Reviewed version: PlayStation 4

Would you like to appear accidentally in the desolate wilderness in Wyoming? In the middle of nowhere where only trees, wild animals, hikers and wayfarers are overcoming obstacles and pitfalls. Henry's life situation brings our main protagonist precisely at the same place described above on the lookout where his only task is to keep the place safe and look after the nature to prevent the forest fires destroy whole vegetation. Here the story of lonely guardian on the lookout begins which contains only a few items and devices like a walkie-talkie, a bed, several books, a desk and mainly a device transferring the radio connection. After two days of climbing the mountains, a surprise is waiting for you. You won't be completely alone, a woman colleague on the other side of the walkie-talkie is Delilah. Your boss who gives you pieces of advice connected with your duties.

Delilah will be following you on your journey across the wilderness giving you tasks and also try to build a more intimate relationship get to know you more at least. However, you haven't met each other earlier a walkie-talkie is the only one communication device through you solve out easy or precarious cases which come under your competence. Pleasantly worked out environment along chilling soundtrack contrive to establish calmness and well-being in your head. Enjoy wandering across the wilderness from the first-person view is an awesome experience you won't ever forget.

Along the tremendous environment, navigation is also pretty worked out via map and gyrocompass. The game won't guide your hand to show you the only right way. A compass in right hand and a map in left hand is enough rather than a thousand pieces of advice put in by developers. If you run across whatever interesting place or phenomenon, report it to Delilah, and she shall tell you more, provide useful information or just chatter around. You always have way more options not to answer during communication or tell her more info. You can be honest you can moderately lie or make fun of Delilah. While wandering around, you meet these situations too many times, so it's necessary to speak English (understand) otherwise, you won't enjoy the story at full.

At first, the game presents itself like a RiME, and it carries in a similar spirit although, RiME provides lots of puzzles, Firewatch builds on long dialogues with a storyline. Although it seems like it's only about observing the wilderness, certain circumstances appear very soon leaving an impression on you - for example, a bra with panties hanging on a bush branch.

Controllability is intuitive and convenient on PlayStation 4 controller. The game does not explain and not show what to do during specific situations. Always remember, the female colleague on the other side of the walkie-talkie always helps you, so do not hesitate to push the button. In a term of time, you learn more about the environment and about Delilah's life, anyway, nothing prevents you from sharing your feelings with Delilah too. Accompanied by melancholic music, you put yourself in Henry's shoes pretty easily and grow on him. You may identify yourself with Henry enough to play out the game at one go.

The story ends before it started. Barely get hands-on experience with a controller, observe along tremendous Wyoming wilderness, the story is quickly shortened and end up in a phase when you would have suggested continuation or different unravelling. The thrilling atmosphere and emotional basis add the game the authenticity, as well as well-worked out soundtrack playing in the right situation add peps. Do not reveal a pinch of the storyline is problematic in a story-driven game, but Firewatch offers more than that. There are not too many games similar to Firewatch, so it's an awesome feeling to enjoy every second in this game.

Extoll and extoll the game to sky-high does not fit the title, because we may come across freezes (loading between locations), which moderately spoil or disturb the feeling. The game is running flawless, but once I appeared out of the map on the boulder from which I couldn't leap down, so I had to load the latest save. Fortunately, I ended up very close the point I had been bugged before. I just point out that jumping isn't allowed in the game, only from specific heights otherwise, you have to rappel down from the high slopes or overcome small obstacles, so Firewatch is clearly walking simulator with the walkie-talkie at a mouth.

Wrap up to shorts with full-length warm socks to warm boots is the basis, morning fog in Wyoming's wilderness uses to be unpleasant, so equipment with several ropes, grapples and snap-links are necessary for to survive in such inhospitable wilderness. Certainly, the inhospitable environment may be there, where sunshine heats up Henry's bald head, even when he isn't bald. Even when the game takes about 5 hours to play out, it will be the best spent five hours of yours in your life, and I dare to say, you will enjoy the title so much, alternatively, you will play it again in the future.

28. 11. 2018 13:28