had so much potential. Without going into spoiler territory, the ending just seems rushed. It just kind of ends. It leaves nothing to go back and do. I completed the game in a little over 3 hours. The controls can be frustrating at times. Walking down a hill can be the most annoying thing in video game history. Constantly getting stuck on a small rock or bush on the ground.
    The game is    It had so much potential. Without going into spoiler territory, the ending just seems rushed. It just kind of ends. It leaves nothing to go back and do. I completed the game in a little over 3 hours. The controls can be frustrating at times. Walking down a hill can be the most annoying thing in video game history. Constantly getting stuck on a small rock or bush on the ground.
    The game is very pretty, but if you're looking for something with a great story and plenty of replay value, keep looking. You still haven't found what you're looking for.    … Expand
  2. seventh_seal
    Feb 12, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, I have to say I found the hiking in this game pretty bothersome since I kept walking off the right path and going into dead ends. The game is a giant corridor and doesn't really pretend it's doing anything else but guiding you along the one winding path of its storyline. I also kept waiting for the "adult dialogue" (which some reviewers promised), but it didn't really get as adult as I would've imagined as Henry and Delilah only kept dancing around the truly difficult subjects. Otherwise, it's not a bad story to experience, although I think we all knew what was waiting in the cave. But predictable does not equal bad and I especially enjoyed the final touch of Delilah not waiting for Henry (as I desperately tried to navigate him toward her through the burning forest).… Expand
  3. MrKarotte
    Apr 18, 2016
    6
    Honestly? I really do not understand all the high rating reviews the game got.
    It has a lot of bugs that really make it hard to enjoy the game. I fell out of the world and got stuck badly.
    The graphics are mediocre at best and stutter like no game before on a console. The dialogs are good. Voice acting is outstanding. But that is about it. After all this is very shallow    Honestly? I really do not understand all the high rating reviews the game got.
    It has a lot of bugs that really make it hard to enjoy the game. I fell out of the world and got stuck badly.
    The graphics are mediocre at best and stutter like no game before on a console.

    The dialogs are good. Voice acting is outstanding. But that is about it.
    After all this is very shallow entertainment. I would only recommend this game if you have absolutely nothing else to play.    … Expand
  4. GamerJosh0137
    Mar 19, 2016
    7
    I was a little late in finally getting around to playing this game but I finally finished it last night and I gotta say I was pretty impressed. Firewatch is a first person adventure game that tells a compelling story about 2 watchtower lookouts deep in the wilderness of Wyoming. Henry (the character you play) is tasked with keeping an eye out for forest fires, obviously. I don't want toI was a little late in finally getting around to playing this game but I finally finished it last night and I gotta say I was pretty impressed. Firewatch is a first person adventure game that tells a compelling story about 2 watchtower lookouts deep in the wilderness of Wyoming. Henry (the character you play) is tasked with keeping an eye out for forest fires, obviously. I don't want to say too much about it because it wouldn't take mush to spoil it. If you are a fan of games like Everyone's Gone to the Rapture or Gone Home then this game definitely deserves your attention. The game is no more than 6 hours I would say, which reflects the price point. I have heard people had problems with frame rate issues during the games first week, but they must have patched it now because I had zero problems on the PS4. The gripe I have is the ending, which I wont talk about it but if you play it you will know what I mean. Fortunately though that did not make me regret my time with it. At the price of 20 dollars this game is surely worthy of your time.… Expand
  5. Caribou
    Jul 10, 2016
    7
    I'm really divided on Firewatch because there are things that are really well done and things that really aren't.

    The positives: the voice acting of the characters of Henry and Delilah is superb, truly believable and genuinely snarky, joking dialogue that develops between two similar people (although if you're bothered by a lot of swearing you won't like it much). As the game    I'm really divided on Firewatch because there are things that are really well done and things that really aren't.

