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The Beauty of Firewatch (Ft. Opinionated Lushes)
343 Plays1 year ago
In this episode, Satsunami is joined by Jess from the Opinionated Lushes podcast to discuss the indie game Firewatch. What makes this game so beloved? What is the mystery lurking within the Wyoming wilderness? And who really is Delilah? All this and more in this week's episode of Chatsunami!
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Transcript
Welcome and Introduction
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of Chatsunami. My name's Satsunami, and joining me atop the lookout tower is none other than the one and only Jess from Opinionated Lushes. Jess, welcome to Chatsunami. Hi, thanks so much for inviting me, I'm excited to be here. Yeah, this episode has been a good couple of months in the making, hasn't it?
Game Replay and Easter Eggs
00:00:39
Speaker
Yeah, I actually replayed this game in the meantime that we're gonna be talking about, so it's all fresh!
00:00:46
Speaker
It's always the best though when you do get time because it's like sometimes you get episodes where you're like, okay, let's do the recording tomorrow and then others. So you're like, I need to replay that or rewatch something, don't you? Yeah. I forgot so many parts in this game that I'm glad I replayed it because there was just so many things that I missed, I guess.
00:01:05
Speaker
I mean, especially with indie games, yeah, there's just so much that you're walking through it and then someone brings it up. Like, before we talk about what we are actually going to be discussing today, have you ever had that when you're playing a game and you look back at the comments that people have left online and they're like, oh, I love that bit. Will you go into the room and you get the Easter egg? Yes, every time. I miss things all the time. I never realized until I finished the game and then I look at the achievements list.
00:01:32
Speaker
And I'm like, how did I only do nine achievements? I played 20 hours. What are you talking about? You know? Like, how did I spend so much time and only get nine of, like, 50 achievements? Like, that's ridiculous. And then you have to replay it because I can't leave things unfinished. 100%. Oh, no, absolutely. It's like, you do look at that list. I know exactly the feeling. It's all, like, grayed out. And you're just looking at it like, this is disgraceful. I need those achievements from Tom.
00:02:01
Speaker
And I call myself a gamer. The eggshell's just rushing you back going, yep, go back. Or steam or whatever. Just like, go on, go on,
Introduction to Indie Games and Firewatch
00:02:10
Speaker
go back. But of course, today we are indeed going to be talking about the indie game Firewatch, which I'm going to be honest, I didn't realise this came out in 2016. For anybody who's been listening for a while, they'll know that I am absolutely terrible. See when it comes to
00:02:26
Speaker
playing popular games like this. Honestly, I say, oh, that looks like such a good game. Let me put it on the backlog and just leave it there. And then I'll come back years later and play it. There's so many games. Have you done that before? Yeah. So I used to watch a lot of video game YouTubers, especially about around 2015, 2016. And whenever I watch them start a game that I'm like, I want to play this, I pause the video and then go buy it. And Firewatch was one of those. A YouTuber was playing it.
00:02:53
Speaker
I saw the opening, I was like, that's beautiful. Pause. Went, bought it, and then I just played it right away, like right when it came out. Like I said, I'm glad I replayed it, but that happens to me all the time. I will see a game and I'm like, I'm going to play this. I add it to my wish list. Now my wish list on Steam is like 2000 plus. And then if I get it, I get it. And then it adds to my list of games that I'm going to play, but still haven't played because I'm too busy replaying games and playing my favorite games.
00:03:18
Speaker
So I have like 600 games on my Steam account and there's probably a good 200 plus that I haven't actually touched yet. It's so bad. And like some of them I bought when they came out. I just haven't gotten to them. It's terrible when that happens though because the reason that I got into Firewatch and this is going to be like a really weird tumbling down the rabbit
00:03:36
Speaker
whole kind of thing here, but I remember I had bought years ago, I think it was around 2013, 2014, I learned about the Humble Bundles. Because I was a student at the time, I was like, oh, I have to have all these games, they're really cheap. So I had like this FOMO of missing out, so I was buying like all these games. And one of the games that I bought was, it was like an RPG Maker bundle. And one of the games that came with that was To The Moon, which technically I only played it last year.
