Simply presenting a flawed, selfish character makes it harder for us to empathize, even if we can see ourselves reflected in them. They've removed an aspect of my agency and, in doing so, created a character who's arguably far more like us than any paragon of justice we'd like to create.īut they do still offer a degree of control, and this matters. Campo Santo has taken away the option to be flawless. There is no risk.Ĭampo Santo, the game's developer, doesn't want to offer me this path with Henry. The only outcome is that I experience the relevant plot variant. It can be a struggle to behave well in real life, so being able to pick obviously good choices in games is cathartic. Hell, I've literally sacrificed my digital life for the greater good in other games. My characters are saccharine moral arbiters saintly and self-sacrificing. I'm the kind of player who plays as a good person. There was no option to behave selflessly, to move with her, and this bothered me. I could either dissuade my wife from taking her dream job or I could insist that she commutes. About half-way through the prologue, you're asked how you respond to Henry's wife Jules being offered a job in a place to which you would not like to move.īoth options are inherently selfish. Some were innocuous, such as choosing to own a big dog or a small dog. I'm so accustomed to games either offering myriad choice or no choice at all that it was momentarily jarring to be asked to dictate events within the limited degrees of Henry. Every choice ends up with Henry in the woods, running from his problems. My stamp on the character's backstory was inconsequential. You're given stark either/or options and they're restrictive my agency was minimal. You're asked to make some choices here, and my first reaction was disappointment. You're presented with narrative vignettes interspersed between snippets of you-as-Henry trekking along a gorgeous mountain trail. You can read Polygon's review as well.įirewatch's opening resembles a Twine game or a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Warning: The following will contain Firewatch spoilers, right up to the game's ending, so it's probably better if you go and play the game before reading this.
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