Firewatch – a walking simulator

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The game starts with words and music. When there’s words on a screen, you read. Within 10 minutes I was hooked.

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No guns, just a walkie talkie and a compass.

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SO refreshing to not be in a game where I’m not focussing on the latest and most realistic graphics available. Style is king when it comes to Firewatch. It’s stylistically beautiful in motion.

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I have a better sense of direction after playing this game! The compass and map are essential to getting around in the game. They’re such a pleasure to use too.

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A static screen grab just doesn’t do this game justice. In-game immersion is where it’s at.

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At the end of the game you’re given an exploration gameplay mode with just you, and the world to discover (a really nice touch!).

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As usual, I’m late to the party. I played a game called MYST (and Riven, the sequel), many years ago and I truly loved both games. They were more interactive art, than game. More related to the CD-ROM art/exploration era of the late 90’s. I’ve not played anything like MYST since, but I stumbled upon a genre of games titled “walking simulators”, horrible genre description, but it had me intrigued. I googled a bit and found links to a game called “Firewatch”. Turns out Lewis had already reviewed it on Zen, which rung a bell straight away so without hesitation I ended up buying the game on Steam for $20 US.

It’s smart, witty, emotional, and full of great moments. It’ll take you around 4-5 hours to complete. Save it for a rainy day. Savour it. It’s like a good book. I truly loved it.

PS: If you’re still in doubt about spending the $20 to buy the game, check out this video review, hopefully it’ll motivate you to download (PC, or buy on PS4) and play it!

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2 Responses to Firewatch – a walking simulator

  1. Paul says:

    Walking simulator? Lol! Just go outside and walk

  2. Pingback: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter | Justin Fox

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