Firewatch Reviews

This game was like a dream. Just like choosing to leave everything behind to live alone in the forest. The atmosphere, brought to life by the absolute breathtaking landscapes and beautifully natural ambient lightning, was deeply soothing and fulfilling. On top of that, the narrative is so gripping it keeps you completely hooked, making you need to know how it all ends. 10/10 Would recommend

It's a walking simulator that has you go from point to point. The story line is mildly interesting but does not really make sense. Occasionally you are blocked by fences and they say you need special tools to get around them while in reality you could just climb over the fence. You spend the whole game talking to a character over the radio, but you never actually meet her, and there is no satisfying conclusion at all to the relationship between you and her. The game ending is completely lame. I finished it in 4 hours. The story line seems like its building up to something but then it just becomes a nothing burger. You never actually meet any character involved in the story line. The graphical atmosphere can be pretty decent but that's about it. I don't recommend the game.

1. Story & Atmosphere – 9/10 Firewatch drops you into the shoes of Henry, a man escaping a crumbling personal life to take a job as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness in 1989. The story kicks off with a gut-wrenching text-based prologue that traces Henry’s relationship with his wife, Julia, and her descent into early-onset dementia—a sequence that’s as heartbreaking as it is effective. From there, the game shifts to the Shoshone National Forest, where your only companion is Delilah, your supervisor, who chats with you over a walkie-talkie. The narrative thrives on the evolving bond between Henry and Delilah, built entirely through radio conversations that feel natural, witty, and deeply human. The writing is sharp, blending humor, tension, and vulnerability in a way that makes you care about these two flawed souls. The mystery that unfolds—hinting at conspiracies and unseen threats—keeps you hooked, though the resolution might leave some wanting more. The atmosphere is a standout: the isolation of the forest, paired with eerie silences and subtle sounds, creates a hauntingly immersive vibe. Pros: ✅ Emotional, character-driven story with brilliant dialogue. ✅ Tense, mysterious atmosphere that plays on isolation. ✅ Stellar voice acting that brings Henry and Delilah to life. Cons: ❌ Ending feels underwhelming compared to the buildup. 2. Gameplay: Exploration & Interaction – 7/10 Firewatch is a first-person adventure—or “walking simulator,” if you will—that prioritizes exploration and dialogue over traditional gameplay mechanics. You roam the forest with a map and compass, tackling simple tasks like investigating smoke or tracking down clues. The lack of combat or complex puzzles keeps things minimalistic, which suits the game’s introspective tone but might disappoint players craving action. The dialogue system is the real star, letting you choose how Henry responds to Delilah—whether he’s sarcastic, earnest, or guarded. These choices shape their relationship, though they don’t drastically alter the story’s path. It’s simple but effective, making every chat feel personal. The pacing can drag at times, and the limited interactivity might not satisfy everyone, but it fits the game’s quiet, reflective nature. Pros: ✅ Intuitive exploration with a satisfying map-and-compass system. ✅ Dialogue choices add depth to character interactions. ✅ Minimalism enhances the story’s mood. Cons: ❌ Gameplay lacks variety or challenge. ❌ Slow pace can feel repetitive. 3. Open World & Exploration – 8/10 The Shoshone National Forest is small but stunningly crafted. It’s not a sprawling open world like some modern titles, but every inch feels purposeful. From sun-drenched trails to shadowy canyons, the stylized art direction—courtesy of Olly Moss—turns the wilderness into a living painting. The day-night cycle and shifting weather add to the immersion, making each hike visually spectacular. Exploration is rewarding in a subtle way: you’ll stumble across notes, abandoned camps, and scenic vistas that flesh out the world’s history. There’s no fast travel, which forces you to engage with the environment, though the compact map means you’re never truly lost. It’s a contained experience, but one that invites you to linger and soak in the details. Pros: ✅ Gorgeous, cohesive world design. ✅ Subtle environmental storytelling. ✅ Compact yet immersive exploration. Cons: ❌ Limited scope might feel restrictive to some. 4. Technical Performance & Graphics – 9/10 Visually, Firewatch is a treat. Its bold, painterly aesthetic—think warm oranges, cool blues, and soft shadows—sets it apart from photorealistic games. The forest feels alive, with rustling leaves and flickering light filtering through the trees. The soundtrack, composed by Chris Remo, is understated yet evocative, perfectly complementing the mood. Voice acting is top-notch, with Rich Sommer (Henry) and Cissy Jones (Delilah) delivering performances that carry the game. On the technical side, it’s mostly smooth, though the original PC release had some bugs and performance hiccups. By 2025, most issues have been ironed out across platforms, including the Nintendo Switch port. It’s not a demanding game, so it runs well even on modest hardware. Pros: ✅ Striking art style and lighting. ✅ Exceptional voice acting and sound design. ✅ Stable performance on modern systems. Cons: ❌ Early technical issues linger in memory for some players. Final Verdict: Is It Worth Playing? Firewatch is a short, poignant journey—clocking in at around 3.7 hours for a focused playthrough—that trades bombast for intimacy. It’s not a game for everyone; if you need fast-paced action or intricate mechanics, you’ll likely walk away unsatisfied. But if you value storytelling, atmosphere, and characters that feel real, it’s a gem. The ending might not stick the landing for all, but the experience of getting there—lost in a beautiful, lonely forest with only a voice to guide you—is unforgettable. Final Ratings: Story & Atmosphere: (9/10) Gameplay (Exploration & Interaction): (7/10) Open World & Exploration: (8/10) Technical Performance & Graphics: (9/10) Final Score: 8.25/10 – A quiet, captivating tale in a breathtaking wilderness.

