Games are definitely getting more like movies. That’s probably part of the success of Twitch. Kids watch YouTube videos of all of the cutscenes from a game stitched together into what becomes a coherent story. Storylines have evolved from Super Mario rescuing princesses to thought-provoking, challenging tales that are every bit the art form that film and literature can claim to be.

What’s more, the interactivity of videogames, if handled correctly, can add a new dimension to storytelling, often playing on the theme of freedom of choice. However, for the most part we’re still in a transition phase, where these stories are combined with shooting monsters and levelling up abilities; artifacts of the birth of the medium which, with time, will probably seem less sacred.

Firewatch, for the most part, eschews itself of these videogame tropes. This is not a shooter, and (at the risk of being, arguably, slightly spoilery) you’ll not be timing leaps between platforms or running from zombies. You play Henry, a man struggling with emotional turmoil as he approaches forty, who has taken some time out to be alone in the Wyoming back country. You’ve taken a job living in an isolated watchtower a day’s hike from the road, keeping a lookout for forest fires. Upon arrival at your watchtower, you learn that your only human contact is with Delilah, a voice at the end of a walkie-talkie who lives in the next watchtower over, barely visible from your own.

At first you get to know Delilah as she chats amiably to you over your walkie-talkie while you run some basic errands around the wilderness, cleaning up after hikers and learning your way around. But things take a mysterious turn, and eventually you begin to feel like mysterious forces are looming in on you. Firewatch has a vague ‘Lost’ vibe to it, with the barest hints of what might be going on mixed in with a ton of red herrings, all punctuated with long periods of walking hither and yon, staring at your map and trying to get your bearings in the countryside.

So while you’ll not spend a lot of time doing videogamey things (unless the oft-derisory ‘walking simulator’ term is now a recognized genre and has therefore become a videogamey thing), there isn’t a whole lot of player agency, at least not in terms that hugely affect the way the game plays out. There is not even really much in the way of puzzles – for the most part, you know what you’re supposed to be doing, and it’s usually just about getting from A to B. But where your decisions do come into their own is in your conversations with Delilah. You can play Henry as a closed book, or bare your soul to this faceless confidante. She changes mood based on your behaviour and there are other places where the tone you choose to take with her comes back to you. But mostly, the fun of the game is in finding these little nuggets, and they have no place in a review.

Sadly, the last chapter of the game unravels significantly, as if the writers had created a fascinating, whimsical mystery but couldn’t quite work out where to take it… remember I said it was like ‘Lost’? Pacing is also a problem from time to time, as long, quiet walks through the wilderness can cause the paranoia and urgency to fade a little. However, particularly early on, they give the player plenty of time to chat with Delilah and learn a bit about themselves, both as characters and the player behind the character. At the end, there is a very long, bland walk from one end of the map to the other with very little interaction. I assume this was supposed to allow the player time to reflect on the story, but sadly it just devolves into a featureless map-read-a-thon.

That said, for the vast majority of the game the scripting is believable and engrossing, and the plot extremely engaging. You’re probably looking at about five hours, start to finish, and I suppose there’s always a little possibility of replaying it as a very different Henry, but ultimately once the mystery is solved, it’s going to lose a lot of its meaning. But for one play through, it’s easy to recommend. That will pretty much be five hours for anyone, too, as there’s not a lot of places you’re going to get stuck. Mostly, Firewatch is about getting from place to place rather than fighting or overcoming obstacles.

The world is incredibly well realized, albeit fairly small. The wilderness is actually quite railroady for a wide open area, with impassable walls hidden behind the undergrowth just yards from the beaten path in many cases. But there are notes to find in the supply boxes throughout the area, and other pictures and books to find and muse over. Delilah usually has an opinion on this stuff too, so chatting with her about the things you find is a lot of the fun. Even in your lookout tower, there are a couple of paperbacks that, if you flip them over, have back cover blurb that you can read. Often, at the start of a game-day, your character will have typed a journal of the previous day. It’s never signposted or handed to you, but things like this, if you keep an eye out, can add depth to the world.

Everyone seems to love the graphical style, which at times is almost cel-shaded and minimal. But for me, it became bland really fast. Still, the simple style meant that important items stood out clearly, so there’s none of that wandering round and round in circles.

Like a good thriller, the whole time I was playing Firewatch I was completely engaged and couldn’t wait to see where the story went next. The tale raises interesting questions about solitude, privacy and paranoia. However, a weak ending and some occasionally strange pacing ultimately detracts from Firewatch’s spark of greatness.