I think something I enjoyed about Firewatch is that while it is a lot of walking and talking, it didn't feel as introspective as some of its contemporaries. I'm not too familiar with SOMA so I can't speak on that one, but it certainly doesn't fall prey to the same problems that games like Dear Esther or The Beginner's Guide had where the game is entirely about the narrator's recollection or discovery of something, and instead feels a lot more like a story you're an active participant in. Really, I think the comparison to Telltale games is much closer to how it feels, just in first person rather than the third usually seen from the typical "Walking Simulator" tagged game.Xsjadoblayde said:
Telltale's style has always been quite pleasing in their ability to feel human and convincing enough to become invested with the characters. This title has a much more visually enticing, melancholic appearance in comparison, with the intro choices sounding like they are there to have an impact on the main game also, which if so, is pretty neat.NewClassic said:
You had me wondering for a minute there. They do sound very similar.Xsjadoblayde said:
I was one of the few weirdos who liked Everybody's gone to the rapture, which should make anything else under the genre (or whatever it officially counts as) a safe bet.Juan Regular said:
In this case, I would argue a lot of the personal tension wouldn't have landed as well if it was out of the player's hands. I think it could've made a fine movie (or book, or television show), but in this form, I think it made for a good game. There are a lot of ways to tell this sort of story, and we don't see games do it much. I think Firewatch did very well in bringing this sort of narrative to a game audience.Meiam said:
Nope, fully intentional. It is an astoundingly pretty game, but that's an art design thing. Without the Something out in the woods, as it feels through most of the story, the woods end up being a lot emptier, even if they're no less busy.Barbas said:
The ability to choose your own dialogue or make physical choices, creates better immersion. These games make you feel a bunch of emotions you couldn't feel through watching someone else play it. Playing this game, I felt guilt, responsibility, paranoia, and even occasional embarrassment with myself - things that can't be felt unless I was the one making those choices. Even if the choices turn out to be largely superficial or non-choices on a re-run, I think the strength of the illusion the first time around serves its intended purpose and makes a more fulfilling experience (if hampering the replay value).Meiam said:
