On February 9th, Santo Campo (featuring the lead talent behind Telltale’s The Walking Dead game series) released their first studio title Firewatch. Set in the Wyoming wilderness of 1989, Firewatch explores the unfolding circumstances of one middle-aged outdoors enthusiast named Henry.

Seeking to escape his troubled personal life, Henry takes on a firewatcher position away from society where he is guided solely by the voice of his female supervisor Delilah. Their blossoming relationship forged over walkie-talkie airwaves is soon tested by unsettling vibes.

Firewatch has earned an abundance of positive reviews on aggregator sites such as Metacritic and from industry juggernauts IGN and Kotaku. For a meager Jackson, you’ll be exploring the woods (and getting lost in them) for four hours. Various secrets and side areas add humorous touches to further develop the well-written storyline and its atmosphere. Because of these elements, replay is encouraged. However, the unique visual style, hilarious script and voice acting justify diving back into Henry’s intriguing story for another playthrough.

Here’s a look at some gorgeous screenshots taken from actual gameplay footage. It’s hard not to feel mesmerized by the natural beauty within!

Now picture yourself gazing at the setting sun over the distant mountains while having a listen to the official soundtrack. The melodies within present colorful glimpses of the landscapes you’ll encounter.

Critics have criticized Firewatch for its short length, which is a valid point but not a dealbreaker. My time spent adventuring through these lush environments — which are reminiscent of SF-based Tycho’s chillwave album covers — was well invested. It was the perfect game to live stream, as my friends cheered me on to complete it in one go. There’s plenty of beauty here that will not soon be forgotten, and a sobering sense of realism that lingers on long past the draw of the curtain. I walked away delighted, inspired and yearning for my next hiking getaway.

You can catch my complete playthrough of Firewatch on my newly launched Protomanlives Twitch channel or by watching the video below. For future streaming notifications, follow me on Twitter @protomanlives87.

SW