    The positives: the voice acting of the characters of Henry and Delilah is superb, truly believable and genuinely snarky, joking dialogue that develops between two similar people (although if you're bothered by a lot of swearing you won't like it much). As the game progressed I really became attached to both of them as realistically portrayed people without needing to know what they looked like, even if I never approved of their decisions and reactions. I grew to like them despite the glaring flaws of their personalities.

    The same goes for the hints about another ranger to ranger relationship with the notes left in the supply caches by Dave and Ron. Exactly who were they and what happened in their lives that the notes only give a glimpse of? I thought that was as well done as the dialogue for Henry and Delilah.

    The art direction I liked as it captured both the wildness in atmosphere and the beauty of untamed areas, although as fabulous as the sunlight could be artistically it also played havoc with navigating around areas easily.

    The negatives: the limited character options for Henry right from the start gave a clue that you were going to be on the rails for the narrative, that whatever 'choices' might appear to be open were unlikely to really be so. It's a pity that even with limited options you could effect things in such a tiny way that sometimes it didn't seem even worth it.

    The story has some holes, ones that aren't just unanswered questions left open to interpretation but quite obviously conveniently dropped or ignored. It's a good story overall but given the investment in dialogue and atmosphere, how it is set up deliberately to get the player engaged by the midway point, the ending is bound to be deflating if not actively depressing.

    And finally, the technical issues. The lagging and stuttering frame rate when a save spot is walked into or getting caught on random bits of scenery. As others have said, it really breaks any immersive feeling whatsoever. I also found that the walkie-talkie dialogue could be very twitchy at times, cutting off in places or being interrupted by other actions and losing key bits of info. If it hadn't been for these problems I would've scored it at 8 or 9 but those really killed a lot of scenes for me.    … Expand
  6. Revenquel
    Jul 17, 2016
    6
    Man i really got excited while i was playing it . I really didn't understand where the story has gone . It was going very well but it messed up. I would have give this game 8 if the story hasn't gone like that. And i didnt forget the framedrop that i get most of the time ...
  7. thenthomwaslike
    Feb 24, 2016
    7
    The 1.02 patch fixed all of the framerate problems firewatch launched with. Dialogue is absolutely seamless which is really gratifying. You feel like you are directing real conversations. It's actually really impressive how precise the dialogue is with the exception of one part (avoiding spoilers here) i decided to squash a particular suspician of one of the characters. When she rephrasedThe 1.02 patch fixed all of the framerate problems firewatch launched with. Dialogue is absolutely seamless which is really gratifying. You feel like you are directing real conversations. It's actually really impressive how precise the dialogue is with the exception of one part (avoiding spoilers here) i decided to squash a particular suspician of one of the characters. When she rephrased i reiterated that i thought she was wrong again. Then 5 minutes after i had made it to the end of the story and those dialogue decisions were not taken into account for the ending. There isnt much meat here, both in terms of depth and breadth. But what you get is a game with a story structure that is very unique, some pretty vistas and a little gated open world that you will know instinctively how to navigate by the end. Worth 10-15 usd imho… Expand
  8. wade22fan
    Apr 29, 2016
    7
    Ever since reading about Firewatch in a magazine months ago, I knew it would be a Day 1 purchase for me. After I hit "Buy" on the Playstation Store, I became very excited to jump into the Wyoming wilderness and explore not only it, but also the relationship between Henry and Delilah. Henry is the main character who decides to become a fire watch for a few months after learning his wife hasEver since reading about Firewatch in a magazine months ago, I knew it would be a Day 1 purchase for me. After I hit "Buy" on the Playstation Store, I became very excited to jump into the Wyoming wilderness and explore not only it, but also the relationship between Henry and Delilah. Henry is the main character who decides to become a fire watch for a few months after learning his wife has developed dementia at a fairly early age. Delilah is the seasoned veteran fire watch, who's tower is on the other side of the map, unreachable by the player. Henry has his cliches and he is a bit on the depressive side, but his circumstances may justify this for some. Personally, I would have liked to seen a little more life and flair. He is a great "Average Joe" with typical problems. The game revolves around exploring, performing various tasks and focuses a lot on narrative. The game is told through communication with Delilah via radio. While playing, you will find things such as notes, letters, books, keepsakes and more that relate to the story and help tell it. That is essentially the gameplay in a nutshell. It is a simplistic approach that works surprisingly well. From a graphics standpoint, the unique visual aesthetic and color palettes really pop and pull the player in, even if there are muddy textures abound. It is disappointing to see the frame rate suffer as you walk through the woods. It just happens to much and apparently it was never fixed.

