Firewatch

 Xbox One
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 181 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 181
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 181
  3. Negative: 49 out of 181

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Doomhammer
    Oct 29, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My only Real qualms with this game were:

    1) Too F***ING Short ... holy hannah was this game over faster than I though

    2) Choices don't actually really change outcomes beyond 2, maybe 3 main branches - was left reeling at the shortness of it that I never bothered to replay it anyhow because:

    3) Of the aforementioned choices, they tend to have little bearing in re-directing the 'on-rails' story;
    If I withhold information for *reasons*, then 10 seconds later just blurt it out in a pre-set interaction ... I feel like my choice wasn't a choice at all. So I "beat the game" and continued with life rather than explore what else could happen if I had made different choices    … Expand
  2. metadubrev2
    Sep 27, 2016
    5
    super boring gameplay, horrible graphics, just an ok story. really not worth your time. no replay value at all. tedious slow walks through bad graphics with occasion chirps in from a crazy stalker woman on a walkie talkie
  3. Broyax
    Jan 20, 2018
    6
    Il s'agit d'un jeu de niche mais sans clébard, d'un simulateur de promenade comme on en voit de temps à autre dans le petit monde des jeux indés roulés sous les aisselles. Pourtant, ce jeu de garde forestier à la première personne réussit assez vite à nous intriguer, puis à nous garder sous sa coupe grâce à une narration assez brillante il faut bien le dire.

    A part la forêt et nous, il    Il s'agit d'un jeu de niche mais sans clébard, d'un simulateur de promenade comme on en voit de temps à autre dans le petit monde des jeux indés roulés sous les aisselles. Pourtant, ce jeu de garde forestier à la première personne réussit assez vite à nous intriguer, puis à nous garder sous sa coupe grâce à une narration assez brillante il faut bien le dire.

    A part la forêt et nous, il n'y a qu'une seule interlocutrice pour nous parler à la radio dans cet environnement très solitaire, notre collègue de l'autre poste de surveillance de départs de feu. Et de ces conversations sur le chemin, va se développer un scénario ma foi très habile qui construit tel un nid une tension de paranoïa et de complot(s) au fil de quelques évènements d'allure très banale de prime abord.

    Ayant avancé jusqu'à un certain point, l'on se dit qu'on ferait mieux d'appeler Mulder et Scully en renforts, car il se passe des choses étranges et nous ne voulons pas finir enlevé par les proctologues de l'espace aux méthodes très invasives. D'autant qu'on a aucune arme pour se défendre : c'est un jeu pacifique dans lequel on ne peut rien dégommer.

    Evidemment, on s'imagine des choses et on veut des réponses, puis la vérité arrive éventuellement, assez décevante il faut bien le dire. Les dialogues à choix multiple n'ont aucune incidence sur ce qui n'est qu'un gros couloir. Ce que l'on fait consiste à faire l'épreuve d'orientation de Koh Lanta à intervalles plus ou moins réguliers : est-ce que tu sais lire une boussole au moins ? et la carte, tu sais la lire ? c'est tout de même rigolo, bien qu'un peu répétitif vers la fin.

    L'interface est simple et efficace, un peu comme les graphismes qui sont simples... mais pas efficaces, eux. Je ne suis pas sûr qu'il y ait beaucoup plus de 256 couleurs simultanées à l'écran ; l'impression désagréable est de pouvoir les compter sur les doigts d'une main : sol jaune, arbres verts, ciel bleu...

    Mais bon, c'est en tout 3D quand même (!) et on se fait plus ou moins volontiers à ce style graphique dépouillé ; on se fait moins aux à-coups récurrents, à ces saccades brèves mais brutales de l'affichage qui tient par ailleurs un 30 im/s à peu près correct. Pourtant, le monde est putain de vide, il est en 4 couleurs et demi, qu'est-ce qu'il y a donc à "streamer", à faire suer le GPU ? rien ! le CPU alors dans ce cas ? une IA à simuler peut-être ? non mon neveu, que dalle !

    Franchement, c'est difficilement pardonnable. Et encore, ça c'est sur la X, car j'ai lu des horreurs sur la version PS4. Oui, c'est programmé par des stagiaires, oui c'est un étron technique.

    Et pourtant ! on passe de très bons moments dans ces quelques heures de ballades et de conversations, à s'interroger, intrigué et aux aguets du pourquoi et du comment... Une "expérience" donc intéressante mais diablement perfectible.    … Expand
  4. CenkAlp
    Sep 21, 2019
    6
    Hikaye = 6
    Oynanış = 6
    Grafikler = 5
    Sesler = 6
    Keyif = 7
    Atmosfer = 7
    Süre = 5
  5. ThaFlu84
    Dec 10, 2022
    7
    This game starts off promising and mysterious, but ends up being unimpressive mainly due to an uneventful ending. It just felt empty. Throughout the game, there isn’t much to explore while hiking and a lot of what you find is uninteresting and unusable. Also, viewing the map is clunky as you have to frequently come to a stop to get your bearings and see where to go next.

