(It burned down in the summer of 2011, just a few weeks after this photo was taken.) The Needles Lookout Tower, formerly in Sequoia National Forest. Screenshot from Steam.Д¬ompare that with the photo of the Needles Lookout Tower below, which once kept vigil over the Sequoia National Forest. HereвЂ™s a look at the Firewatch splash screen. IвЂ™ve visited a number of fire lookout towers throughout California, and I was pleased that the game totally nailed the look and feel of these iconic structures. As the setup ends, Henry finishes his hike down the occasionally hard-to-see trail and arrives at his home for the summerвЂ“the Two Forks Lookout Tower. These choices seem to have some small impact on some of the things Henry sees and says during his sojourn in the woods. Often thereвЂ™s only one option to select (which is a little odd) to advance the backstory, but sometimes youвЂ™re presented with two distinct alternatives. As the backstory unfolds, youвЂ™re given choices for Henry to make. These are intercut with text-only flashbacks to his past that show the events of how he got where he is. It starts with scenes of Henry preparing for his journey into the wilderness. The game plays a little like a choose-your-own-adventure story. ItвЂ™s also a job of isolation, and Henry took it to hide from his problems.

The job is simple enoughвЂ“spot any fires in the forest surrounding the tower as soon as possible after theyвЂ™ve started and report them so they donвЂ™t spread. Set in 1989, Firewatch is a first-person mystery game where you play Henry, a 40-something man whoвЂ™s avoiding the mess his life has become by taking a summer job as a fire lookout deep in the heart of WyomingвЂ™s Shoshone National Forest. Over the edge: things spin out of control in Firewatch. What was an escapist wilderness adventure takes a dark turn into the realm of paranoia and fear, and now thereвЂ™s something sinister at work in this forestвЂ¦ and itвЂ™s out to get you. ThereвЂ™s a point in Firewatch when you realize that this game is more than just a walk in the woods.

Firewatch game