    This is Campo Santo's first ever title. They did an incredible job given that fact, but it may not have been so great if it was their second or third. When I say that, I mean that the game does a lot right, but that simplicity can also hurt it. The wilderness really isn't that large and you will find yourself backtracking quite a bit as you progress through the story. But to be fair, the story is the glue that holds the package together. The way the game begins instantly makes you feel invested in what is going on and does a fantastic job of putting you in Henry's shoes from the outset. The emotional aspect of Firewatch is mainly what helps it stand out. The hook here are the mysteries that unfold along the way. They are the meat and potatoes of this plot-driven journey. The anticlimactic ending may anger some players, but I won't spoil it. One thing I noticed and liked on the first day of playing was the fact that I couldn't set waypoints and the game actually males the player think about which direction to take. I found that freedom liberating and fresh. I feel like we are so used to setting waypoints and fast-traveling. I completed the game in about 5 hours and that included some exploration time. It is a short game, but the $20 price tag justifies that. I think this is something many gamers can pick up, play and enjoy for a brief amount of time. (7/10)    … Expand
  9. RussianKeki4
    Apr 14, 2020
    7
    Атмосферный симулятор ходьбы. Поиграть стоит ради атмосферы, музыки, видов, ну и может быть сюжета.
  10. elgarmius
    Jan 16, 2022
    5
    The biggest disappointment of this game is that none of your choices matter at all.
  11. Potet69
    Jul 23, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. -Nice atmosphere
    -Good story, but the ending is trash
    -Not much to do after you finished the story    … Expand
  12. Cubical_Gamer
    Feb 10, 2016
    5
    This highly anticipated game did not disappoint when it came to the price in the PlayStation Store. At $19.99 USD, $17.99 USD if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, the price matched the length of Firewatch. Seeing and exploring the wilderness in glorious 1080p is something to marvel at, however, that is pretty much what you're getting out of this game. As you navigate throughout theThis highly anticipated game did not disappoint when it came to the price in the PlayStation Store. At $19.99 USD, $17.99 USD if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, the price matched the length of Firewatch. Seeing and exploring the wilderness in glorious 1080p is something to marvel at, however, that is pretty much what you're getting out of this game. As you navigate throughout the semi-open world, and I use that term loosely, I will get frequent drops in frame rate. 1080p, yes, 60fps, no. With the power of the PlayStation 4 being strong enough to handle graphically intensive games like GTA5 or The Witcher 3, I have a hard time believing that Firewatch is more intensive than those. The lack of achievement is another thing that turns me off with this game. There is an absence of motivation to replay this game when you're not being rewarded for making a different choice. To spend another three and a half hours playing it just to possibly get a different outcome is not appealing to me when I don't receive a trophy for my time well spent. I found the collection of documents I have gathered throughout the game meaningless because it served no point, and the amount of items spread out across the wilderness didn't serve any other purpose than to add dialogue. The only way I can recommend this game to anybody would be to fix the frame rate problem and, perhaps, give the players a sense of achievement by adding more rewards for doing specific actions in the game rather than just getting a trophy when we finish a day.… Expand
  13. MNecromancer
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    This is an empathy game/walking simulator, much in the same vein as Gone Home, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, or the Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

    The game mechanics of Firewatch are completely solid. The world is pretty and filled with cool artifacts that give it a personality. Instead of a UI, you get map and compass that are intuitive and fun to use. They make exploration feel fresh    This is an empathy game/walking simulator, much in the same vein as Gone Home, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, or the Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

    The game mechanics of Firewatch are completely solid. The world is pretty and filled with cool artifacts that give it a personality. Instead of a UI, you get map and compass that are intuitive and fun to use. They make exploration feel fresh and it's exciting to see when your character makes additions onto the map.