    The characters,    This game starts off promising and mysterious, but ends up being unimpressive mainly due to an uneventful ending. It just felt empty. Throughout the game, there isn’t much to explore while hiking and a lot of what you find is uninteresting and unusable. Also, viewing the map is clunky as you have to frequently come to a stop to get your bearings and see where to go next.

    The characters, their backstory, and the banter between Delilah and Henry are the clear highlights of the game. It is interesting to hear them converse. There is a revelation in the game that is pretty shocking, but it is related to a secondary plot, so it does not feel as impactful as it would otherwise. I enjoyed this game and even played it twice, but sometimes it just felt dull and I was disappointed by the ending.    … Expand
  6. Ekon
    Jan 20, 2022
    7
    There's a huge gap between Critic and User reviews. The question is why? The strength of this game is the wonderful relationship between Henry, the park ranger, and Delilah, who is a sort of dispatcher and trouble shooter who maintains radio contact with him from a central outpost. They have a deep trust and friendship with romantic overtones that's quite compelling. She sends himThere's a huge gap between Critic and User reviews. The question is why? The strength of this game is the wonderful relationship between Henry, the park ranger, and Delilah, who is a sort of dispatcher and trouble shooter who maintains radio contact with him from a central outpost. They have a deep trust and friendship with romantic overtones that's quite compelling. She sends him out into the wilderness to investigate various problems that quickly involve a mystery involving missing persons, spying and vandalism. Everything involves a long haul for Henry through dense forest, streams and the navigation of steep cliffs. The problem for me on several of his arduous treks was that the 'payoff' often left me feeling disappointed. The two missing girls is a good example. They get a lot of play through much of the game. Are they the main villains? Have they been abducted or murdered? I was really annoyed how their situation played out. And I found the climax to be a real downer. Not that I needed a happy ending, but certainly not something this somber.… Expand
  7. Yakuzet
    Sep 7, 2023
    7
    its just a basic walking sim. with story. liked it but didn't loved it. yep
  8. Awanka
    Sep 18, 2021
    5
    A somewhat engaging walking simulator. It's short and basic. It has an interesting conspiratorial atmosphere, and plays around with psychological story-telling. It's not bad.
  9. ehtaco
    Jun 17, 2022
    7
    Solid narrative experience. Short enough to play in a single sitting if you have the time for it.
  10. StudentCritic20
    Sep 10, 2023
    6
    It's not much of a game, it holds only through story. It's a very interesting story for an afternoon play through.
  11. Burzyk
    Jul 29, 2022
    6
    Nice story, but graphics, gameplay and 30 fps on XSX is a joke. A game for navigation and compass maniacs only. For others, only in Game Pass!
  12. Bochenki
    Jan 13, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To cover all the disadvantages of this game, I have to admit that it is way to short. The ending feels rushed, you do not have enough time to explore the storyline, nor the relationship between the characters. The ending is not satisfying at all, feels pointless and disappointing.
    On the other hand, these few hours were indeed a very well spent. An interesting setting, a story with a nice background (which cannot be said about the foreground unfortunately), likable protagonist, ambiguous characters - all of that works really well at the beginning. But then, if feels like they didn't have a slightest idea how to resolve all the mysteries they'd come up with.
    Like the two missing girls - their tent was destroyed, the police suspected our two protagonists and then - they were just found somewhere having the time of their lives. Or a whole espionage thing - instead of it being a major plot against our protagonists, it turns out to be a complete nonsense.
    I really liked the idea of exploring the theme of solitude, isolation and moral dilemma. Not showing characters' faces seem like an interesting idea to me, as well as the voice communication with D. The Easter eggs with the books left in the locations were a really nice touch.
    It is not a bad game, I enjoyed it while playing. It's just not polished and feels like they ran out of ideas.    … Expand
  13. Gornostai
    May 28, 2022
    6
    В игре есть атмосфера, но это всё. Сюжет очень средненький. Графика средняя (хотя для инди проекта хороша).
  14. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    7
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!! firewatch

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best Xbox One Game of 2016
24
#24 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2016
60
#60 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Nov 1, 2016
    80
    An atmospheric trip that makes us pine for such amazing characters in all the games we play. [Dec 2016, p.73]
  2. XboxAddict
    Oct 25, 2016
    90
    An immersive, and at times eerie, experience. It is the video game equivalent of reading a mystery, suspense, or thriller novel - one that you won’t wish to put down until you reach its' conclusion.
    Read full review
  3. ICXM
    Oct 17, 2016
    90
    Everything other than the technical aspects of the game are so good that I can’t help but heartily recommend it.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »