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Alex_Tingey's Firewatch (PC)
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| [February 15, 2018 11:59:06 PM]
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In my final session with Firewatch today I began to really discover the moral dilema within the game. The beginning of the game is designed to give you that empathy and sense of loss that Henry has experienced with the eventual loss of his wife to early onset dementia/Alzheimer's, and then introduces Delilah as a possible relief to that pain. The game wants you to decide whether you are going to keep interacting with Delilah, keep moving along the path that will bring you closer with her, or if you are going to stay with Julia. The discovery of the man taking all of the notes of their conversation, as well as the events and news behind the disappearance of the two teenagers, hint that there is something going on that perhaps Delilah is aware of and doesn't tell Henry. Earlier on, Delilah makes a radio call out to someone else, perhaps hinting that she knows whoever this person listening to them is. I don't know whether I should trust her or not, but I feel for Henry. I think it's a very interesting idea to explore the difficulties of a relationship where one person needs to be cared for within a game. The player has time to grow attached to characters, particularly if your actions within the game influence them, and it's even more interesting for a game to explore what sorts of consequences a player can incur if they choose to explore other opportunities outside of their marriage/relationship.
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| [February 14, 2018 11:54:13 PM]
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My second session of Firewatch furthered my opinions of the first session. The interactions with Delilah over the radio are charming and add to the overall aesthetic of the game. I love how in-depth the character development and story of the game is, you feel like you are actually getting to know someone over this channel of communication that you have with them. The dialog system is also interesting, particularly because it gives you only a set amount of time to choose a given response, and in some cases allows you to simply ignore what was said altogether. To be honest I simply select what I feel I would have said if I was in the same situation, and I think that's incredibly interesting. I also quite enjoyed how easily the game was able to manipulate the perceived tonality of the game. With the drop of a hat, by the end of day 1, the forest no longer felt cozy and inviting, it felt menacing and incredibly eerie. The random man outside of your tower, as well as having the tower broken into, furthered this tonal shift. With the start of day two I enjoyed the game's acknowledgement of what route I took in the day prior within the dialog with Delilah, it's self aware, and is clearly hinting to me that my actions do have an effect on the sort of ending I get. The forest is incredibly well designed, it feels vast and alive. Walking to explore what the thin column of smoke was, as well as walking to examine the wire were fun experiences simply because of how beautiful the scenery was. It really does manage to emulate that genuine hiking experience. So far I'm really enjoying everything Firewatch has to offer.
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| [February 14, 2018 11:43:53 PM]
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My first session of Firewatch has been quite enjoyable. I really enjoy the art style for one, it's so colorful despite its somewhat simplistic approach to the individual models themselves. The initial dialog, where you learn about his wife and the backstory of what brought you there, was brutal. In all honesty I spent easily 15 minutes trying to think about what the correct response should be, what I would do if I was in Henry's shoes, it was surprisingly difficult and incredibly sad when I finally reached the conclusion of that dialog set and learned that she had been taken home by her family. I played a bit more of the first day and I like the gameplay, despite being very aware of the criticism that the game is essentially a "walking simulator". I'm appreciative of that approach in Firewatch, it makes the game feel meditative, and cozy, perhaps like what working the job would be like. It's actually relaxing to come home from a long day and be introduced to a game that has a nice, relaxing pace and tone.
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Alex_Tingey's Firewatch (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Tuesday 13 February, 2018
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