• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Firewatch |OT| With Me

I played through it in one sitting after work last night.

Maybe from like 5-8 maybe 8:30. Was pretty into it the whole time.

But honestly after playing through it, i dont think I would recommend it.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
I just beat it, took what four hours? Which is a little shorter after hearing other people played for 6-8.

I feel like I might of missed a lot of stuff, is it worth replaying and picking different dialogue choices?

Also I heard online that some people
Got the Day 1 trophy and missed lot of others. Do the days pass the same for everyone or is it dependant on your choices? I got them all.

most people ive seen finish it in 3-4 hours. Kinda put me off buying it for now, im low on cash and 20€ for a 4 hour joint isnt really my cup of tea right now.

like you can extend that probably if you explore alot, but in a narrative focused game, I dont see the point in that. Not that I would rush it mind you, but I wouldnt be looking in every nook and corner just to extend the game time. Oh well, Ill wait for a sale

There is not much optional stuff to explore, I feel.

even worse. at least youre honest :)
 

Wok

Member
most people ive seen finish it in 3-4 hours. Kinda put me off buying it for now, im low on cash and 20€ for a 4 hour joint isnt really my cup of tea right now.

like you can extend that probably if you explore alot, but in a narrative focused game, I dont see the point in that. Not that I would rush it mind you, but I wouldnt be looking in every nook and corner just to extend the game time. Oh well, Ill wait for a sale

There is not much optional stuff to explore, I feel.
 

Kiyo

Member
I feel really let down by this game. I guess I just expected... more. It was a game that kept my interest for a few hours but it wasn't great imo. Just average, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it at $20.
 
I feel really let down by this game. I guess I just expected... more. It was a game that kept my interest for a few hours but it wasn't great imo. Just average, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it at $20.

Yeah. really wish i picked it up in a steam sale.
 

aravuus

Member
most people ive seen finish it in 3-4 hours. Kinda put me off buying it for now, im low on cash and 20€ for a 4 hour joint isnt really my cup of tea right now.

like you can extend that probably if you explore alot, but in a narrative focused game, I dont see the point in that. Not that I would rush it mind you, but I wouldnt be looking in every nook and corner just to extend the game time. Oh well, Ill wait for a sale

Yeah, I have better use for that 20 dollars so I refunded the game for now. Will get it either when my situation is better or when it's on sale.
 
Gotta say, given all the options they could've gone with. I really appreciate what genre they ended up going with with this game. It's not really one that's been utilized in games that often.

To be more specific, I really like that it's a paranoia thriller, similar to something like Coppola's The Conversation.
 

IvanJ

Banned
most people ive seen finish it in 3-4 hours. Kinda put me off buying it for now, im low on cash and 20€ for a 4 hour joint isnt really my cup of tea right now.

like you can extend that probably if you explore alot, but in a narrative focused game, I dont see the point in that. Not that I would rush it mind you, but I wouldnt be looking in every nook and corner just to extend the game time. Oh well, Ill wait for a sale)

Ultimately, I wouldn't say 4 hours is the problem. Problem to me was that the story was ultimately...hollow. I wanted to get the ending, and all I got were the end credits.

And anyone that takes more than 4 hours to finish this either has severe map reading problems, or has dozed off for a couple of hours without pausing the game. There really is nothing to explore (unless you want to keep taking screenshots all day).

This game was among my most anticipated this year, and has become my first disappointment of 2016.
 
Ultimately, I wouldn't say 4 hours is the problem. Problem to me was that the story was ultimately...hollow. I wanted to get the ending, and all I got were the end credits.

And anyone that takes more than 4 hours to finish this either has severe map reading problems, or has dozed off for a couple of hours without pausing the game. There really is nothing to explore (unless you want to keep taking screenshots all day).

