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Firewatch
Critics Consensus (Play It)
Firewatch is a captivating journey into atmospheric wilderness, and even though the plot doesn’t fully pay off, there much to appreciate here.
Game Info
Firewatch is a mystery set in the woods of Wyoming, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio. You play as a man named Henry who has retreated from his messy life to work as a fire lookout in the wilderness. Perched high atop a mountain, it’s your job to look for smoke and keep the wilderness safe. An especially hot and dry summer has everyone on edge. Your supervisor, a woman named Delilah, is available to you at all times over a small, handheld radio — and is your only contact with the world you’ve left behind. But when something strange draws you out of your lookout tower and into the world, you’ll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making interpersonal choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have.
0%
Recommended
0%
Average Score
Total Reviews: 95
Silver TIER
39% of scored reviews fell within the range of 80 to 86 / 100
RELEASE DATES:
GENRES:
- Adventure
DEVELOPER(S):
- Campo Santo
PUBLISHER(S):
- Panic
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- n/a
GAME MODES:
- Single player
Where to Play
WHERE TO PLAY
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RATING & REVIEWS
Ratings & Reviews
95
Critic Reviews
81
Average Critic Score
Where to Play
CRITIC REVIEWS
All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.
High Score
100%
Median Score
80%
Low Score
45%
What did you think of Firewatch?
Player Reviews0 Votes
0
Justin Towell (GamesRadar+)
February 8, 2016
4.5/5 stars
A stunning example of interactive storytelling, Firewatch’s greatest success is making you feel like it’s really happening to you. And the less you know about it going in, the more you’ll enjoy it.
Ryan McCaffrey (IGN)
February 8, 2016
9.3/10
Firewatch is amazing for many reasons, but above all because it’s an adult game that deals with serious issues, with realistic adult dialogue to match. And it deals with those issues just like actual adults would: sometimes with humor, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with sadness. It is among the very best of the first-person narrative genre, and it reminds us what video game storytelling is capable of in the right hands. It’s a game I can see coming back to every year or two just to revisit its beautiful sights and memorable characters – just like a good book.
Alex Navarro (Giant Bomb)
February 9, 2016
4/5 stars
Campo Santo’s debut adventure offers up a taut mystery built around two tremendously engaging characters.
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Score Ranges
Read the Reviews (95 total)
| Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33bits | Fernando Sánchez | 90 / 100 | 10-22-2019 | Firewatch is a perfectly written narrative adventure with an ideal rhythm. We will accompany Henry in his new work, which he use to escape from his real life, and establish an important and emotional connection with our boss Delilah, while we face a mystery and a fire, each more frightening. However, nothing is as it seems. Highly recommended. | Read review |
| ACG | Jeremy Penter | Recommended | 02-10-2016 | Video Review | Read review |
| Arcade Sushi | Luke Brown | 8.5 / 10 | 02-11-2016 | Firewatch is a beautiful game full of spectacular visuals, but it’s the nearly excellent writing that will really keep you moving through Henry’s introspective journey. | Read review |
| Ars Technica | Kyle Orland | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Buy it if you want to take a relaxing trip to the great outdoors without ever leaving your home. | Read review |
| BaziCenter | Hadi Darbani | 8 / 10 | 02-22-2016 | In the heart of its beautiful landscapes, Firewatch tells an engaging, mysterious story that explores many aspects of human nature. And despite a few flaws, Firewatch is a kind of a game that you don’t see very often. With its fantastic characters and superb dialogues, Firewatch is one of the most memorable few hours of this year that you will remember for some time. | Read review |
| CGMagazine | Jed Whitaker | 9 / 10 | 02-17-2016 | Firewatch is narrative-driven adventure game dealing with adult issues in ways unlike any other game out there, and is one of the best looking games so far this year. | Read review |
| COGconnected | Paul Sullivan | 90 / 100 | 03-01-2016 | Go on; spend an afternoon with Firewatch. It has a few unsightly spots, but it’s still a tremendous and thought provoking experience for anyone who loves a good adventure. | Read review |
