The game was released in February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, and PlayStation 4, for Xbox One in September 2016, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2018. One that everyone should take.Firewatch is an adventure game developed by Campo Santo and published by the developer in partnership with Panic. With graphics largely inspired by eighties’ national park posters, and music that fits all too perfectly, Firewatch is a truly breathtaking journey. An experience that I believe, has unconditionally earned five out of five stars. I’m reviewing an experience, that just happens to be branded as a game. As Polygon puts it, “ Firewatch is the video game equivalent of a page-turner.” Wired says, the game is “an emotional gut-punch all the way through, for many reasons, and largely a pleasure to explore and find yourself lost in.” I couldn’t agree more. And definitely more so than any other game.Ĭampo Santo told a story, and made a game in the process. I was always guessing just what might happen next, who was causing the events to take place-and why. I’d often find myself scared to turn around as I walked kilometres from place to place. In Firewatch I feared them for what it meant for our characters, and for what turn the story might next take. Fearing cut scenes in games is not uncommon, but usualy the length and annoyingness of them causes this. For it often brought something bad for our protagonist, Henry. This began to make me almost fear the narrower aspect ratio. The frame became narrower during cut scenes, and would often go narrower a little before the main action of the scene. As the game progressed, I became increasingly nervous whenever music played and, most notably, when the aspect ratio of the screen changed. The game isn’t scary, but like any good storytelling the Campo Santo taught me to be wary of certain situations. To, first hand, realise these slight nods of the head forward and back in the game, and to other pieces of literature outside of this small patch of forrest in Wyoming. Firewatch takes this idea and allows you, the player, to discover these items. The best pieces of media add in easter eggs that foreshadow plots and small images for the best of viewers. Campo Santo has gone to great lengths to reward players for taking note of each scrap of paper, everything our distant counterpart Delilah says, and of random items like book titles. The attention to detail here cannot be overstated. Others, though, impact the direction of the story. The game sort-of directs you back towards the route it wanted you to take. Some decisions are clearly the illusion of choice. Something that must be noted is this game revolves around making decisions, usually between two or three choices, and those decisions impact the remainder of the game. The game starts with you reading a series of screens of text and making important decisions, like naming your dog. Since the game is so story focused and the story is so mysterious, I’ll endeavour to stay spoiler free. When I heard that Panic was making a story driven game-revolving around radio communication with a character we never meet-I realised I needed to give it a try. I’m not much of a gamer, I don’t have a console, and my favourite game of all time is Rollercoaster Tycoon 2. It is one of the first games I’ve finished in a very long time. Firewatch is less a game, and more of an interactive film experience.
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