This game was among my most anticipated this year, and has become my first disappointment of 2016.

yeah, way in agreement with you.

exploring is actually much less fun than it sounds because sure its an "open world" in a sense but there is typically only one way in and out of places and single path to follow to get to them. Sometimes you get options on how you want to get somewhere but its pretty much just go path A or go path B.

and your funneled down most of these paths. So you can head in the right direction on your map by saying oh i should go northwest. but you arent walking in the forest in a direction. youre looking for one single path that if you dont check your map you might just walk right by.

the feeling of "exploring" goes away real fast.

and such a hollow ending that i was massively let down by
 

Catvoca

Banned
Just finished it after about 5 or 6 hours and I really enjoyed it. I too wasn't wholly satisfied by the ending, but I was enthralled by the game the entire time. The dialogue is top notch with both the writing and voice acting pulling me into the world. I liked hiking across the the landscapes, taking my time to look at the truly beautiful world they created. I think some of the resolutions to the questions they ask are weak but the moment to moment storytelling is so compelling that it doesn't really bother me too much. I'd totally recommend it.
 

tch

Member
My game keeps crashing at the loading screen when I attempt to load an existing save or even start a new game... Did a full reinstall and still get the same issue. Played through a few hours yesterday perfectly fine
up until the fire
and now this constant issue

If any one has any ideas for a fix or experience with this I'd appreciate it!
 
Same, I came in here to gush after finishing it and all I find is people who were not into it.

This is how the majority of GAF OT's go. The people who like the game are either still playing it, or feel satisfied and move on. The people for whom the game doesn't click need to vent about it. Which is fine, that's not a bad thing, but I generally am not surprised to see a lot of negative posts shortly after release for any game, regardless of how critically acclaimed it was.
 

WEGGLES

Member
Played it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything about it was good. The story, the style, sound, etc etc. I really liked it. A little disappointed to see so many people feel like the ending was lack-luster. I liked it. It worked for me.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Same, I came in here to gush after finishing it and all I find is people who were not into it.

This is how the majority of GAF OT's go. The people who like the game are either still playing it, or feel satisfied and move on. The people for whom the game doesn't click need to vent about it. Which is fine, that's not a bad thing, but I generally am not surprised to see a lot of negative posts shortly after release for any game, regardless of how critically acclaimed it was.

Did my part, posted twice about how much I loved it and the conclusion. There are dozens of us, dozens!
 

Catvoca

Banned
the overall story i think is really really polarizing

Yeah I get that, any time a game looks like it might
be about something supernatural or high concept but ends up being a smaller, more personal story
there's inevitably people who won't like the direction it took. And with this one, the direction they took certainly isn't perfect. Still, disappointing to come in here and see so much negativity.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
You know, there's a genre in anime and TV called 'slice of life'. Why developers like the ones who made Firewatch were so afraid to call it that genre in their previews, almost makes it feel like there is a bit of false advertising. This is especially true with the way they ended some previews and quick looks with an air of mystery. There are questions to be answered, just not all of the ones you expect.

Next time someone advertises a game like this I'll wait for a sale or a review that shows a little more so I know what to really expect.
 

Stainless

Member
I really enjoyed the voice acting, it was especially good. Performance on PS4 needs a patch, as has been mentioned. For me there was some pop-in on trees in heavily forested areas and I got significant stuttering at times, even to the point of blurriness on some animations, specifically when climbing up rocks or loading new areas. But this was not constant and I did not have a single hard-freeze nor did this affect my enjoyment or ability to progress through the game. It took me about 5 hours and I did pause for a bit to shove pizza in my face and take a phone call. I thought the game was gorgeous. I only took a few pictures with the in-game camera
and I would have taken more but I thought [hoped] you were going to end up finding the boy and returning the camera to him. Having the "developed" photos display during credits and then the reveal of the pics daniel had already taken with it was pretty neat, imo
I almost got stuck behind an invisible wall once but made it back out and didn't happen again as I quickly learned you have to stick to the trails. I enjoyed the game more than everybody's gone to the rapture, which I did not particularly care for much, but a bit less than vanishing of ethan carter (Which I enjoyed, even with the lame ending) I kind of want to play it again and make different dialogue choices. I realize they won't affect the outcome but am interested in how delilah responds when I react/respond differently than I did on the first playthrough

There were a few parts where I started getting paranoid or stressed such as
Is Delilah in on this? (I even accused her when I got the new radio) Is she fucking with me? Who is that stalking me? Am I going to get framed for harassing or murdering the teens? I really don't want to go into this cave! and then especially at the end when you have to reach the evacuation point, I thought for sure I was going to be left behind to DIAF because she doesn't want to report what I had found that she didn't report when I told her to
 

Dmented

Banned
So you took in the entire experience of the game and still requested a refund? That's fucked up.

