![]() ![]() You get the sense that these two characters are fully realized human beings with damaged backgrounds, who often console one another when they hit a depressive episode, cheer one another on when they succeed at the impossible, and even mourn with one another when they experience or reveal tragedy to one another in their own lives. The chemistry between Henry and Delilah feels real. Firewatch’s art direction is easily among the best in 2016.Ī special mention has to be given to the two lead actors, Rich Sommers and Cissy Jones as they are hands-down the main attraction of the game and their voice performances are absolutely excellent, often juggling humor, sadness, anger, and desperation off of one another through their (albeit profanity filled) dialogue. In fact, the brilliance of it all is that it adds a bit of innocence to the at-times bleak narrative making it feel like an adult Pixar movie. ![]() The art style headed by Ollie Moss is fantastic, often mixing in a beautiful palette of colors that bring life to the wilderness around you. Henry and Delilah are both forced to embark on this journey to face their own flaws and fears as the story takes them into some thematically heavy territory which I will not spoil here. The game deals with some pretty adult themes of love, loss, depression, loneliness, and existentialism. The two characters often banter with one another through the use of their radio equipment and the story quickly takes their new found friendship on a journey that will both strengthen and challenge their bond during the course of this one summer. Henry’s journey often feels like a one-man show with Delilah spectating his every move from her lookout tower in the distance miles away. In fact, the choice to not include many characters in this game (at least in a heavy physical sense) is one of the things that makes Firewatch such an impressive storytelling feat. You never actually physically get to see Delilah throughout the game’s 4-6 hour journey, but the game more than compensates for the lack of this. There he quickly befriends Delilah, another lookout via his walkie-talkie. The reasons as to why Henry has decided to take this job are better found out on your own through the game’s heartbreaking opening moments. ![]() Without any heavy spoilers (and trust me, you’re gonna want to play this game as fresh from the plot as possible), the game stars Henry, a flawed average Joe who decides to take up a job opportunity as a forest fire lookout in a national park in 1989 Wyoming. A better definition for what developer Campo Santo has accomplished here is more an “interactive story”, basically a novella-styled tale you can inject yourself into. To even call Firewatch a “video game” is also a bit of a stretch. Joy, sadness, fear, desperation it’s all quite a feat, but it also helps to introduce to the player the heart of what Firewatch is. Within its first five minutes of its adventure-game styled exposition, the game manipulated my emotions. Firewatch has one of the most emotionally charged openings to a video game that I have ever played in my lifetime. ![]()
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