People aren't kidding when they rave about Firewatch being a sort of masterpiece. I came into the game expecting a walking simulator with pretty scenery, maybe with a bit of park ranger action on the side... Needless to say, when the main storyline started to take shape, I was just as ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up over it as the protagonist was.

You don't need me to tell you that this game is beautiful, with functional (although sometimes clumsy) gameplay and great sound design that gets you fully immersed in minutes. You also probably don't need me to tell you that the story is one of the most unexpected and gripping narratives you can find in a simple game like Firewatch. Although a bit hectic, I appreciated that the plot managed to keep both feet in reality from start to finish. Plus, although the story is linear, dialogue trees and free-roam give you just enough wiggle room to prevent it from feeling constricting.

Though the map is reasonably sized and designed brilliantly to encourage you along certain routes, it can be easy to get lost, and switching between the map and scenery can be nauseating. Additionally, I was faced with a handful of freezes that forced me to load previous saves - quicksaving frequently should spare you from some of my pain.

Really, this game gets its praise from its stunning creativity, chilling story, and all-around impressive air. I would love to leave this review glowing, but the longer I think about it... the more I think that it's not worth the price. With next to nothing interesting or exciting to offer in terms of gameplay, no diverging story, and zero replay value outside of achievement hunting, Firewatch is seriously more of a movie than it is a video game - and who the hell spends 20+ dollars on a movie this day in age? I bought it on sale, and would consider it a near scam to buy it at full price for the whopping four hours of gameplay it offers.

This game is beautiful, and wonderful, and gripping, and I loved almost every minute I spent playing Firewatch, but I seriously think it would have been a better deal if I'd just watched someone play it on YouTube; It would have been functionally the same experience, and I'd be a few dollars richer. For this reason, I'll give it a 3.5/10. While I don't think it's a waste of time, Firewatch is unfortunately not worth more than ten dollars at the very most. Watch a silent playthrough or something and you'll be just fine.

People aren't kidding when they rave about Firewatch being a sort of masterpiece. I came into the game expecting a walking simulator with pretty scenery, maybe with a bit of park ranger action on the side... Needless to say, when the main storyline started to take shape, I was just as fucked up over it as the protagonist was. You don't need me to tell you that this game is beautiful, with functional (although sometimes clumsy) gameplay and great sound design that gets you fully immersed in minutes. You also probably don't need me to tell you that the story is one of the most unexpected and gripping narratives you can find in a simple game like Firewatch. Although a bit hectic, I appreciated that the plot managed to keep both feet in reality from start to finish. Plus, although the story is linear, dialogue trees and free-roam give you just enough wiggle room to prevent it from feeling constricting. Though the map is reasonably sized and designed brilliantly to encourage you along certain routes, it can be easy to get lost, and switching between the map and scenery can be nauseating. Additionally, I was faced with a handful of freezes that forced me to load previous saves - quicksaving frequently should spare you from some of my pain. Really, this game gets its praise from its stunning creativity, chilling story, and all-around impressive air. I would love to leave this review glowing, but the longer I think about it... the more I think that it's not worth the price. With next to nothing interesting or exciting to offer in terms of gameplay, no diverging story, and zero replay value outside of achievement hunting, Firewatch is seriously more of a movie than it is a video game - and who the hell spends 20+ dollars on a movie this day in age? I bought it on sale, and would consider it a near scam to buy it at full price for the whopping four hours of gameplay it offers. This game is beautiful, and wonderful, and gripping, and I loved almost every minute I spent playing Firewatch, but I seriously think it would have been a better deal if I'd just watched someone play it on YouTube; It would have been functionally the same experience, and I'd be a few dollars richer. For this reason, I'll give it a 3.5/10. While I don't think it's a waste of time, Firewatch is unfortunately not worth more than ten dollars at the very most. Watch a silent playthrough or something and you'll be just fine.