00:04:03
Speaker
and it's just, it's became one of my favourite games the whole time. But then that set me down a path of going to other indie games and things, like What Remains of Edith Finch. Oh, I loved that game. That was so good. It's so good, isn't it?
Indie Game Storytelling vs AAA Games
00:04:17
Speaker
Yeah. My friend has been saying that for ages. Oh, you should play that game. And I was like, yeah, I'll get it. I'll get it. And then, of course, I saw it on Game Pass and I'm like, all right, OK, I'll try it. And yeah, not gonna lie, there wasn't a dry eye at the house by the end of it. I was just like, brilliant game.
00:04:31
Speaker
I've always been a fan of indie games more so than even like AAA popular games. And when I started gaming, I didn't really have a lot of money. So like when AAA games came out and where they were like $80 plus, I couldn't afford that, but I could get an indie game for less than $10. So I would just started playing all these indie games that I find have like so much better storytelling.
00:04:54
Speaker
Then a lot of AAA games. The graphics tend to be more artistic versus a lot of AAA games that try to, I guess, do more realism and that kind of stuff. To the point where like some of my tattoos are actually like indie games. I'm really big into horror point and clicks. So a lot of point and click horror games. I have like tattooed on me just because they're like such great games. How can I not? They're amazing characters. So indie games are always where it's at for me.
00:05:21
Speaker
I honestly feel as if the older I'm getting, and I say the older I'm getting, I'm about, you know, I've just reached the big 3-0 last year, so I'm like, I'm here with the kids to get off my lawn, I'm saying, the youth of today, they have no idea. No idea. Yeah, back in my day we had to blow into the cartridge.
00:05:38
Speaker
into the N64, you know? I used to be really big into things like Pokรฉmon and so on. Don't get me wrong, I still have a soft spot for those kinds of games, but the only thing I get, I feel as if I'm not really getting into big expansive games that take days to finish, you know? Like Red Dead Redemption 2 or these kinds of big games, because I brought that up because I streamed that, I remember,
00:06:02
Speaker
think last year or the year before on Twitch and I remember playing it and I just I wasn't having fun with it. You know that way but it's like it's objectively a good game and everything it looks great you know the story's good but I was just like I'm not enjoying this but then I go to a game like To The Moon which again that had me weeping in the corner or you've got What Remains of Edith Finch another beautiful game.
Unexpected Depth in Coffee Talk
00:06:25
Speaker
Even games like Coffee Talk have you played that one? Oh yeah I loved Coffee Talk it was so good.
00:06:31
Speaker
It really is. I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed that because literally the premise of the game is you make coffee and you listen to people's problems. But the more I was playing it, the more I was like, tell me more. Please tell me more about your drama. Text-based games, I feel like when the gameplay is mostly just reading and answering and it's just text, there's not crazy graphics.
00:06:52
Speaker
A lot of those games I find have really deep storytelling because that's what the sale point is. Like I've played a few and I remember starting them and being like, I don't know, maybe this will be boring. But then yeah, it draws you in because you get to know these characters on like a deeper level than say some games where it's all about the action.
00:07:10
Speaker
It's true, because you do get these games that nowadays, when they're in the AAA bracket, they want to be a lot more, you know, over the top and bastard. I was remembering, especially for Call of Duty, there was somehow an emphasis on saying, oh we got this writer from this very famous movie and everything, he's going to be writing a story and of course, maybe Call of Duty's fandom isn't the best place for these epic storylines and everything,
Firewatch Plot Summary and Urgency of Play
00:07:36
Speaker
and it's a shame.