| Critical Hit | Alessandro Barbosa | 8.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | A brilliant adventure packed with some of the best dialogue gaming has even been medium to, Firewatch manages to engross you from the moment it begins and throughout its fittingly brief tale. Even if the journey is far more captivating than the eventual destination, Firewatch is more than worth the price of admission. Wyoming and it mysteries await. | Read review |
| Cubed3 | Adam Riley | 8 / 10 | 03-05-2017 | Do not let the ending put you off Firewatch, nor let the talk of ‘Walking Simulator’ give any sort of preconceived notion of this being boring. What has been delivered is one of the most engaging narrative experiences in recent times, draped beautifully over a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, with plenty of scope for going back to uncover more details, finding new conversation avenues, and stumbling upon all manner of intriguing information not seen the first time round. | Read review |
| Daily Dot | Dennis Scimeca | 3 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch delivers a forest adventure that never really ignites | Read review |
| Daily Star | Rebecca Stow | 4 / 5 stars | 01-13-2019 | A storytelling masterpiece | Read review |
| DarkZero | Simon Lundmark | 7 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | So, the opening to Firewatch may be a little too strong for the game’s own good, then – and as you slowly realise the confines of your role in the game world, it’s not without a little disappointment. Nevertheless, it’s still a journey you should consider going on – one of human and flawed characters, compelling mystery, and sobering, bitter sweet realisations. | Read review |
| DASHGAMER.com | Dan Rizzo | 9 / 10 | 02-27-2016 | It’s a simple, elegant, effective, beautifully crafted, artistic piece, that I will personally cherish in my gaming collection, and would be happy to go back and experience again in the future. Just like any well written story. Well done Campo Santo, Well done. | Read review |
| Destructoid | Steven Hansen | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | The analog inputs (pulling up the walkie-talkie or map, spinning the same “1234” tumblers to unlock every single park lock box with Henry’s paws) combined with unique animation and believable voice work help ground Firewatch, which manages both restraint and maturity in its story without ever going full mumblecore “walking simulator.” The warmth of the budding relationship between two voices with natural chemistry is undercut by harsher realities and the drawn out segments of feeling stalked and vulnerable are legitimately stressful. The result is a tight, taut human tale well worth the trek. | Read review |
| Digital Chumps | Eric Layman | 9.2 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch distinguishes itself through integrity of its structure and preservation of its characters. Allowing control over Henry and Delilah’s perilous connection provides a sense of ownership over the narrative and creates an important bond between action and place. Other story-focused games suffer from a damaging disconnect between agency and intention, almost as if they don’t trust the player to act reasonably in accountable situations. Firewatch proves this dynamic not only to be valuable, but necessary to go forward. | Read review |
| Digital Spy | Mark Langshaw | 4 / 5 stars | 02-12-2016 | In fact, so impressive is the way everything looks and sounds that you’ll kind of wish you could join Harry and leave civilisation behind. Just leave the matches at home, yeah. | Read review |
| Digital Trends | Phil Hornshaw | 2.5 / 5 stars | 02-09-2016 | Firewatch goes for a walk in the woods and gets lost along the way. | Read review |
| EGM | Ray Carsillo | 8 / 10 | 02-12-2016 | Through the grounded reality it portrays and simple jobs players are tasked with, Firewatch sneaks up and surprises you when it zeroes in on a powerful message about the human condition. | Read review |
| Eurogamer | Christian Donlan | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Gorgeous and clever, Campo Santo’s debut is a triumph of craft | Read review |
| Explosion Network | Dylan Blight | 7 / 10 | 05-01-2017 | Even though I thought the ending was ‘meh’ I loved the journey that Firewatch took me on. The great writing and performances make the game and characters enjoyable from start to finish. It’s a pity though that the journey was hindered by constant frame rate issues. | Read review |
| Forbes | Erik Kain | 9 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | I loved Firewatch, mostly, letdown with the ending notwithstanding. | Read review |
