{"id":19615,"date":"2016-04-05T18:48:47","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T08:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=19615"},"modified":"2016-04-05T18:48:47","modified_gmt":"2016-04-05T08:48:47","slug":"firewatch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=19615","title":{"rendered":"Firewatch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"firewatchposter\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Developer: \u00a0<\/strong>Campo Santo
\nPublisher: \u00a0<\/strong>Panic
\nPlatform: \u00a0<\/strong>Playstation 4<\/p>\nH<\/span>enry meets Jules at bar.\u00a0 They fall in love.\u00a0 Move in together.\u00a0 Get a family dog.\u00a0 Get married.\u00a0 Have arguments.\u00a0 Make up afterwards.\u00a0 Build a life together.<\/p>\n

But something goes wrong.\u00a0 Jules becomes ill.\u00a0 Her memory begins to fail her and she has \u2018episodes\u2019 at work.\u00a0 She is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers.<\/p>\n

Jules\u2019 condition deteriorates rapidly and she returns to Australia to be cared for by her family.<\/p>\n

Searching for solace and wanting to escape from his former life, Henry takes up a job as a forest ranger in Shosone National Park, Wyoming.<\/p>\n

Firewatch<\/em>\u2019s plot synopsis about a man having a midlife crisis sounds more like a screenplay for an Alexander Payne film than the set up for a video game.\u00a0 Which is probably why Campo Santo\u2019s title turned so many heads earlier this year and received polarizing\u00a0reviews from critics and audiences alike.\u00a0 It\u2019s a game that has the story beats and ambiguous nature of an arthouse film.\u00a0 For some, it was a revelation.\u00a0 Others wondered what all the fuss was about.<\/p>\n

On his first day on-site, Henry is contacted via walkie talkie by Delilah, a ranger at another watch tower.\u00a0 There is a spark between the two and they develop a bond.\u00a0 Henry is weary and reclusive but he is gradually charmed by Delilah who is playful, flirty and reckless.<\/p>\n

Their blossoming friendship turns into an embattled comradery when some strange developments begin to occur near Henry\u2019s site.\u00a0 Communication lines are cut.\u00a0 Someone appears to be listening to their calls.\u00a0 And some bratty drunk teenage girls are causing a nuisance down by the lake.<\/p>\n

Henry\u2019s sense of paranoia builds as he wonders who is out there and whether Delilah is everything she says she is.<\/p>\n

\"firewatch\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Firewatch is a character study in broken people. \u00a0When Henry first arrives at his station, Delilah says as much to him.\u00a0 That only someone with something to hide or something to run away from would take a job in somewhere so remote.\u00a0 She\u2019s talking about herself as much as she is Henry.<\/p>\n

Henry himself isn\u2019t perfect.\u00a0 Although the introduction to Firewatch<\/em> gives the player a series of choices to make \u2018as Henry\u2019, there is still a selfish undercurrent to his personality. \u00a0When your wife Jules has a big career opportunity in another city, you can discourage her from taking it\u00a0or suggest to live apart for a while.\u00a0 Choosing to move with her to a new city isn\u2019t<\/em> a consideration.\u00a0 Over the course of the game, Firewatch has an interesting mix of player agency and established character traits for Henry that shine through no matter what choice you make.\u00a0 I like the \u2018warts and all\u2019 nature of Henry\u2019s persona.\u00a0 He is a world weary Gen-Xer who is no longer sure of how he fits in society.\u00a0 Outwardly, he is a nice guy, if a little conceited.\u00a0 I can\u2019t think of many characters in video games like him and that was why he immediately caught my attention.<\/p>\n

Firewatch<\/em> explores Henry\u2019s identity as he tries to make sense of what happened to his life and find some new sense of purpose.\u00a0 Unexplainable events in the forest challenge his sense of trust and morality.<\/p>\n

The gameplay itself unfolds in a series of chapters which mark varying passages of time. \u00a0Sometimes you’ll play a couple of consecutive days in the woods. \u00a0Other times weeks will have passed. \u00a0Although it’s possible to be glibly dismissive of\u00a0Firewatch<\/em> as being a ‘walking simulator’, I think there are some excellent design mechanics at work. \u00a0In principle, the player can explore the Wyoming forest in any direction with unfettered freedom. \u00a0But distinctive landmarks, a compass and clearly signposted instructions from Delilah ensure that if the player simply wants to focus on moving the story forward, they can do so with little hassle. \u00a0Veering off the beaten path offers rewards for those who choose to do so. \u00a0There are a couple of Easter eggs in the form of animal critters and outposts with trinkets for Henry to collect.<\/p>\n

Although Firewatch<\/em> has a couple of minor \u2018collectable item\u2019 components to it, these conventional video game mechanics discreetly take place in the background.\u00a0 I much preferred this approach compared to the likes of Until Dawn<\/em> which I found to be rather overbearing with the presentation of its collectable game content.<\/p>\n

It becomes apparent very early on in Firewatch<\/em> that there is a certain level of ambiguity to the narrative and that a lot of the game\u2019s mysteries won\u2019t be answered in definitive fashion.\u00a0 This means that the player\u2019s level of appreciation of the game will be largely dependent on their connection with Henry and Delilah.<\/p>\n

I found Firewatch<\/em> to be one of the better narrative games that I\u2019ve experienced.\u00a0 Campo Santo writer Sean Vanaman has created a fascinating pair of lead characters and the overall presentation of the game \u2013 the sun baked Wyoming forest, the laconic musical score, the distinctive keepsakes of the Eighties \u2013 gives it\u00a0a vibrant, distinct identity. \u00a0It must be noted that the voice acting work by Rich Sommer and Cissy Jones is excellent too.<\/p>\n

The quality of the script is what elevates Firewatch<\/em> amongst its contemporaries.\u00a0\u00a0 The characters are vividly brought to life by their banter and there is real depth to their personalities.\u00a0 It is not a long game by any means but I felt the pacing was just right.<\/p>\n

Like a good book or a thought provoking film, the characters, the mysteries and the ending stayed with me long after I completed Firewatch<\/em>. \u00a0It’s sure-footedness and many qualities mark Campo Santo as a developer to watch.<\/p>\n

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