    All that said, this type of game's quality is really judged by the the characters and the narrative. Most of the game is spent in dialogue between two main characters and I'm glad to say that they make a delightful pair. They feel rich and fleshed out and it's a treat to hear them chat. The game's best mechanic is the way you discover and learn about the world through these dialogues.

    The only downside for me is how the narrative was handled. The game is amazingly well paced and brings up new and interesting threads throughout the short experience, but by the end only a few of these threads have any payoff. You find that none of your choices had any effect on the story and none of your actions had any consequence, other than the impact on the main protagonist.

    In Gone Home, there is no illusion of choice, so it feels like a very personal story that impacts the protagonist on a deep level. In Firewatch, there are choices that you later find were meaningless and the way that the protagonist handles the adventure is determined by you at the end, so it feels like a shallow trip that could have meant anything that you wanted. Both rides were fun, but the ending of Gone Home was infinitely more satisfying. I would still recommend Firewatch for the experience, but with this warning.

    Vague spoilers ahead - Here are the threads I was invested in and whether they paid off in my estimation:
    Relationship between main characters - Yes, but not cheapened by lack of choice
    Notes in the supply boxes - Nope, read all of them
    High Tech Gear and Fences- Not even remotely
    Father and Son - Yes
    The fire - Eh, kind of
    Teens - Nope, unsatisfying
    Power lines- Nope (How? Why? Did it even make a difference?)

    Wow this is long, sorry.    … Expand
  14. FlapJack72
    Feb 15, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the inspired visuals, which are compelling in a serene kind of way. And, I suppose, the banter back and forth is a decent way to pass the time while exploring the world. That's about all the nice things I have to say about this overpriced indie game.

    At $20, Firewatch is a rip. It's not the length that is the problem, it's that so many of the game is undercooked, which is highlighted by the fact that the game could have been brilliant. Where to start? Ah! Delilah is a pain in the ass, and a bore by the time the game is over. She is every girl you've ever been instantly attracted to over the first drink at a bar, and repulsed by as the night wore on. She's far too full of herself, she is nosy, and she obviously thinks she's the most clever girl in the outfit (which she may be, seeing as she's the only girl in the outfit).

    Further disappointing than the wordy, mouthy Delilah, are all the unresolved plot threads. The main baddie is a total Scooby-Doo villain, and the setpieces leading the story along are pretty uninspired (go roust some drunk dorks, go find a way into a fended off area you inexplicably can't simply climb over, etc.). A mountain range in the wilderness should be a place rife with secrets and hidden goodies to find. Sadly, there are no such things in Firewatch's world. The world is also immensely barren of life -- where are the bears, the coyotes, the birds, the snakes, the ANYTHING? The most I saw in my entire walkthrough of the game was a few birds flying off in the distance, and that may have even been at the title screen; I can't quite remember. The world to this game is barren, which sucked me right out of the lovely visuals.

    On top of that, the mechanics are supremely limited. There are only a few items you find along the way, and don't expect to be too wowed by those, either. They're all pretty basic in application, and not creative in the least. I see where the developers were going with the idea of limiting exploration until you find certain goodies a la Metroid, but it just doesn't work here. The game became a bore to play, especially once...

    You get to the end. For a game relying so heavily on its narrative, the game wraps things up by having a convenient villain, and a convenient discussion with the cheeky Delilah, and that's it. For all of its narrative trappings, I ended up feeling more conflicted about the reason Henry arrives to begin with. As torn as he feels about his future, so to do I about parting with so much money for a skimpy game with a pretty face.