| Game Debate | Stuart Thomas | 8 / 10 | 02-09-2016 | Like a good thriller, the whole time I was playing Firewatch I was completely engaged and couldn’t wait to see where the story went next. The tale raises interesting questions about solitude, privacy and paranoia. However, a weak ending and some occasionally strange pacing ultimately detracts from Firewatch’s spark of greatness. | Read review |
| Game Informer | Jeff Cork | 7.8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Fans of slow-burning stories will find much to appreciate here | Read review |
| Game Rant | Denny Connolly | 4.5 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch puts story first and delivers a compelling mystery that sends players into the Wyoming wilderness with nothing but a map, a walkie-talkie, and a lot of questions. | Read review |
| Game Revolution | Gil Almogi | 4.5 / 5 stars | 02-14-2016 | And of course, the phenomenal performances of both Rich Sommer and Cissy Jones contribute the lion’s share of this personal resonance. They brilliantly demonstrate emotional nuance and sensitivity, and now I selfishly want them to voice all the things together. By the ending, my heart felt so heavy not just because of the events that unfolded, but because I believed in the myth of Henry and Delilah I created over a tumultuous summer in Shoshone. Although I loved the exploration, I felt the loneliness when no voice was on the other end, wanting to joke with or occasionally comfort me. | Read review |
| GameCrate | Robert Workman | 8.3 / 10 | 02-15-2016 | Firewatch certainly isn’t a game for everyone, with its non-violent tone, its heavy emotional toll and its somewhat choppy visuals from time to time. That said, it presents a fresh breath of content to the genre that some players won’t want to miss, especially when it comes to its characterization and exciting scenarios. This is one game that definitely delivers the slow burn – in a good way. | Read review |
| GameGrin | Tom Bickmore | 9 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | An industry supergroup brings together their experience to tell an engaging narrative in a beautiful world. Firewatch explores love and commitment through two of the most authentic videogame characters I’ve seen. A simply wonderful game. | Read review |
| Gameplanet | Andrew Todd | 9.5 / 10 | 02-12-2016 | Firewatch pushes the still-forming first person exploration genre ahead several steps, with wonderful dialogue, sumptuous design, and a story that examines loneliness in unique ways. | Read review |
| Gamers Heroes | Casey Scheld | 6 / 10 | 02-12-2016 | Firewatch has got an interesting style to it, but it just doesn’t have the follow-through. It’s not a terrible game, but rather an undercooked one. Those looking for something new will likely appreciate its unique style, but even the most fervent of fans will be aware of its faults. | Read review |
| GamesBeat | Jeff Grubb | 95 / 100 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is special and rare. | Read review |
| GameSkinny | Eric Adams | 8 / 10 | 02-22-2016 | Overall, Firewatch is a great game that I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t require a gun for their first-person gaming experience. | Read review |
| GameSpew | Emily Sowden | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | The look of this game is nothing short of stunning… Each detail is carefully designed and thought out with a charming feel to it overall | Read review |
| GameSpot | Scott Butterworth | 7 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Though its plot doesn’t fully pay off, Firewatch gives you a thorough, thoughtful insight into the formation of a meaningful relationship. | Read review |
| GamesRadar+ | Justin Towell | 4.5 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | A stunning example of interactive storytelling, Firewatch’s greatest success is making you feel like it’s really happening to you. And the less you know about it going in, the more you’ll enjoy it. | Read review |
| GameWatcher | Anthony Shelton | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch kept me engaged from beginning to end. The dialogue and the voice acting were believable and relatable, and I felt like the choices I made were ones I might make in real life. I wish Campo Santo added greater ramifications to some choices but it didn’t diminish the emotional effect they had on me. The ending will be a point of contention for some, but it all comes down to a perspective and regardless of that, you should play this game. | Read review |