00:07:36
Speaker
that's the way it went but you're totally right for these indie games there's definitely an emphasis on storytelling and especially going back to what we're talking about today with Firewall which I have to admit I've been wanting to play this game for absolutely ages and I remember downloading it and I was like oh
00:07:52
Speaker
I'll play it eventually." And you know, I sat there for ages, I didn't touch it at all. And then I got a notification saying, look at all these games coming on to Game Pass! And I'm like, oh cool, this and that. And it's like, and here's the games that are leaving Game Pass! And I'm so fine, I'll watch Pop Pop and I'm like, oh no, I've got to play this game as soon as possible. So I will admit, I did race through it quite a bit.
00:08:13
Speaker
I'm gonna play it before they take it away from me for free. That's kind of how I got into it. I went through this phase of going through... I still can't go through the phase, who am I kidding? But I went through this phase of you going through indie games and things, and especially these quote-unquote walking simulators, but I'm quite curious. Before we talk about the game itself, how did you get into Firewatch?
00:08:32
Speaker
So I really got into watching... have you heard of... I'm Markiplier? Oh yeah. Oh, that small one, the creator, yeah. Markiplier literally just... well, I don't know. Sorry, I haven't talked to you. For the oceans away, I don't know what your media consumption is, you know?
00:08:50
Speaker
That's a fair point. That's a fair point. I actually started watching him because my son was watching him and he spends time playing a lot of indie games, particularly indie horror games. And so I kind of got into there and then I started on Steam and I'm a sucker for a Steam sale.
00:09:08
Speaker
So if I see something 90% off and its reviews are mostly positive, I'm probably just going to buy it because I might want to play it one day. And so I saw a little brief glimpse of Firewatch game through. I love beautiful landscapes. I love games that spend time on those landscapes, make them look like a painting. There's another game called Lake. I don't know if you've heard of it. It's again, simple gameplay. You're a mail delivery driver.
00:09:34
Speaker
like that's in a small town you just get to drive around but the landscape's beautiful and like that just intrigues me and gets me in and once i'm in that i'm like playing it and trying to finish it but it gets me in just the beautiful artwork and the amazing voice acting too like it starts you know and you're just like wow this is believable i mean that's how they hook you in to be fair
00:09:55
Speaker
Yeah, well, it just feels personal. It feels like you're catching a glimpse into someone's life. Oh, yeah. And so those kind of games really, I mean, that strike an emotional chord, which I feel like a lot of walking simulators do. It's like watching a really emotional movie that you're also controlling. It's an experience.
00:10:13
Speaker
I mean going back to something you were saying before it's like the emphasis on these indie games and especially in terms of like walking simulators and things like that is the interpersonal relationships between the characters themselves and the story and trying to make it as relatable as possible because you can't have
00:10:31
Speaker
but sometimes you can, but nine times out of ten you can't really have like a massive, bombastic, action-filled story on such a limited budget or a limited team and things like that. And I feel as if that's where they have the advantage, and I know that sounds like such a first one overall.
00:10:47
Speaker
they're like, oh no, AAA schedules have too much money, oh no! But it does feel like that though sometimes. Because they've got all that backing and everything, they usually try to make it as big and bold as possible, whereas these games have to work within their means.
00:11:02
Speaker
Yeah, well, I feel like if you have to work within like a confinement, then you try to be as creative as you can while in those rules. But if you have all the resources, I feel like it's really hard to like find a place to go because you can literally do anything. Sometimes those rules help you limit what's going to happen. And then you get to focus on what actually matters instead of, you know, other things.
00:11:28
Speaker
But same without any further ado, will we just jump into why Firewatch is by far one of the, I would say, the games of the year that you should be playing? But this game came out in 2016. I feel as if people should have played it by
Firewatch Emotional Plot and Player Impact
00:11:43
Speaker
now. But it still holds up, I feel like. Oh yeah. If you're like me and you haven't played this game yet,
00:11:50
Speaker
please go away and play it before we jump in because, yeah, we will probably be diving into spoilers. Yeah, exactly. Because I always forget, just as I'm about to talk about the plot and the main part of the episode, I'm like, oh yeah, and when so-and-so and then I insult myself and I go, oh wait, spoilers. So yeah, this is your spoiler warning for this. So yeah, go away and play it or watch a walk through. Go away and do that. And
00:12:16
Speaker
go away. We don't want you here. Play it first." That's the first thing they say in the podcast business school, I'm sure. First of all, say to your audience, go away. That's what they want to hear.