Sorry, I just did not like it. A sub-four hour experience with IMO plot holes and not a very good ending is not worth $20 to me. If it were $10 maybe I wouldn't care about a refund. But there's plenty other games I can get right now for $20 instead.
 
Yeah I get that, any time a game looks like it might
be about something supernatural or high concept but ends up being a smaller, more personal story
there's inevitably people who won't like the direction it took. And with this one, the direction they took certainly isn't perfect. Still, disappointing to come in here and see so much negativity.

i actually wouldnt of minded either a
personal story or more high concept. i think it does a poor job at both.
 

WEGGLES

Member
Sorry, I just did not like it. A sub-four hour experience with IMO plot holes and not a very good ending is not worth $20 to me. If it were $10 maybe I wouldn't care about a refund. But there's plenty other games I can get right now for $20 instead.

Do you also get refunds at the movie theater if you don't like the movie you just watched the entirety of?

I don't see why you feel entitled to a refund considering you completed the game.

Also, what plot holes?
 
Do you also get refunds at the movie theater if you don't like the movie you just watched the entirety of?

I don't see why you feel entitled to a refund considering you completed the game.

Also, what plot holes?

im not requesting a refund, but i can think of a good handful of pretty huge plot holes
 
Sorry, I just did not like it. A sub-four hour experience with IMO plot holes and not a very good ending is not worth $20 to me. If it were $10 maybe I wouldn't care about a refund. But there's plenty other games I can get right now for $20 instead.

Do you also try to get refunds for movies you don't like? Or meals you eat but decide you don't like? You not liking something is not really an excuse for going through the entire experience and then retroactively deciding it's not worth the money, since "you will like this" is never a guarantee when you spend money on something.
 

aravuus

Member
You know, there's a genre in anime and TV called 'slice of life'. Why developers like the ones who made Firewatch were so afraid to call it that genre in their previews, almost makes it feel like there is a bit of false advertising. This is especially true with the way they ended some previews and quick looks with an air of mystery. There are questions to be answered, just not all of the ones you expect.

Next time someone advertises a game like this I'll wait for a sale or a review that shows a little more so I know what to really expect.

Oh, it's more slice-of-life? Cause the small amount of stuff I've seen definitely gives it that strong mystery vibe

I love mysteries, but not shallow ones, or ones that don't really pay off
 

kiyomi

Member
Feel like I'm missing something.

I just got to
leaving the cave and finding the kid's hideout
, and the game is telling me to
explore the cave further
. But I can't see a way back in, and near
the kid's hideout, there's a rock with a crack in it, but I can't use anything on it to rappel down.

Halp?
 

Stainless

Member
So you took in the entire experience of the game and still requested a refund? That's fucked up.

Agreed, you can definitely determine whether or not you like the game well before finishing the entire story. Basically he would have requested a refund even if he had enjoyed it
 

WEGGLES

Member
Feel like I'm missing something.

I just got to
leaving the cave and finding the kid's hideout
, and the game is telling me to
explore the cave further
. But I can't see a way back in, and near
the kid's hideout, there's a rock with a crack in it, but I can't use anything on it to rappel down.

Halp?

There are climbing anchors in the kids hideout.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
Oh, it's more slice-of-life? Cause the small amount of stuff I've seen definitely gives it that strong mystery vibe

I love mysteries, but not shallow ones, or ones that don't really pay off

Without spoiling anything, the answer to your question is yes. That should help you set your expectations. Your second comment is what's wrong with their advertisement.
 

Dmented

Banned
Do you also get refunds at the movie theater if you don't like the movie you just watched the entirety of?

I don't see why you feel entitled to a refund considering you completed the game.

Also, what plot holes?

