I want to talk about the first characters you are introduced to in the world of Firewatch, the first game from CampoSanto.



I feel that the first 15 minutes of Firewatch is a microcosm for gender in video games. We are introduced to Henry and his wife, Julie through his short recollections from Henry. Occasionally we are given choices, which are all presented from Henry’s point of view.

The game fails to offer any positive traits for Henry within this introduction. It also fails to give any reason why Julia be interested in dating, let alone marrying, Henry. Julia, a professor at the local college, is presented as educated, funny and willing to compromise her needs for her partner. In contrast, Henry is presented as an alcoholic, overprotective, manipulative and seemingly unemployed.

The first interaction between the two characters takes place at a bar. The game gives the player two options of an opening line for Henry to introduce himself to Julia. The choice is between drunkenly complimenting her or assuming she’s a student. Both options strike me as misogynistic, not to mention socially clumsy, which is why I was caught off guard when Julia decides to date Henry.

This makes me wonder if the writers assumed that the players wouldn’t empathize with Julia. The game fails to provide any reason why Julia, a career minded woman with a stable job and a higher education, would be interested in Henry, whom the games give only negative character traits.

This trope of having a likable, competent woman fall for a unlikable, troubled man strikes me as particularly unsavory. This narrative reinforces the idea that a man deserves a relationship just for being a man while a woman has to work to make herself a desirable partner. And beyond that, video games have a dearth of stories where toxic masculinity is presented uncritically, and it pains me to see a game as unique as Firewatch join the list.

The game also gives the player the decision of adopting a small beagle, Julia’s favorite, or a larger dog, which Henry thinks would be more apt to protect Julia. Later, Henry and Julia are attacked by a mugger while walking the dog. If you choose the beagle, it will not protect either Henry or Julia. I find it absurd that the game is establishing a world that punishes Julia for making decisions that prioritize her own wants over Henry’s overzealous concerns.

Granted, the game does eventually flesh out Henry’s character, and the world he inhabits, but only after Julia’s story line has been wrapped up. The game also introduces Delilah, a complex and likable female character, after the short intro sequence, which not only adds depth to the world, but also to Henry’s character. Still, it is troubling to me that the writers would offer up such a flat, unlikable protagonist during it’s opening minutes.

All that being said, I am enjoying the game. I am thankful that we have games like Firewatch that push the medium forward by presenting writing worth critiquing.