00:12:31
Speaker
but on that note, we will go and yeah, make sure there's no fires around us and we will be right back after these messages. Welcome to Chatsunami, a variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to anime in general interest. Previously on Chatsunami, we've analysed what makes a good horror game, conducted a retrospective on Pierce Brosnan's runs James Bond, and listened to us take deep dives into both the Sonic and Halo franchises.
00:12:57
Speaker
Also, if you're an anime fan, then don't forget to check us out on our sub-series, Chatsunani, where we dive into the world of anime. So far, we've reviewed things like Death Note, Princess Mononoke, and the hit Beyblade series. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out on Spotify, iTunes, and all big podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
00:13:20
Speaker
I'm here to get drunk. I have about half a cup of vodka. Drink, drink, drink. Wait, are we live? Hi, I'm Jessica. One professional skill that I would really like to learn is stripping. I'm Sanya. Because, like, I'm OK with not being artistic. Like, I'm just like, that's cool. And I'm Domery. And we are opinionated lushes. I'll make a tomato vodka soup.
00:13:48
Speaker
Also known as like a Caesar. Once a week we get together to drink and talk shit. We start our episodes off with a question and a drink word. We usually never stay on topic or wait for the drink word to start drinking. There's a new episode of opinionated lushes every Friday on all streaming platforms.
00:14:07
Speaker
Just testing mattresses. Why isn't that a dog? It probably is. An unedited episode Saturday on YouTube. Have a cocktail suggestion? A topic of interest? A good drinking word?
00:14:26
Speaker
Feel free to DM us on Instagram or email us at opinionatedlushes at gmail.com. If I don't know you, I will. To go ahead, grab a drink, any kind of drink, and get ready to laugh with us and share our drunken opinions.
00:14:41
Speaker
This episode is sponsored by Zencaster. If you're a podcaster that records remotely like me, then you'll know how challenging it can be to create the podcast you've always wanted. That's where Zencaster comes in. Before I met Zencaster, I was put a naive podcaster, recording on low-quality, one-track audio waves.
00:15:16
Speaker
I want you to have the same easy experience I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.
00:15:27
Speaker
So let's discuss Firewatch, because as I said, this has definitely been an episode that you and I have been itching to record for. Yes, for a while, yeah. So do you want to give the listeners at home a brief overview about what this game's actually about?
00:15:45
Speaker
Okay, so you play as Henry, his wife ended up developing early onset dementia. So while it kind of starts with text dialogue, which I thought was awesome before you get to the forest, I thought that was so smart. But anyways, your wife is sick.
00:16:01
Speaker
She goes to stay with her parents. You decide I need to get away. I'm going to take this firewatch job. And now you're in the woods watching fires, talking to your boss who's in a different tower, Delilah. And there's a mystery component involving missing hikers and a strange figure. And you're trying to solve that while also, you know, walking around a beautiful landscape and forest.
00:16:23
Speaker
that's pretty like the bare bones of what that there's a lot going on there it's like 90 days or something it jumps but you know there's a lot going on there but that's the basic premise of firewatch i think no it's a great summary for sure because you're completely you're completely right there is just so much going on in this game you've got yeah as you said the mystery components the missing high courage you've got quite a
00:16:47
Speaker
creepy undertone at some point, but just jumping back to something you were saying earlier when you were talking about how it begins with text dialogue and everything and you have to choose your options. That, I have to admit, took me by surprise when I first played this because I thought maybe the rest of the game was going to be like this. You just had to choose your options or something, like a Commodore 64 game or something.