| GameZone | Mike Splechta | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is truly more about the journey, than it is the destination. In the end, I didn’t care all that much about the mystery being solved, however, I did care about Henry’s overall progression. You not only feel for this character, but you more or less are this character. | Read review |
| Gaming Nexus | Randy Kalista | 9.5 / 10 | 02-26-2016 | Even better than presenting its dangers, Firewatch presents the threat of danger. This is no feel-good summer beach read; this is a brutally beautiful and fragile story of people running from their problems—and problems running away from any tidy conclusions. This is the video game equivalent of a page turner, and adventure games have rarely been in finer form. | Read review |
| GamingBolt | Josh Griffiths | 7 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch could have, and should have, been so much better than it is. You can see the greatness shrivel up like a dying flower when the mystery elements are introduced, and it’s heartbreaking. On brief occasions that greatness peaks through the mediocrity, but that only makes everything else more disappointing. | Read review |
| GamingTrend | Eric Van Allen | 90 / 100 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a beautiful story of escapism and loss, set against the beautiful Wyoming wilderness. The physicality of your interactions, the excellent radio conversations, and poignant writing and imagery are hindered only by slight issues in presentation and technical hitching. It’s grounded, human, and one that you’ll be eager to talk about for days after the credits roll. | Read review |
| GBAtemp | Tom Bond | 8 / 10 | 02-13-2016 | I really liked Firewatch. I really liked Delilah. I really liked the story told, even if the game doesn’t end in an interesting or exciting way. Firewatch is simply the type of game you’d turn to if you’re in the mood for story telling. It’s a one-off game, and something that can be enjoyed without really putting much effort into playing it. | Read review |
| Geeks Under Grace | Damien Chambers | 9.7 / 10 | 03-23-2016 | Firewatch is a breath of fresh air in the adventure game genre. While the game is primarily dialogue based like other adventure games, gameplay is more FPS-like as you will climb cliffs, rock faces, rappel, and cross over make shift bridges as you work to solve the mystery of the Shoshone National Forest. While some navigation issues make getting around the environment difficult, the real salt in the wound is the abrupt, and illogical revelation that makes no sense in the context of the events leading up to the finale. | Read review |
| Giant Bomb | Alex Navarro | 4 / 5 stars | 02-09-2016 | Campo Santo’s debut adventure offers up a taut mystery built around two tremendously engaging characters. | Read review |
| God is a Geek | Adam Cook | 9.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | A gorgeous, spellbinding game that plays with your thoughts and delivers a narrative throughline that you never see coming. An absolute must for fans of storytelling in games. | Read review |
| Guardian | Nathan Ditum | 4 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Set amid the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park, this enigmatic adventure offers a compelling meditation on love, loss and loneliness | Read review |
| Hardcore Gamer | Matt Whittaker | 4.5 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is one of those games that you need to take a step back and think about after it’s over. | Read review |
| IBTimes UK | Ben Skipper | 4 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a simple game that tells a simple, far from impactful, tale, which approaches greatness thanks to superb writing, acting and design work. Gameplay is kept light and straightforward, but is always engaging – befitting a game that revels in the unique storytelling potential of games. This is a new studio’s debut title, but it bears the quality of a product made by a team of veterans who have a great deal more to offer. | Read review |
| IGN | Ryan McCaffrey | 9.3 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is amazing for many reasons, but above all because it’s an adult game that deals with serious issues, with realistic adult dialogue to match. And it deals with those issues just like actual adults would: sometimes with humor, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with sadness. It is among the very best of the first-person narrative genre, and it reminds us what video game storytelling is capable of in the right hands. It’s a game I can see coming back to every year or two just to revisit its beautiful sights and memorable characters – just like a good book. | Read review |
