r/Firewatch • u/Natural_Street7771 • 17d ago
Discussion Are there any games that have legitimately affected you like firewatch?
I can’t really think of anything aside from red dead 2 that gave me new perspectives on my own life from a piece of media.
Are there any games like firewatch, that legitimately gave you that feeling? I had considered giving Edith finch a go, but I think the story of a guy escaping his life really hit me in firewatch and I’d love to play anything similar.
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u/Living-Bridge-5323 17d ago
Maybe try road 96, it’s also about people escaping. A lot of people who played Firewatch recommended it to me and if you like firewatch I think you’ll like it
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
I have watched videos of that, it does seem extremely open ended though which I struggle with. I enjoyed firewatch because of its relative linearity. It could be one to try though, I’ve heard people love it.
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u/Living-Bridge-5323 16d ago
I forgot to mention this but a game is coming out very soon called arctic awakening which is very similar to firewatch
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u/crystalCloudy 17d ago
It might just be the kinds of games I play, since I tend to go for story-heavy games over play-heavy, but these are just a few games that seriously, emotionally impacted me:
- Night in the Woods
- Oxenfree
- Spiritfarer
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Crime Scene Cleaner (I KNOW that sounds like a joke, but honestly, there was a lot of nuance in characterization, discussions of complicity, and trauma)
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u/jodiethedemonpig 15d ago
I've not played the other ones but I second Oxenfree and Edith Finch for this specific brief.
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u/currymonsterCA 17d ago
This is a great thread as I have also found Firewatch to be unique in its ability to connect with me.
I'll check out a few of the mentions here...thanks everyone for the suggestions!
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
Honestly, I’ve still not found a game that hits the same. I think Edith finch will be what I give a go next, then the other suggestions on the thread since it’s quite short. Firewatch seems to be a bit of a lighting in a bottle though, nothing close to that short linear explosion of feeling you get in that game.
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u/currymonsterCA 17d ago
I think lightning in a bottle is a great description. I haven't found anything that comes close either.
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u/jodiethedemonpig 15d ago
I found Edith Finch difficult to get into at first but by the end it had the same effect on me as Firewatch and I still think about it sometimes.
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u/naha_aa 17d ago
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter I loved it! Gone Home of course! Very good also Edith Finch, a video game gem! Spiritfarer a real slap in the face! But so moving.
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
Thanks man. Out of those, what would you think is closest to firewatch in impact and tight linear story?
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u/lilnugnugs12 17d ago
Outer Wilds, The Beginner’s Guide, Edith Finch
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u/Novels011 14d ago
+1 for outer wilds The emotion is not straightforward, but still cried at the end
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u/JanetInSpain 17d ago
The Talos Principle. The philosophy behind the game was life-changing for me. On the surface it's a puzzle game, but if you follow the philosophy and really pursue all the places where it's revealed, it's one of the deepest, most magical games I've ever played. It made me cry more than once.
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u/foxjk 16d ago
What do you think of the sequel?
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u/JanetInSpain 16d ago
I loved TP1, TP2, and all the DLCs. Each one enriches the philosophy and story.
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u/Ok_Cupcake_1540 17d ago
i think the life is strange games (especially life is strange 2 which is all about escaping) as well as before your eyes! before your eyes isn’t necessarily about trying to get an escape from your life, but it hit me hard, just like firewatch did! both of them did honestly. theres so much around life is strange that you can talk about too. like theres so much symbolism in the game as well as things that are semi open to interpretation, and little fun easter eggs too! its so good
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u/NayeonRainbow 16d ago
Edith finch and tlou2
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u/foxjk 16d ago
Tlou2 is a personal favorite for me but also the one I don’t know what to make out of it. What speaks to you in that game?
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u/NayeonRainbow 16d ago
I’ve always struggled with an ed so seeing Abby and how strong she was inspired me to recover and get on my journey to being super buff and huge. More of a deeper personal reason for loving the game so much but it really hits me and gets me out of my super bad depressions.
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u/cixdyz650 17d ago
The Long Dark, specifically the storymode. It's a survival game mostly, very close to nature like Firewatch, and the art style always reminds me of the other.
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
I tried that and actually enjoyed it somewhat for the setting, I just was not good at it and didn’t have the patience tbh. Wish I did though, as it looks great when you know what you’re doing.
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u/cixdyz650 17d ago
You can play on easier difficulty! Survival mode even offers customized settings to make it to your liking. It is an intimidating game though so I totally understand that. I'm a horribly impatient person in many aspects of my life, and I've found that The Long Dark has helped me even in real life. This patience forced onto you has something immensely grounding for me, especially when you're someone who enjoys the scenery. Maybe you'll give it another shot someday, I can only say it definitely pays off to not give up!