    Enlist if you must, but do so knowing that you could get the same conversational value at an Applebee's on a Friday night, and as much adventure at a bingo tournament. Firewatch gave me heartburn.    … Expand
  15. StRipper
    Feb 12, 2016
    6
    I was really expecting this one to come out and was amazed at the low price of 19.99Eur. It turns out it was that low for a reason. And now that I'm done with it I feel like a just paid a very expensive ticket for mediocre movie.
    The game performs terribly, which is unacceptable for the PS4. The stuttering literally hurt my eyes. Asset pop-in is very frequent. I kept my self wondering    I was really expecting this one to come out and was amazed at the low price of 19.99Eur. It turns out it was that low for a reason. And now that I'm done with it I feel like a just paid a very expensive ticket for mediocre movie.
    The game performs terribly, which is unacceptable for the PS4. The stuttering literally hurt my eyes. Asset pop-in is very frequent. I kept my self wondering "did anyone even play it on the PS4 before releasing it? Did they seriously think this is playable?". (They said a patch is coming at some point but still this is not a game you play twice) Yet I kept pushing on because the story was compelling but utterly felt flat in the end....
    Really wish this game was more. It has much potential gone to waste. Would suggest waiting for a discounted price and maybe a performance patch from the devs.    … Expand
  16. Whiston532
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a fan of these walking simulator style games I'd say Firewatch is an inconsistent experience.

    The good. This game is essentially about two characters interacting and growing. Both the writings and voice acting for these two is by far the highlight of the game. They're both people with obvious demons and regrets who struggle to be open with each other without being vulnerable. It would've been nice to know a bit more about both, where they do cut it off is still pretty solid.

    The environment is another strong suit, the colours are varied and attractive.

    The map design is solid, with lnot too much overlapping of areas minus a few central areas.

    The narrative up to a point is very interesting, with a bunch of interesting story points ie some campers go missing and seem to have been attacked, as well as a mysterious abandoned and burned up that your guide seems oddly silent about. You uncover a overarching mystery that almost leans towards a possible conspiracy or twist, not necessarily "the world is ending scale", while mysterious it feels like something personal is at work, it feels almost psychological.

    Now the downsides. There's only 2 but in my mind they're big.

    1. The game runs poorly. Pop ins and pretty frequent lag are big issues in this game. Hopefully they follow through on what they've been saying and fix it. But considering I'm one-and-done on this game it's honestly too late.

    2. The great start to the story falls apart in the last act. All the little pieces that I pieced together ie the missing campers, mysterious cabin, etc are either never mentioned or dismissed in a single "oh yea. They just went to town". The overarching story of you and your friend being spied on goes from "wow. This is interesting" to "wait. This can't be it" extremely quick. There's a minor sub-plot of a couple characters that are referenced a couple times that are suddenly shoehorned into being major factors, but due to their minimum build up, at what felt as the big reveal was underwhelming to the point that I felt like I had missed something major.

    There's 2 main things that bug me. 1. Early in the game you overhear your friend on the walkie speaking to someone else about "he doesn't know anything yet" stuff. This sets up a certain narrative that a lot of players will use the rest of the game to build up. Now, if the point was to use that as a set up for a twist then it was handled poorly because I ended up just giving up on the whole idea when it clearly went nowhere. Even the actual in game story just kinda loses momentum before just kinda saying "she'll here's the answer I guess". I won't fully spoil but the "who's spying on us" plot is literally answered with "some guy who just felt like it".

    My other issue is in games like this there's an overarching message. Sometimes it's something obvious and sonetimes its left up to interpretation. This time I genuinely couldn't see it. The core story has the players character going to the woods to (I'm assuming) either take a break from dealing with a sick wife/wanting to be away from the suffering. This is the part of the story I wish had been expanded upon more. It's referenced a lot early on but gets dropped entirely in the back half until the game literally goes "oh yea. Remember your wife?" Before vanishing again till the last scene. It's a part of the story that could've been used more, there's even a scene early on that implies that it will. Then nothing. It's disappointing. Essentially i "don't get it", you don't make any deep self revelations. No confessions. Nothing. You go to this place to take a break, essentially do. Then go home. I'm fine with the idea of there being no message, or rather, have the message be "sometimes there isn't a message. Things just happen" but in my opinion this isn't conveyed at all b