| IGN Italy | Mattia Ravanelli | 7.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a little, fascinating adventure, that fail to fully satisfy its potential. | Read review |
| IGN Middle East | Lynn Jisr | 9.5 / 10 | 02-10-2016 | Firewatch is truly a storytelling masterpiece. The mystery unfolds at a proper pace as you explore the beautiful Wyoming wilderness and the characters naturally grow as they encounter different experience. Rich Sommer and Cissy Jones did an exceptional job with the voice acting, bringing Henry and Delilah to life and making me form an emotional bond with them. I highly recommend this game to anyone who loves a great story. | Read review |
| Kill Screen | Lewis Gordon | 74 / 100 | 02-16-2016 | It’s a beautiful, beguiling place to spend some time, absolutely worth it while you’re there, but sooner rather than later you’ll yearn to shed its shackles, to get off the beaten path. | Read review |
| Kotaku | Luke Plunkett | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is the loneliest game about human beings you might ever play. | Read review |
| Metro GameCentral | David Jenkins | 5 / 10 | 02-09-2016 | The most bizarre narrative bait and switch in video game history, as a tense, emotional thriller sticks the worst landing since Eddie The Eagle. | Read review |
| MonsterVine | Austin Adamson | 5 / 5 stars | 02-09-2016 | If you have experience exploring the outdoors, or want to better understand what it is to duality of feeling like a pioneer in an undiscovered location while simultaneously feeling secluded and vulnerable Firewatch might resonate as strongly with you as it did with me. | Read review |
| New Game Network | Charlie Nicholson | 63 / 100 | 02-15-2016 | Despite its technical hitches and messy conclusion, Firewatch’s study of a flowering friendship makes for a riveting experience, against a gorgeous backdrop that breathes with fragile solitude. | Read review |
| Nintendo Life | Dom Reseigh-Lincoln | 9 / 10 | 12-17-2018 | It really doesn’t matter that Firewatch came out over two and a half years ago, because it’s just as engrossing and enchanting as it was the first time around. From the warm glow of its forests in the morning summer light to the subtle tension of exploring a rocky gorge in the isolating silence of night, Shoshone National Forest is a character in its own right. With a story that’s both funny and heartbreaking – and enhanced by some brilliant performances by its two central actors – this is an essential purchase, irrespective of whether you’re playing it for the first time on Switch or simply using it as an excuse to revisit an old favourite. | Read review |
| NintendoWorldReport | Jordan Rudek | 9 / 10 | 12-19-2018 | Firewatch has an affective and engaging story that draws you in, and I couldn’t put the game down after the halfway point. What initially seems like more of a relaxing walking simulator becomes something more consequential and dire. Anyone interested in great stories—not just those told through video games—needs to pick up Firewatch. Like Celeste and GRIS, Firewatch is a triumph of artistic and thought-provoking game design, and it can remind you of summer as you bundle up for the cold winter ahead. | Read review |
| Paste Magazine | Garrett Martin | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | It’s what you feel as the story unfolds like a short story on your television screen, visiting the private grief of others who can struggle to communicate just as torturously as all of us in the real world can. And although this dual character study can feel a little slight, and has a few improbable notes that are struck seemingly just to enhance a sense of mystery, that central friendship between Henry and Delilah is powerful. It feels real, and important for both of them, and it would be wrong to change or weaken it by playing the game again. | Read review |
| PC Gamer | Andy Kelly | 85 / 100 | 02-08-2016 | A captivating journey into a beautiful, atmospheric wilderness, with a touching story that doesn’t always hit the right notes. | Read review |
| PCWorld | Hayden Dingman | 3 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is beautiful. Firewatch is intriguing. But ultimately I don’t think Firewatch is very good. At its best, this is a quiet game about two characters struggling with real-life insecurities. But when that’s sidelined to make room for a main plot, Firewatch suffers. It’s a game perfect for trailers, a game full of excellent dialogue and breathtaking moments and stunning vistas that ultimately amounts to nothing much at all. | Read review |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Max Parker | 6.5 / 10 | 02-12-2016 | The lush environments of “Firewatch” are a joy to explore, but the story at the heart of the woods leaves something to be desired. The early emotion felt in the game’s intro loses its trail among a bramble of side plots and head scratching character decisions. “Firewatch” gets lost like Henry on his first day on the job. | Read review |
