![]() ![]() I was quite surprised to find such a drama hiding behind what I thought would be a thrilling mystery, but the combination of every day adventure and every day sorrow is made fantastic by some top notch writing. Let me clarify that this is a compliment. Do you try to make it work with your wife? Will you survive the summer? Will you end up arrested and implicated for a mysterious crime you didn't commit? These questions all run through your mind as you work through Firewatch, which makes it well worth sticking through to the very end.Imagine that all of those hopelessly depressed characters from Love Actually replaced the four kids from Stand By Me, and you would have a pretty good idea of what is in store for you in Firewatch. When the aforementioned mystery - conspiracy? - that's best left unspoiled here starts to set in, you'll start wondering whether you can trust Delilah, or whether you can trust the feelings that start to develop between you and she. You buzz in to report on everything you find, and as you're new on the job, she's able to get you up to speed on what you're seeing and where to go next. And although the map isn't enormous, it's big enough for you to unintentionally go in circles and loops.īut when the game unfolds as intended, with engaging dialogue between yourself and your boss, Delilah, the game develops extremely well. That also means you can, and will, get lost repeatedly. ![]() You'll need to look all around for drops to take or rock faces to climb. ![]() Just because you know something is west of where you are doesn't mean you can simply point yourself in that direction and go. There's no such thing here, and you have to dutifully consult a compass and map to point yourself in the right direction - be it to find how to make your way to smoky areas out in the woods or get to a specific creek. ![]() There's a learning curve to, essentially, unlearning what a lot of video games have taught you: that you can navigate any area easily thanks to an on-screen mini-map. This adventure goes from a slow crawl to a fairly captivating and strange mystery, which means you'll need to stick with it for a bit longer than you might initially like, but it's worth it. Some students, 16-18 year olds, really engaged with it while others didn't quite have the maturity to accept some of the messages the game presented and were thus indifferent to it. I've taught this as a media text in a senior level high school English class before with mixed results. Worth a play for adults and perhaps older teens as well. I found it refreshing to experience a game brave enough to address such topics as loneliness, infidelity, trust, and resilience in a way that feels very grown-up. Aside from some swearing (f***, s***, etc.) it is this depiction of imperfect adults dealing with adult problems that makes the game unsuitable for younger players. The two central characters in Firewatch are neither all good nor all bad but are just as likely to behave selfishly as they are altruistically. It's an interactive story adventure that deals quite brazenly with the shades of grey that adulthood is known for. There is a lot to love about Firewatch from its simple gameplay and clear structure to its superb voice acting and lush visuals. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |