You are here, and it’s beautiful, and escaping isn’t always something bad.

Delilah

Firewatch, developed by Campo Santo and published by Panic, is a first-person, story-driven indie game released in February 2016. It falls within the dramatic and exploration genres. The game follows the adventures of Henry, a man in his forties who begins a new job as a fire lookout in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. The player takes on the role of Henry, guided through the forest trails by the voice of Delilah, an experienced fire lookout who interacts with him remotely via walkie-talkie.

Peace, in the middle of nowhere

From a graphical perspective, the Firewatch maintains a simple and essential style. A clever use of light enhances the beautiful vistas of the forest and surrounding mountains. This effectively tracks the passage of time and the transition between day and night, with sunlight turning orange at sunset and casting long shadows before darkness falls.

Notably, in terms of music, while the soundtrack during the textual introduction with flashbacks of Henry’s relationship with his wife Julia can feel somewhat monotonous and repetitive, not reflecting the emotionally fluctuating mood of the backstory, the accompaniment during the actual gameplay becomes more varied. It skillfully adapts to convey the right emotions, ranging from lighter, more carefree moments to darker or tenser ones.

Like the other technical aspects, the gameplay is also simple and essential, typical of this video game genre closely tied to storytelling such as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter or What Remains of Edith Finch. Henry’s actions are not limited to walking although. At specific points, he can create shortcuts by rappelling down rock walls, jumping over fallen logs, climbing larger rocks that obstruct his path, and running.

Henry and Julia

– So, what’s wrong with you?
– Excuse me?
– People take this job to get away from something. So what’s wrong?

Let’s take a step back and discuss the relationship between Henry and his wife Julia, which the game’s creators chose to introduce in the opening. The back-story unfolds through an interactive text-based adventure. The player only has the opportunity to read about the life of Henry, who is still in his twenties.

Despite the original choice to tell this story through a textual adventure, the narration is neither boring nor rambling; on the contrary, it is written concisely and engagingly. It is a successful narrative choice, detailing how Henry and Julia met, their years together, and their ups and downs. It touches on topics like children, pets, and the passage of time. Most importantly, it explains why Henry now works in a national park in solitude and peace instead of being with her.

Henry’s escape from the difficulties in his life is understandable. Still, the questions he asks himself, which the player taking on his role will also consider, make it undoubtedly painful and perhaps not final. Is it right to run away from problems? Can we afford to take a step back and take a break?

Henry and Delilah

Henry begins his adventure as a volunteer. It’s a job he has never done before, so especially in the first few days, the instructions he receives remotely from Delilah are crucial. The most important items the player can find scattered around the game map are metal boxes, locked with a padlock, containing various objects including a map of the area. Henry can use this map to mark directions, trails, and points of interest, allowing him to navigate independently of Delilah’s directions.

The relationship between Henry and Delilah is deeply developed and builds through dialogue after dialogue throughout Firewatch. Emotionally, if we choose, we can open up to her about our tumultuous past, and over time, she will do the same with us. For Henry, Delilah is merely a voice speaking from afar, and this connection strongly echoes stories like Her.

The writing of the dialogue is the real strength of Firewatch. The writers’ skill in shifting seamlessly from irony to seriousness and from lightness to profound nostalgia perfectly aligns with the excellent work of the voice actors who brought the two protagonists to life.

Upon release by the specialized press, the game was met with great acclaim, receiving six nominations and winning two awards at the BAFTA Games Awards for Best Debut Game and Best Performance by Cissy Jones, the voice actress who portrayed Delilah.