| Player.One | Bob Fekete | 10 / 10 | 09-22-2016 | You seriously need to play Firewatch. It’s a five-star game, and an experience I will remember for a long, long time. Now that there’s been a release on Xbox One, nobody has an excuse to miss out. | Read review |
| PlayStation Universe | Garri Bagdasarov | 8.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch really gets you thinking, plays on your emotions, and delivers a unique experience that stays with you long after the final credits roll. | Read review |
| Polygon | Colin Campbell | 8.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is the video game equivalent of a page-turner | Read review |
| Post Arcade (National Post) | Chad Sapieha | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Campo Santo’s first game is a narrative-driven adventure about a man trying to escape his troubled life in the wilderness of Wyoming | Read review |
| Press Start | Ewan Roxburgh | 10 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is truly something special. It tells a beautifully crafted, character-driven, engaging story with impeccable pacing. It’s deeply reflective and thought provoking, not only in the context of its characters and their situations, but in a broader context of player interaction with video games. | Read review |
| pressakey.com | Jari Wieschmann | Recommended | 09-25-2016 | Ich sehe es schon vor mir: am Ende wollen die Kids nicht mehr Feuerwehrmann werden, sondern sich – einen Sommer lang – in die stillen Weiten von Wyoming zurückziehen, um Waldbrände aufzuspüren. In dieser Hinsicht hat das Entwicklerstudio Campo Santo in jedem Fall geliefert. Ich habe es bislang auch noch nicht erlebt, dass mir im Supermarkt eine Radiowerbung vor die Füße fiel, in der für Firewatch (oder ein anderes Indie-Spiel) geworben wurde. Ich meine, wir reden hier nicht über Call of Duty oder World of Warcraft, sondern über einen Normalo, der sich in die Einöde von Wyoming zurückzieht, um Waldbrände aufzuspüren und zu sich selbst zu finden. Doch auch über das clevere Marketing hinaus ist Firewatch für alle, die etwas für story-lastige Spiele übrig haben, uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen. Eines ist mir beim Spielen auch noch in den Sinn gekommen: Ich habe in den vergangenen Monaten viele VR-Brillen getestet und mich immer gefragt, welche Inhalte sich eigentlich für diese neue Technologie anbieten. Für mich ist die Frage entschieden: Firewatch in einer VR-Version wäre der perfekte Content (genauso wie Gone Home, Journey und Abzû). Einfach nur in einer 360-Grad-Sicht eine für mich neue Umgebung genießen zu können, ohne dabei ein Action-Feuerwerk abfeuern zu müssen, würde mir einen Grad an Immersion und Atmosphäre geben, den die konventionellen Darstellungsformen bislang nicht zu liefern vermögen. Wenn man Firewatch denn als einen Vertreter der Gattung “Walking-Simulator” bezeichnen will, dann hat dieses Genre wieder eine glänzende Perle hervorgebracht. Unbedingt spielen! | Read review |
| PS4Blog.net | Ceidz | 9 / 10 | 08-06-2017 | All in all, I loved playing through Firewatch and ended up finishing it in a single epic 4-hour long session that ended at almost 2 a.m. I highly recommend this purchase to gamers looking for a different experience from your usual gaming sessions. | Read review |
| Push Square | Sammy Barker | 6 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch has the embers of a great narrative-driven game, but it fails to ever ignite into a furnace. Unforgivable performance issues detract from the otherwise outstanding art direction, but it’s the abrupt story and unconvincing characters that really douse the hype here. Campo Santo’s inaugural outing starts incredibly strongly, but your alarm bells will be ringing long before it burns out without ever really sparking into life. | Read review |
| Reloading BR | Felipe Mesquita | 8.8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch has a fun and exciting storyline, with very interesting characters and well-constructed dialogues with humor and mystery. It is a game that goes beyond the basic premise of Walking Simulators and tries to add layers and give more depth to the gameplay of this genre. It hits all the right spots with its realistic themes creating an intimate relationship between the player, the main characters and this world that Campo Santo created. The small drops of rhythm and the end that can be a bit divisive do not take much of this great remarkable adventure, | Read review |