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u/81m23Mz0 17d ago
The Invincible by Starward Industries. You play as a scientist searching for missing crew on a foreign planet, and choices matter. It’s philosophical, atmospheric, moving, and at times thrilling.
There’s lots of walking around and radio communication back to the commander of the dragonfly ship, which reminds me of conversations with Delilah in Firewatch.
The game made it to the top of my list in this genre, next to Firewatch and The Long Dark.
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u/Bobas-Feet 16d ago
Outer Wilds. Thank me later.
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u/jptiger0 16d ago
Play with the VR mod if at all possible
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u/Bobas-Feet 16d ago
Eh I would say to play it in VR after you've played it normally. The VR mod is cool and all but olaying the game as the developers intended is always the superior way to play on your first playthrough
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u/jptiger0 16d ago
Hard disagree. Discovering those areas for the first time in VR was the most incredible experience I've ever had in gaming
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u/Bobas-Feet 16d ago
Agree to disagree then I suppose. I enjoy VR on occasion but its just not my preferred way to play. Im glad your experience was so effective even in VR
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u/lawrencelearning 17d ago
Gone home got part of the way there
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
Have you played Edith finch? I feel firewatch, gone gone home and Edith finch are all compared a lot, trying to work out which one is most like firewatch haha
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u/lawrencelearning 17d ago
I would say Gone Home felt more thematically similar to firewatch than Edith finch
Don't get me wrong, Edith finch is an amazing game, but if you're after a slow burn story that maintains the perspective of a single character, Gone Home would be my choice
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u/pale_vulture 13d ago
Might want to look into Disco Elysium. There isn't any game out there alike. It's beautiful and hilarious and sad.
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u/kimprobable 17d ago
Shelter but especially Shelter 2. I can't bring myself to play Shelter 3. Granted, I don't think they would've affected me as much before I had a kid, but they hit really hard.
You're playing as an animal trying to keep your family alive. Badger in the first one, lynx in the second, and elephant in the third.
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u/Natural_Street7771 17d ago
I might save that one for when I do! Though I don’t have a kid and any media relating to sad things happening to parents and kids does rip my heart apart. Even in firewatch when they can’t have kids in that tiny dialogue option hit me with a pang of sadness.
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u/Wayward4ever 17d ago
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture is moving and stunning. The music alone is worth playing it.
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u/HobbyLau 17d ago
This may sound a bit weird, but if you also like survival games: Green Hell, story mode.
It is survival focused and quite realistic with that, and the storyline is one that gets you emotionally invested and keeps you wanting to find out more while exploring the jungle you're in. You only have radio contact with your travelling partner Mia after getting lost.
If you try this buy it on PC and not on a console.
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u/soul6of6hell6 16d ago
Honestly, not a single game gave me the feeling that Firewatch did. It is different
Anyway they gave you a lot of options you can check
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u/dmuth 16d ago
Undertale. It's the game where no one has to die.
Aside from that, it is delightfully subversive and quirky, and in my case, set in motion a sequence of events that culminated into me now fursuiting as one of the characters from the game.
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u/mrbutterf1y 16d ago
A few tbh.. firewatch is one of Them.
Here are a few (mostly Story telling/mystery vibes) Life is Strange, Beyond two Souls, Coffee Talk, Assassin's Creed 2 (Ezio related)
In a bit, The Suicide of Rachel Foster, Will Not Spoiler but remind me a bit of firewatch
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u/sonofvenus_ 15d ago
Night in The Woods, theres the same impact from story telling and sunset hue of autumn
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u/NoMoreGoldPlz 14d ago
Red Dead Redemption 2 had similar vibes as Firewatch in my opinion.
At least at times. There is a lot of other stuff going on as well though.
Firewatch was definitely more focused.
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u/Last-Television-2429 13d ago
Outer Wilds + Echoes of the Eye DLC. Not the same genre, but if you play it calmly and with an open mind you will be immersed in a deep, philosophical story that will give you an amazing experience and even change your perception of life. It surely did for me. I am probably not the first nor the last person to suggest this one, but I had to.
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u/blowfishsmile 13d ago
Slightly off topic and not a game, but tower 4 podcast/audio drama is a very similar premise to fire watch.
I listened to the podcast and I am just now playing firewatch; I don't think they're connected in any way but I also haven't looked it up.
But anyway, if you're willing to look into media besides games, check out Tower 4
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u/Murky_Historian8675 17d ago
A Night in the woods. It really taught me the value of friendship. It's such a beautiful game. You return to your group both estranged and welcomed.