Firewatch is a literary success for video games. It also has a beautiful and immersive atmosphere. 
Firewatch does well at representing video games as a medium for poetry & metaphor- realistic in characters and story, where the supernatural elements are only in the imagination of its atmosphere, the environment that the game naturally exists in. No superpowers, guns, or puzzles… Just a short interesting escape that serves its purpose very well- to remind us, through humor and paranoia, of the fragility & sadness that our lives must often return to.
This is told through two excellent voice actors, smooth walking-sim mechanics/controls, and a beautiful watercolor animated art style that’s accompanied by an excellent score. The interactivity of the story and gameplay function very easily together. This experience represents another seed of what video games can become in terms of a medium for sharing the human experience.
A couple negatives to mention:
-1 point for technical issues (especially on PS4) that will hopefully be patched soon.
-1 point for the branching of dialogue choices not resulting in any substantial differences to the story. Because of this, it didn’t quite reach the potential that it could have. For example (even though I’m in the minority of thinking that the ending was compelling & fitting), I do think that there should have been multiple endings based on your choices.
Ultimately, it’s a great indie game, best played through, cold, in a single sitting. It’s a relaxing, intriguing, and saddening interactive-tale. It doesn’t try to blow your mind with deep thoughts that are out of this world. Instead, its profundity comes from being grounded in the reality of its own cohesive simplicity.
Score: 8/10, on PC & PS4
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