Fantastic short story game. SImple gameplay, beginning throws you into a very personal and sentimental backstory, and immediately puts you into solitude. The dialogue is amazing, but the devs missed the oportunity to create different soft endings, in my opinion. Decent amount of unexpected thrill and ~scare. Made me memorize the map pretty quickly as the dialogue truly made me feel like I was in a rush to avoid consequences. Definitely recommend. Playable in one session, but do take your time to enjoy the views, dialogue, and especially the soundtrack.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this walking sim as that’s all you do whilst talking to someone on a radio which was an interesting experience learning about this person on the other end. The games map/art is absolutely gorgeous but it’s not fully open as there’s places blocked off but there is shortcuts. Replayability isn’t here unless you want all achievements which some are missable plus completing the main story opens up free roam which I never tried. Think I’ll load up one of my saves to get the 3 remaining achievements. When you save open up load game and you can copy your save upto 3 more times which in my opinion is helpful for 100% completionists.

More about the journey than the destination. Scenery is beautiful, makes you feel you are in a real national park. Very comfy, but also makes your body hair stand up in some tense moments. Maybe the ending is not what most people were expecting, but if you understand it as a ¨Its time to let go¨ kind of story, i think it makes perfect sense. Its depiction of complicated love and feelings is surprisingly realistic and... relatable. Gameplay could be better, have a few more interactions with the world and items. Voice actors are perhaps the best i have ever listened to. Over all, i highly recomend this short but sweet experience of a game.