    They had something strong going early on. But it feels like they had no idea how to tie everything together

    TLDR: Pretty game, great interaction between interesting yet somewhat underutilizes characters that are strongly voiced. Interesting story falls apart in final act. Most early plot points are ignored/abandoned and the ones that are followed through on feel rushed. A strong 90% of the game is let down by the last 10%. Technical issues that aren't game breaking but too common to ignore.    … Expand
  17. Rjunosuke
    Feb 10, 2016
    5
    Forget about the technical issues. Never mind the little time it takes to complete the game. What bothers me, and I mean really bothers me, is the outcome of the plot. It's mundane and low-key, which is not inherently a bad thing, to be sure. But when you couple this with an extremely tense build-up that precedes it, then you have a problem. It just doesn't work; in fact, it spoils theForget about the technical issues. Never mind the little time it takes to complete the game. What bothers me, and I mean really bothers me, is the outcome of the plot. It's mundane and low-key, which is not inherently a bad thing, to be sure. But when you couple this with an extremely tense build-up that precedes it, then you have a problem. It just doesn't work; in fact, it spoils the whole experience. You'll feel cheated by the time the final credits roll.… Expand
  18. Jackrov
    Feb 10, 2016
    5
    Was looking forward to this game. On PS4 it is a technical mess, with stuttering and framerate issues all around.
    Having played less than 30 min, I managed to get e refund through PSN email assistance.
    I suggest everyone disappointed with the game to do so.
  19. gdiego135
    Feb 27, 2016
    6
    I was so excited for this game when i saw the annouce trailer, and now i barely got to play, and it is short it took me just one sitting to beat it, about 3 to 4 hours, but that's not the problem. I really wanted to enjoy this game soooo much, but it was just boring, at first i was pumped, but the story wasn't as great as it seemed it would be, nothing crazy really happens, and I hate thatI was so excited for this game when i saw the annouce trailer, and now i barely got to play, and it is short it took me just one sitting to beat it, about 3 to 4 hours, but that's not the problem. I really wanted to enjoy this game soooo much, but it was just boring, at first i was pumped, but the story wasn't as great as it seemed it would be, nothing crazy really happens, and I hate that the game has you walk from one side of the map all the way to the other, it gets so annoying. The art styles is beautiful, i really did love it, the voice acting is superb, and the music is pretty sweet as well. But it just wasn't that interesting, and the ending is just so anti climatic, this was my first walking simulator, and i know those games are story based, not gameplay, but this should have been a movie, or tv show, with the same art style, for adults, It just wasn't that great as a videogame. Sorry but i don't recommend.… Expand
  20. TixyLix
    Feb 9, 2016
    6
    I've just completed it in one session, it's not a long game and only took about 4-5 hours. The biggest issue I have is with the performance, the framerate is just all over the place and if this was a fast paced game it would be unplayable. It's just hitching constantly, all the way through the game and it drops to single digits all the time as well.

    I really loved the first part of the    I've just completed it in one session, it's not a long game and only took about 4-5 hours. The biggest issue I have is with the performance, the framerate is just all over the place and if this was a fast paced game it would be unplayable. It's just hitching constantly, all the way through the game and it drops to single digits all the time as well.

    I really loved the first part of the story, I was looking forward to where it was going, just sadly it went nowhere. They build up this big suspense and it just end sup being this Brian thing that you couldn't care less about, it has no pay off and it just ends. The two characters in the game have a relationship that goes nowhere, the story with his wife goes nowhere, you're hoping for some amazing storyline and it just doesn't happen. It often makes no sense, I have myself questioning it a lot of the time.... just such a shame because I was really loving the first half.