00:17:07
Speaker
I was like, where do you want to go? YN? You know, you're like, what the hell? But no, I have to admit, I got quite emotional with some bits and I'm like, this is ridiculous. This game is just text so far. It's not even, you know, there wasn't any major visuals or anything that flash up on the screen as literally just text.
00:17:24
Speaker
and it's just so heartbreaking because in that couple of text prompts that you get you just get this whole overview about this poor guy called Henry and of course his wife who as you pointed out is developing early on set dementia and I
00:17:40
Speaker
half to my heart sank, see, when I was reading that she was getting confused at her work, she was getting a lot more agitated and she couldn't speak. And I was just like, oh my god, no, obviously a horrible thing to go through and everything. And when you start to see what Henry's seeing and everything, you're like, oh no. And just the kind of downward spiral, because I mean, minus the death, of course, it's almost like a text-based version of Up
00:18:05
Speaker
you know, when it starts off, you know, really cheery, you know, look, it's a happy couple to get a dog together. And then it just spirals and you're like, oh, sweet Jesus, no. And some of the choices that they offer end up being like two hard choices. Like neither choice is a good choice, but you have to make those choices. And I felt like that was what was emotional for me. It was like the idea of do you keep taking care of her, even though the care might not be adequate, you have to go to work, you have to, or do you put her in a home?
00:18:34
Speaker
And that's a hard thing, especially when your wife is so young. You expect to live into your 80s and then deal with those questions, not married for a couple of years. It is definitely a more realistic take, I would say. It's not a game that offers a good option, bad option, like most games do. And I feel as I've gone back to what we're saying about indie games, it's kind of a strength of them where they can say, oh, you thought you were getting the happy game with Firewatch. Oh, boy.
00:19:02
Speaker
It's like, oh, no, no, no, no, you get back. Get your happiness and optimism out of here. Wish that I'm strong. How did you feel about Henry eventually just leaving and going to Firewatch for months, knowing his wife was away at her parents and he chose not to go with her? How did that make you feel?
00:19:22
Speaker
When the surface level is definitely a horrible thing to do, but at the same time it felt like a very human reaction. You know, it's not like he was saying, oh, I'm going to try the best that I can, because obviously the family step in and as far as I remember, I think he gets a... does he not get a DUI or something coming back and he gets arrested?
00:19:44
Speaker
Yeah, he goes through a hard time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, something like that. And then that's when the family find out and they take over and they force them out of looking after and everything. And there's obviously that sense of, I suppose, maybe inadequacy from Henry's part. He wants to be a good partner. But I mean, especially with something like dementia, that is such a hard thing for someone to take care of on their own. It's like it's not something they can go out, they can work, and then they can come back.
00:20:12
Speaker
especially in America. I hate to say that, but that's where this is set. It's not the best place to have to take care of a sick loved one. No, totally. I mean, coming from someone who lives in Scotland, yeah, no, totally. I would say that it seems like a very human reaction, because obviously you've got that term of fight or flight. And I know it's kind of like a weird way to use it in this sense,
00:20:36
Speaker
Is he going to stay and fight for his wife? Is he going to stand up to her family and step up a bit? Or is he going to go away for months on end to this place? And I feel as if, in a way, if you look above the surface level of it, definitely he probably needed that time away to clear his head into
00:20:57
Speaker
have that retrospective time to himself because we've all been through hard times. Maybe not as bad as that, but at the same time, we've all been through hard times where you do just want to run away. You do just want to leave everything behind, no pun intended by saying to burn everything behind and start anew. But you want to get a fresh start on things and
00:21:18
Speaker
At the same time obviously he's still married to her and he clearly still loves her but there is that caveat of the fact that she is ill. She's being looked after her family and he doesn't feel as if he's good enough and I do feel it's very human and I know I keep using that like a buzzword like slap on the box. This is a human game, such an ami. What did you think though?
00:21:38
Speaker
Well, okay. So I have a sociology degree. So I studied a lot of like human trends and I hate to say this, but it's statistically speaking, husbands do leave their sick wives at way greater weight rates than wives leave their sick husbands. And I couldn't help, but even though I'm playing Henry, just as a woman, I imagine Julia's, you know, I get she's like forgetting things and stuff like that, but she's, have you ever like worked or seen people with dementia? Oh yeah.