For the sake of Delilah's love for puns, I would say that Firewatch felt pedestrian. I really liked the promise of the game and the start of it ~1st hour, and I wanted to like the rest of it... Vibes, coziness, exploration, it all disappear for me the more I played. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about what if Firewatch was a novel? It definitely felt like it would be a better novel than a game (especially in audiobook format). In the context of Firewatch, game medium offers developers 3 unique opportunities that they haven't used or didn't flesh out. Let's deal with everything in order. [b]Gameplay:[/b] Very streamlined. It felt like the game take your hand and pull you along all the time. I totally understand that this game is about story and not the gameplay per se, but hear me out. Each diversion to explore a location wouldn't benefit in anything. No Easter eggs, no interesting stuff lying around, waiting to be explored. Nothing. Just one raccoon. Each mechanic (or resources for that mechanic) introduced in the game at the very convenient time to get through the location that time gated by the plot. They could just add more stuff along the way when you're hiking, so it would not feel like get from point A to point B all the time, which started to feel like a chore pretty quickly. [b]Plot & choices:[/b] I felt robbed. Why make any choices in dialogues for the whole game if at the end the result is the same ? I—and maybe Henry too—felt another heartbreak. Maybe it's just me getting older and becoming a sucker for good endings, but developers teased relationships between Delilah and Henry. For me, it felt very natural that 2 broken souls that took that job would try to heal each other afterward. Is it so hard to introduce a "good" ending if you choose all positive dialogue options? Because dialogues itself were the most positive thing about the game. I really enjoyed them and I wanted more of them. I guess that introduces the idea of utter boringness in the wilderness very well—when the only person you can speak to is on a walkie-talkie with you. You develop a connection to that person. With that chill introduction, for the 1st hour of the game, I expected a more relaxed game. Maybe it's more on me than on the game, but it made me wonder why each game tries to bring action and thriller motives when it doesn't need to? I would be totally happy to do mundane tasks as a forester/fire watcher, rather than feel ominous thrill for 3 hours. [spoiler]Who thrashed your room at the tower? Are girls got killed? By who? Who the hell smashed my head with a rock or something? Why and how someone listening and recording our talks with Delilah?[/spoiler] The game always put questions into your head, like you're some sort of detective, which isn't the bad thing per se, but it didn't work for me in that story. The majority of the time I just concentrated on the anxious nature of the game rather than enjoying it. [b]Visuals & Audio:[/b] Could be better. It's not about chunky style. It just wasn't breathtaking enough, which I expected from that type of game. If not the gameplay should entertain you while you're hiking from point A to point B, then the visuals and audio (except the dialogue, which I discussed previously). Locations were fine, but that's it, not great. Music often turned on unexpectedly when you press a hidden trap panel, which sounded really weird, like you got to the boss room, but boss is nowhere near. And the general vibe of rather tense music to increase suspense of the plot didn't work for me as well. To conclude my point, If Firewatch was a novel: 1. The dialogues would be fleshed out, and there will be more of them by the nature of the medium, and that's great. 2. Thriller idea feels like would suit much better for something like 50,000-60,000 words with good pacing. 3. Descriptions of surroundings could paint so much better picture than what I saw. 4. We wouldn't lose a lot of the gameplay, because it was almost point-and-click game, but in 3D. 5. Useless choices would be cut off, and we didn't lose a lot from it. At the end of the day, it might be just not the game for me. But I reckon it's not the game for everyone, maybe not even for the most people. Still, I enjoyed some parts of Firewatch, but I can't recommend it for the majority of people. I give Firewatch 5/10.

Firewatch is good, but not great. I enjoyed the story, but I feel like I heard too much hype about the game that got my expectations too high. I would say it's worth it on sale though, it is a good game. For some reason I didn't get the last two "compleate day x" achievements even though I did. And there were a couple bugs, nothing save and quitting to the menu didn't fix though.

Just a pretty and simple game, but most importantly it's fun. Graphics and the game ambient/lightning it's just beautiful (good story telling too), worth my 7-8 hours of playtime, i don't usually post reviews, but there you go, recommended.

I played this game for Pay or Play 1st Cycle of 2025 and it was picked for me by Droha. Firewatch is one of those games that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s a beautifully crafted, story-driven experience that drops you into the Wyoming wilderness as Henry, a man coming to work as a fire lookout, trying to escape his messy life. Your only real connection is with Delilah, your supervisor, who you talk to over a handheld radio—and from there, things slowly unravel into a gripping mystery. I won’t say too much about the story (since that’s what really makes the game shine), but exploring the gorgeously rendered forest, making choices that shape Henry’s relationship with Delilah, and uncovering secrets along the way was an unforgettable experience. It’s not a super long game—I finished 100% in just under 7 hours, with some idle time—but it’s absolutely worth playing. That said, it’s not without its flaws. There are a few more bugs than I expected, and I did notice some traversal stutters here and there. Also, the later part of the story felt a little rushed—I would’ve loved to experience more days firsthand instead of skipping ahead so much. But even with those minor issues, Firewatch is an emotional, atmospheric, and visually stunning adventure that I’d highly recommend.