Firewatch
When Campo Santo first revealed Firewatch in 2014, there was more curiosity than anything else. It was a first-person adventure game that seemed little more than a walking simulator. The team was known for its work on Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Mark of the Ninja, so it had some design chops. But what made this so unique? What exactly was Firewatch?
As time passed, there was an aura of mystery around the game and how this seemingly peaceful forest held a dark secret. As Henry, a volunteer fire lookout, you spoke with supervisor Delilah on the radio and could choose different responses that influenced their relationship. You could also do random things in the world just for the heck of it. But clearly, something stranger was going on, right?
Not quite. Firewatch does have a compelling core mystery, but it turned out to be more of a mood piece than anything else. Despite a somewhat disappointing ending, it felt nice to wander in the wilderness, experimenting with the world and seeing how it would react. Even with some rough dialogue, the subplot with Delilah was fun and maybe more than a little heartbreaking.