00:22:03
Speaker
Yeah, so they don't they're not always forgetting even when they're the worst every once in a while they remember and I just could not take the heartbreak of imagining her during those brief moments of remembering and knowing Henry's not there. So like for me, obviously, I'm like, I get it. It's a hard choice to have to make, but he couldn't have waited like one more year. Fire watching would always be there.
00:22:26
Speaker
You know, and so like for me even though I'm playing this character I was already wary of him and his motives just like I mean Especially as we get into this game and we start talking about Delilah, you know It just felt like it was so I guess like it wasn't easy for him But at some points it kind of felt he was also forgetting in like his own way Julia had dementia, but he was forgetting in his own way So I had a little knee-jerk reaction my my own human reaction to his human human reaction, I guess you could say
00:22:56
Speaker
ALICE After, Matt, you do look at it objectively. You can't really spin it objectively. It is wrong that he did go away and everything, but it is like the sense of when you factor in that element of how obviously he's feeling with the whole situation. Again, I'm not saying it's right at all. It's not at all, but it does seem as if that's where that came from, and you're right. It is horrible that Julia could have woken up
00:23:20
Speaker
and got that glimpse of, oh, where's Henry? And then just went back to that state of dementia. It's just such a horrible thing. It's such a poignant way as well, though, to start a game, I have to say. It's not something you usually see, and it's not something I'm obviously demanding of games to start doing, you know? I don't want to be booting up. I don't know just anything.
00:23:42
Speaker
you know, a platformer or something and it's like, your character's gotta know this. It's like, oh no. It's like, oh no. Yeah, we don't go back to the days where it was just like running fast or anything. But then we just want fun, you know? We don't want to think of our problems. That's a point. You'll take your grit and you'll like it. It's like, oh no.
00:24:01
Speaker
If it is like such an imparto way, because it's certainly, would you say it's an intro that you're not really going to forget? Yeah, like you just write emotionally. It's like then you enter, I like to call it almost like a Wizard of Oz moment. You know, it's the black and white text opening that you still are feeling like these emotions. Oh no, something terrible is going to happen. But then it's like you wake up and everything's beautiful. And it's almost like, okay, now I'm skeptical.
00:24:31
Speaker
Like now everything's gonna like catch me off guard because that was so heavy and now we're into the game and it's so pretty and you just always feel like there's something else about to happen when you start with such a High point I guess most games build up this just like punched you in the face Made you cry, you know
00:24:51
Speaker
I could describe it very flippantly, I would definitely say this game's probably, it was the intro, is the equivalent of, you know that old joke of, anyway here's Wonderwall? So it's like, they start off with this very emotional, impactful story, and then they put you in the middle of this beautiful scenery, and they're like, anyway, here's beautiful scenery! When you go exploring, it's beautiful, and I'm like, what about Julia? What about Julia?
00:25:14
Speaker
You know, you're like, you can't just do that. You can't just punch me in the face, Gabe, and then say, oh, sorry, here's pretty covers. I'm like, what in the world with you?
00:25:25
Speaker
He emotionally mugged me. I know. And now it's like, now you have all this backstory and nowhere to put it right away. You're like, okay. Now I'm learning a job, I guess. Time to go walk up my tower. It was just so much that, especially first time playing it, you don't expect it. But do you think that's why Henry moved so slow in the game? Because he is carding in that emotional baggage everywhere.
00:25:52
Speaker
Actually, actually, it's more if you look for your first person and you look down, he has little stubby legs. Like just little legs. That used to be my favorite part. And it does take you out. So don't like a little bit of the emotional aspect. So don't do this if you're playing it and you want to feel emotions. But if you look down and run his little feet, just move really, really fast. But like they don't bend at the knee and they're really short. He has really big hands and big fingers and little legs.