    Despite all that I still had fun, I loved the style, I loved the premise... it's just rather mediocre.    … Expand
  21. Progressive-T
    Feb 15, 2016
    6
    I can't say a lot of good things about this game. It basically boils down to: go to a certain spot on the map and report via walkie talkie to your supervisor what you have found on said spot. Then get yourself to the next spot and report again. While you are doing this, some sort of intrige plays out aimed towards you and your supervisor, but the conclusion of this plot was a bitI can't say a lot of good things about this game. It basically boils down to: go to a certain spot on the map and report via walkie talkie to your supervisor what you have found on said spot. Then get yourself to the next spot and report again. While you are doing this, some sort of intrige plays out aimed towards you and your supervisor, but the conclusion of this plot was a bit disappointing, the same thing with the entire game.
    It's just quite an empty experience on all levels. The only thing that drives this game is the interaction between your character and Delilah. For the rest it's just an empty game with nothing to do but run around and report stuff.    … Expand
  22. Dalco
    Feb 13, 2016
    7
    The game has endless systems that are teased but not explored. For example, at one point, you will be given a fishing rod that serves no actual function. You can admire it, but are forced to put it away before you can actually use it. Also, nothing you do actually matters. It's a linear game hidden in an open world. Don't even get me started on the pretentious ending.
  23. xvvolf
    Aug 24, 2016
    6
    The game has a nice art style to it. I enjoyed the conversations between the two characters, the setting (both scenery and era). The story isn't all that bad, although like others have said, the end feels a bit rushed.

    It is a pretty short game and since one of the factors I judge games on is how much I pay vs amount of enjoyment I get, I'd say this falls a bit short as $20CDN is a bit    The game has a nice art style to it. I enjoyed the conversations between the two characters, the setting (both scenery and era). The story isn't all that bad, although like others have said, the end feels a bit rushed.

    It is a pretty short game and since one of the factors I judge games on is how much I pay vs amount of enjoyment I get, I'd say this falls a bit short as $20CDN is a bit steep for a 3-4 hour game that you're likely to only play once.    … Expand
  24. Manwoody
    Feb 10, 2016
    6
    Firewatch is a game where nothing of consequence happens. There is really no point to this game. The writing is decent and the voice acting is excellent, but all that is attached to a meaningless story that tries to force out artificial feelings. The game tries to force feelings out of you in the intro, through the way of text describing events taking place for the main character, this isFirewatch is a game where nothing of consequence happens. There is really no point to this game. The writing is decent and the voice acting is excellent, but all that is attached to a meaningless story that tries to force out artificial feelings. The game tries to force feelings out of you in the intro, through the way of text describing events taking place for the main character, this is largely ineffective due to the fact that we have not met the main character yet or the other character the intro telling us about. We're suppose to feel some sort of attachment, given that there are options to steer clear of telling the intro events to the other main character in the game indicating that it would be a "touchy" subject for our main character.

    The other "big" reveal again tries to coax out feelings from the player when you learn the fate of another character we have never met and have only had several lines of dialogue to go off of.