Do you also try to get refunds for movies you don't like? Or meals you eat but decide you don't like? You not liking something is not really an excuse for going through the entire experience and then retroactively deciding it's not worth the money, since "you will like this" is never a guarantee when you spend money on something.

Figures people would complain because I wanted a refund, lol. Clearly no I cannot get a refund for a movie I did not like, but if I could, yes, I would.

Due to not liking something being an actual option for a Steam refund, I figured why not trying it? I didn't think they would grant me a refund because of my playtime being over 2 hours but they did. Sweet.

Sorry I didn't like the game and wanted a refund using an option Steam allows. I'm glad you guys liked it and want to defend it. Good for you.
 
I'm glad you guys liked it and want to defend it. Good for you.

I dont have the game. I might not even get the game, so I'm not defending anything except the concept of "not being a shitty person". As I said, liking or not liking something has nothing to do with playing the entirety of a game and then snatching back your money after you've experienced it fully.
 
Sorry, I just did not like it. A sub-four hour experience with IMO plot holes and not a very good ending is not worth $20 to me. If it were $10 maybe I wouldn't care about a refund. But there's plenty other games I can get right now for $20 instead.

If you went to a concert, or a musical, and didn't like it. Would you request a refund after seeing the whole performance?

I don't have a problem with asking for a refund if, say, the game isn't working for you on a technical level or if you realize early on that it's not your thing.

But you played the entire game, and only then decided that it wasn't worth your money only after you saw all that it had to offer. That's fucked up.
 
Sadly I did not enjoy this game, at all. Thank god Valve still gave me a refund even with 4 hours of play time.

This is probably why it took so long for the Steam refund service to be put in place. You abused it, straight-up.

To be fair, I'm not really understanding why Valve accepted your request, as it was clearly over the two hour limit. They really shouldn't have made an exception for you.
 

level1

Member
I dont have the game. I might not even get the game, so I'm not defending anything except the concept of "not being a shitty person". As I said, liking or not liking something has nothing to do with playing the entirety of a game and then snatching back your money after you've experienced it fully.

Don't get me wrong, I fully agree with you, but I do feel like the responsibility of making sure devs aren't fucked over should lie with the platform holder rather than the customer. If the option is being legitimately provided, I find it difficult to fault someone for going for it.
 
I dont have the game. I might not even get the game, so I'm not defending anything except the concept of "not being a shitty person". As I said, liking or not liking something has nothing to do with playing the entirety of a game and then snatching back your money after you've experienced it fully.

This is entirely the point. The way I see it, this is piracy through and through. These are the people who made us debate if steam refunds were good or bad for us in the first place. Refunds should unanimously be a good thing, but people who just abuse them like this make me regret the feature.
 
Figures people would complain because I wanted a refund, lol. Clearly no I cannot get a refund for a movie I did not like, but if I could, yes, I would.

Due to not liking something being an actual option for a Steam refund, I figured why not trying it? I didn't think they would grant me a refund because of my playtime being over 2 hours but they did. Sweet.

Sorry I didn't like the game and wanted a refund using an option Steam allows. I'm glad you guys liked it and want to defend it. Good for you.

I have to jump on the bandwagon here.You played the whole game and now are asking for a refund?

I'm not sure if Steam refunds should work like this--especially for games fairly price for the game time.

I don't have the best solution but your action sounds like an abuse of the system.
 

WEGGLES

Member
Don't get me wrong, I fully agree with you, but I do feel like the responsibility of making sure devs aren't fucked over should lie with the platform holder rather than the customer. If the option is being legitimately provided, I find it difficult to fault someone for going for it.

No no no. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
 

Sky Chief

Member
Figures people would complain because I wanted a refund, lol. Clearly no I cannot get a refund for a movie I did not like, but if I could, yes, I would.

Due to not liking something being an actual option for a Steam refund, I figured why not trying it? I didn't think they would grant me a refund because of my playtime being over 2 hours but they did. Sweet.

Sorry I didn't like the game and wanted a refund using an option Steam allows. I'm glad you guys liked it and want to defend it. Good for you.

That is so fucked up, you're abusing the system. This is why we can't have nice things.
 
Top Bottom