| Rock, Paper, Shotgun | John Walker | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a rare and beautiful creation, that expands the possibilities for how a narrative game can be presented, without bombast or gimmick. It’s delicate, lovely, melancholy and wistful. And very, very funny. A masterful and entrancing experience. | Read review |
| Rocket Chainsaw | Andrew Cathie | 4 / 5 stars | 02-28-2016 | Overall, my journey in Firewatch was engaging and fun, with wonderful scenery and some of the best written and most believable conversations I’ve ever heard in a game. It was a special journey, however, the ending felt rushed and the feelings that were invoked during the game were brushed under the carpet. Additionally, the controls were frustrating and the technical issues are inexcusable. | Read review |
| Screen Rant | Hannah Shaw-Williams | 4 / 5 stars | 02-12-2016 | While it may not be the most groundbreaking release of the year, Firewatch does mark another tentative step forward in exploring video game experiences beyond established genres like shooting and racing. | Read review |
| Shacknews | Josh Hawkins | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | I enjoyed my short time in the world of Firewatch. The world is beautiful and the voice acting is excellent. But Henry and Delilah’s story is far too short, and the resolution of the game’s story relies far too much on a backstory that isn’t given the breathing room it needs. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that just teeters back down to a merry-go-round, leaving me with a detached feeling that everything I had spent the past few hours working towards has been all for nought. | Read review |
| Sirus Gaming | Lexuzze Tablante | 8.4 / 10 | 03-18-2016 | Overall, Firewatch is a game you want to spend time in if you just want pure conversation and story. The narrative is what makes this game great even if it’s a 5 to 7 hours of gameplay. And if you want to have pure adult-rated amusing conversations and jaw-dropping views of landscapes, then Firewatch is the game you definitely need to try out. | Read review |
| Slant Magazine | Alexander Chatziioannou | 2.5 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | It’s a shame that the game loses the player so early, and that it takes so much of its length to win one back. | Read review |
| Softpedia | Andrei Dumitrescu | 9 / 10 | 02-11-2016 | Firewatch shows how a good combination of narrative, character interactions, exploration, and visuals can create a unique experience that keeps gamers engaged despite the limits of the actual gameplay. | Read review |
| SomHráč.sk | Martin Kubeš | 75 / 100 | 02-18-2016 | Despite the fact that Firewatch is the debut of Campo Santo, the developers have succeeded in creating an interesting adventure, altough with a slightly dissapointing finale. | Read review |
| SwitchWatch | Juan Romero | 8 / 10 | 12-19-2018 | Video Review | Read review |
| TechnoBuffalo | Joey Davidson | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a beautiful game with a unique narrative hook. It’s been hanging around in my head for days since I finished it. | Read review |
| TechRaptor | Andrew Otton | 7.5 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | An above average narrative, excellent dialogue, and wonderful pacing should make Firewatch enjoyable to any adventure fan. | Read review |
| Telegraph | Tom Hoggins | 4 / 5 stars | 02-09-2016 | In a stark textual introduction, this is the first thing you see in Firewatch. It is unusual to see the video game condition laid out so plainly at the start of an adventure. You are Henry. You are someone else. Get ready to play your role. It is an effective gambit, with deft writing settling you into the mind of this character. It is notable because many video games rely on you being yourself, or make an effort to cast you as a controlling observer. A puppeteer. But Firewatch says this with such conviction: you are Henry. But are you really? This is a character that exists, that has already been created. The choices you have in this introduction are slight variations. Firewatch is a video game that extols both the virtues and drawbacks of being someone else , conjuring an illusion of choice within a pre-set story and bumping against the limitations that ensue. | Read review |