    The best thing Firewatch has going for it in my opinion is the beautiful art style. Unfortunately on PS4 the art style is hindered by almost constant performance issues, mainly in the form of frame drops.    … Expand
  25. Krispo123
    Feb 9, 2016
    6
    It was a really good story, but the options on the dialog doesn't change anything really. Playstation 4 version have A LOT of problems. I have never seen so bad FPS drops on a ps4 game before.
  26. Served001
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    Pretty decent game, I enjoyed most of it and the 5-6 hour play-through can be fun to do in 1 go. But the framerate and current bugs stop it from enjoying some moments. It has nice small touches, but it could've done more with its ending. Plus the mystery build up and reveal was not likeable for my taste.
  27. Iberian_Buffalo
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    Great walking simulator. Story is interesting, strong point are dialogues, my wife was laughing all time watching when I was playing. Art style is interesting but could be made with better quality - ps4 has more power, well it is ok at the end. Performance in first 1.0 version is an issue. With current state game should be 60 fps but it is not even 30. Probably Unity engine is reason ofGreat walking simulator. Story is interesting, strong point are dialogues, my wife was laughing all time watching when I was playing. Art style is interesting but could be made with better quality - ps4 has more power, well it is ok at the end. Performance in first 1.0 version is an issue. With current state game should be 60 fps but it is not even 30. Probably Unity engine is reason of poor performance.… Expand
  28. dirtymickey
    Feb 10, 2016
    7
    Great art direction, great writing, great voice acting. The music and audio were poorly implemented and often under-designed, and the game mechanics were sometimes glitchy and unreliable. I had one crash and had framerate issues throughout my entire playthrough. This game is entirely dialogue driven and has some really great moments. There is a great buildup through out the entire gameGreat art direction, great writing, great voice acting. The music and audio were poorly implemented and often under-designed, and the game mechanics were sometimes glitchy and unreliable. I had one crash and had framerate issues throughout my entire playthrough. This game is entirely dialogue driven and has some really great moments. There is a great buildup through out the entire game and for the last hour I was on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately there was no real payoff to release the tension and it felt more like a balloon being slowly released. A good game on the cusp of being great.… Expand
  29. Kansler
    Jul 29, 2017
    6
    Not a bad game, if you like walking sims and story-based games, but with a few major flaws that dampened my enjoyment: 1) The PS4 version is unpardonably ugly, with major performance issues even on a PS4 Pro with the latest patches installed, thus rendering the enjoyment of hiking in the wilderness, which the game attempts to convey, and needs to convey, poorly achieved. 2) The story lineNot a bad game, if you like walking sims and story-based games, but with a few major flaws that dampened my enjoyment: 1) The PS4 version is unpardonably ugly, with major performance issues even on a PS4 Pro with the latest patches installed, thus rendering the enjoyment of hiking in the wilderness, which the game attempts to convey, and needs to convey, poorly achieved. 2) The story line has its highs and lows, with opinions all over the board, and with some genuinely interesting dialogue and narrative quirks, but I found the twists and the ending to be a big letdown. 3) The best walking sims and linear narrative experiences are short for a reason. 2-3 hours should be the max for a game like that. Firewatch, however, stretches itself thin. Extra length may sound like a good thing, but in this case it means unnecessary padding, with long treks back and forth already-visited landscapes. This repetition is made much worse by how boring and ugly the game world is.

    Overall, I cannot recommend the game at full price, nor can I recommend the PS4 version. That's too much to ask for a bad port of an average game. If you like walking sims and narrative experiences, this game is probably worth checking out in the long run, but only if it is on sale, and only on PC.    … Expand
  30. Ghoster
    Feb 21, 2016
    5
    Usually I don't play much indie titles because there is not really a lot good ones. But, I got this because reviews was really good. I did it again. Shouldn't do that. Game price is way too expensive for what it offer. Gameplay is about 3 hours long and in that time you don't do anything than walking around and listening conversations. Script looks good from start, but in point when youUsually I don't play much indie titles because there is not really a lot good ones. But, I got this because reviews was really good. I did it again. Shouldn't do that. Game price is way too expensive for what it offer. Gameplay is about 3 hours long and in that time you don't do anything than walking around and listening conversations. Script looks good from start, but in point when you think it will culminate it finish in probably most stupid way. Graphics is bad what was expected from indie title, but framerate could be better. Generally, with better script this could be good title even if we exclude bad gfx. Some stupid gameplay things even make this game looks silly. Etc. you spend half of the game finding keys to underground cave while carrying an axe all the time!! Really ????… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
70
#70 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 45
  3. Negative: 1 out of 45
  1. games(TM)
    Apr 4, 2016
    70
    Firewatch is a brief but enjoyable experience set in a stunning and lovingly crafted environment, but there is no real ending – there’s simply the place where you stopped reading the story.
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  2. IBTimes UK
    Apr 2, 2016
    80
    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.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 31, 2016
    70
    Dares to ask us how we deal with mistakes. It’s a shame the answer it provides is flat and unfulfilling. [April 2016, p76]
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