23 Observations On 17 Minutes Of Firewatch

I haven't been entirely sure what to make of Firewatch [official site], the upcoming great outdoors adventure/exploration title from a mini-supergroup of ex-Double Fine/ Telltale/ Lucasarts/ Klei/ Lionhead devs, because I wasn't entirely sure what it was. Having just watched a quarter of an hour of it, I still don't entirely know what it's going to become, but I really, really like it. It seems to have this laid-back pace and tone and tons of slow-burn character-building while still being very, well, gamey. I really hope that pace and tone can be maintained throughout. Also it looks like somewhere I'd really love to go and live in for a while.

The footage and my own assorted as-they-happened thoughts, including observations on underwear, caves and wedding rings, are below.

• Orienteering! With a map and a compass and getting vaguely confused and everything.
• The orange colours are nice. Perpetual sunset, but not in a Michael Bay way.
• The forest looks foresty, something I'd actually like to hike through.
• Laid back dialogue. Exasperated rather than heroic characters, just doing their job.
• Reporting underwear lying on the ground feels simultaneously mundane and filthy.
• Dialogue offers the choice to be hectoring, playful, anxious as you interact with others.
• Other characters seem to be kept at a distance or only heard, maybe it doesn't want to disrupt the fantasy with uncanny faces?
• You can steal a boombox! The guy throws it in a stream here, but I'll just bet someone finds a way to carry it with them for the whole game.
• Seems to have lots of just-because object interactions, a la Gone Home but it's in this huge outdoor space.
• The environment is slightly Team Fortress 2y. Not a bad thing. There are quite a few photo-real forests doing the rounds now, so it's almost refreshing to see something stylised.
• The main character has kind of a dorky run.
• Super-minimal UI, with big pressy buttons and words popping up when needed.
• How strange it is to see a wedding ring on a first-person hand. Has the happened before?
• Caves! Games are full of caves, but because we don't yet know what sorts of things are out there or what the character is capable of defending himself against, it's exciting/scary in this context. Like going into a random cave you find during a hill walk.
• Lots of comedy sparring/flirting between the two characters. I hope some Will They/Won't They overtone doesn't take over entirely. It's going to be more fun when they're mildly combative.
• Ben thinks the main guy is voiced by Harry from Mad Men, but I think he sounds a little too gruff. But I dunno, ACTING.
• Surprise full-throated karaoke rendition of Africa by Toto!
• What a nice, starry night sky that is. The great outdoors, the big sky, the great escape we all dream of when it all gets too much.
• Outside toilets with no apparent drainage system. I'm glad games can't do smells yet.
• Lots of rock-climbing and trailfinding, but very low-key. A little like Far Cry 3/4 without the mania.
• I like that there's basically a Jobsworth Button - reporting every minor infraction, disturbance or object you stumble across. It's like the Ubisoft icon-hoovering, but with litter-spotting. There's a purpose at least, keep this place clean and safe.
• I really want to spend a couple of weeks living in the protagonist's little watch tower with the amazing views. No internet, no bills, no nothin' but the land.
• Who would throw his typewriter out of the window? Is this a Secret Window thing?