| The Escapist | Taylor Hidalgo | 4 / 5 stars | 02-09-2016 | Firewatch is an excellent, tense story, uncanny in spite its numerous beauties, and unmissable despite weaker mechanics. | Read review |
| The Jimquisition | Jim Sterling | 8 / 10 | 02-12-2016 | Firewatch is not what many people may have wanted, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Fans of interactive drama will absolutely want to give this a try, as it shows how you can craft a “walking simulator” while keeping players involved and intrigued as opposed to ignored and bored. | Read review |
| The Outerhaven Productions | Jason Kwasnicki | 4.5 / 5 stars | 02-11-2016 | If “walking simulators” aren’t your thing, this may not be a fit for you. I wasn’t a fan of the genre before playing Firewatch, so maybe it might change your mind as well. It is hard to make the call as a critic, because the experience can be pretty personal at times. But what I can say definitively was that I was surprised. | Read review |
| TheSixthAxis | Tuffcub | 7 / 10 | 02-07-2016 | You already know if you are going to be buying Firewatch, and if you loved Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture or Life Is Strange then this is the game for you. It’s small, short and almost perfectly formed, it’s just the shame the game broke so many times when I was playing it. I’m hoping these problems can be found and fixed very quickly after launch and I would suggest holding off buying the game until a patch has been released, but until then we don’t have much of a choice but to mark an otherwise lovely game down due to the problems encountered. | Read review |
| TheXboxHub | Richard Dobson | 4.5 / 5 stars | 09-27-2016 | The ending really was disappointing, but it’s so superbly done in every other department that it really doesn’t matter. People will be talking about their experiences with Henry and Delilah rather than what happened afterwards. Find yourself a free afternoon, no distractions or spoilers, and experience Firewatch. | Read review |
| Twinfinite | Chris Jecks | 4 / 5 stars | 02-10-2016 | Campo Santo should be applauded for what its done with Firewatch. The game is an artistic masterpiece and gives further evidence that this medium can deliver beautiful and unique experiences. | Read review |
| USgamer | Bob Mackey | 3.5 / 5 stars | 02-17-2016 | Firewatch doesn’t provide the same emotional heights or satisfying conclusion you’d expect from such a story-heavy game, but Campo Santo definitely shows promise with their debut project. Even if it won’t have you reaching for the tissues by the end, this woodland walking simulator still provides a pretty great way to burn through an otherwise unoccupied afternoon. | Read review |
| VGChartz | Jared Katz | Recommended | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch is a simply gorgeous game that is less about telling an explosive story and more about the little moments that make up the journey. | Read review |
| Video Chums | Mary Billington | 4.5 / 10 | 02-15-2016 | Unfortunately, Firewatch left me unfulfilled to say the least. | Read review |
| VideoGamer | Tom Orry | 8 / 10 | 02-08-2016 | Firewatch feels like a natural and smart evolution of the adventure game, offering choices without as many constraints, but at the same time expertly funneling players down a path. | Read review |
| Washington Post | Christopher Byrd | Recommended | 02-11-2016 | If you note the two main characters’ penchant for irony and have been paying attention to the clues in the game, such as the cheap mass market paperbacks scattered about the area, you’ll sense that the mystery isn’t on the level of some global alien conspiracy, but rather, like “Firewatch” itself, it’s something mundane and graspable. In the context of a medium that’s normally obsessed with feeding on the outlandish, I mean that as a compliment. | Read review |
| Wccftech | Chris Wray | 9.2 / 10 | 02-09-2016 | Firewatch is a short, succinct, game that tells the story it wants to tell. It offers a real look at developing relationships, choice and consequence, all with the beautifully rendered backdrop of the Shoshone national forest. It’s a game that will stick with you beyond the finish and one that you’ll want to go back to. | Read review |
| We Got This Covered | Eric Hall | 3.5 / 5 stars | 02-08-2016 | Despite featuring some awful stuttering and skipping, Campo Santo’s Firewatch is one of the strongest debut projects in recent memory. The Olly Moss-designed world shines on screen, and the engaging relationship between Henry and Delilah elevates the story, even in the face of a weak closing act. | Read review |
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