There's a lot to love about the deal that is Xbox Game Pass, and this month is an excellent example of how it's continuing to get better and better as more titles make their way to the service. With December adding big titles like Among Us, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Mortal Kombat 11, it's only natural that some gaming enthusiasts might overlook smaller titles that are being added alongside them like Lake or The Gunk. That said, December's Game Pass additions feature one of indie gaming's absolute best that shouldn't be overlooked even when placed next to newer, bigger titles that are being listed on the service alongside it: Firewatch.
Firewatch was an indie hit when it was first released back in 2016, but it still remains relevant today as an excellent example of the things possible in the gaming medium. The game is about a man who takes a job as a fire lookout for a national park, following some traumatic twists in his life. He then confides in the other lookout for the park and builds a relationship with her solely through their conversations over their walkie-talkies. Now that it's been put on Xbox Game Pass, subscribers who haven't played it should really consider giving it a try, and those who have should revisit it.
Firewatch is Still One of the Medium's Best
Although it's pretty gameplay light, Firewatch is still a standout in terms of storytelling in the medium. Its writing is superb and because of its small cast, players spend the game's entire playtime intimately getting to know its two main characters so when the drama starts to ramp up in its final hours, Firewatch hits on a personal, emotional level that gives even the most dramatic, big-budget titles a run for their money. When it first came out, the game's narrative was the talk of the gaming community as everyone took away different things from the experience.
While not intended, Firewatch's narrative hits home even harder today during the current pandemic landscape, as its story about two people connecting despite their physical isolation feels almost as if it's intended to be a commentary on the social distancing practices that have changed the way everyone lives their lives today. That aspect of its story is just another of the many different takeaways that players can turn over in their minds for hours after the game's credits roll.
Even though there isn't a dedicated Xbox Series X/S version of the game, it's still a pretty experience from a graphical standpoint. Its art style, while not as exaggerated as other titles like Borderlands or The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, has a cel-shaded look to it that gives Firewatch a timeless feeling that's also in line with its 1989 setting. When played on current-gen consoles and high-end PCs, it's going to get the additional fidelity boost that comes hand in hand with better hardware, giving its art style and imagery an additional level of beauty.
Because Firewatch was such a big hit when it initially launched, many Xbox Game Pass subscribers may have already played through its story. However, it's still worth playing through again for two major reasons.
The first is that while it doesn't feature a branching narrative in the same vein as other titles, choosing different dialogue throughout the game changes the ending in terms of how both characters feel and behave in the final hours. The other reason that makes a second playthrough of Firewatch worth it is that players will be better equipped to pick up on some of the foreshadowing done throughout the narrative, and begin to see the seeds planted in the earlier hours of the game that become main parts of the mystery later on.
Firewatch is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.