00:26:22
Speaker
So. You do see pictures of him throughout the game. You don't really see the model itself, right? Yeah. But can I just say how inspiring that is that they did get like a dad bod character and, you know, kind of short beardy guy, you know, he's not your stereotypical, oh look, he's got the chiseled jaw, giga-chad kind of.
00:26:41
Speaker
No, it's like he's been camping and that's about it. He knew how to do things, but I loved how they did whenever he was climbing or something. You always heard, I was like, that's realistic. I'm glad they put that in there because you would always be out of breath. I gave a little clap when I was playing. I was like, well done, game. Well done.
00:27:04
Speaker
realism and that's the realism we want in these games. It's like oh my god I relate with this character. There was so many details in this game you know even though you didn't see you don't see people you don't see people characters besides like pictures that it was still so easy to like believe yeah so like I mean there's so many items and objects that you can just pick up to look at you know like just just so much detail to everything
00:27:31
Speaker
I have to admit, that was something I was quite confused at initially. There's a scene at the very beginning, as you know, where you have to investigate who's setting off fireworks and then it turns out it's like these two teenage girls who are just, you know, being menaces to society. Let's face it.
00:27:48
Speaker
But of course, you see them in the distance and they're like, oh my god, you're being a bit, you know, in all of this rubbish and they're just antagonising Henry, but obviously they're just silhouettes. But then later on, the only other silhouette you see is the, and we'll get onto it later, but of course, one of the main antagonists of the game and they're just knowing this unknown silhouette or something like that.
00:28:09
Speaker
an unknown figure. And that creeped me out something awful. Because I was like, oh, this is going to be, you know, I've already had the emotional gut punch, you know, before. So that's why I'm limping back to the tower like, oh, this emotional baggage. And then I get out of this cave, none of a sudden there's just this like heavy breathing, looking over the hill, just like, oh. And I'm like,
00:28:30
Speaker
uh are you a ghost are you a spy like what's going on here the mystery starts and like you have no idea yeah like that's it's at first i did think it was haunted i thought it was going to be some sort of like haunted thing happen or spiritual or supernatural or something because you don't get any context of who this figure is he's just there and he's watching you and i feel like being in the middle of the woods where we know henry had to hike two days to get to
Remote Nature of Firewatch Jobs
00:28:56
Speaker
where he is not readily like there's no help anywhere that he can get within any length of time that would actually be helpful. And now there's this man watching him like that's terrifying. That's just terrifying because you don't know the figures motives or anything he could come into your tower and then what what do you do? That's it you know
00:29:13
Speaker
I'm gonna be honest, when I started this game, I had no idea this was actually a volunteering job. It makes sense, you know, I know there's like park rangers and everything and there's, you know, references to other rangers and things like that in the game, but I genuinely had no idea this was a thing in America, which obviously does make sense.
00:29:32
Speaker
We have them in Canada too. Oh really? Yeah. So I used to work as a doula. We're like birth cheerleaders. Like we just go, you got this, you go, you go girl, you know? And then one of the doulas, she was a doula six months of the year and then a fire watcher the other six months of the year. So yeah, and she would just go and she'd stay in the woods for like six months in like Alberta or something.
00:29:55
Speaker
And that is one hell of a race, I'm sorry. Yeah. And like she used to, she said she like was writing, I think she was working on a book, so it gave her time to write, you know, like that kind of thing. So I feel like if you're doing like a job like that, fire watching is perfect.
00:30:10
Speaker
Oh, no, totally. It seems as if it's like the most remote, or not the most, but one of the most remote jobs they could probably have with Great Cedar Bay and Solitude, really. And I think that's kind of what adds to the creepiness of it all, because I'm not much of a hill walker. Like, you don't get me wrong, I have done my fair share of walking through Scottish countryside, you know,
00:30:32
Speaker
like that, and it's a completely different thing. It'll sound weird, but I always remember seeing Americans talk about their countryside's a wrong word, but you know, their rural areas and things like that, especially with this, where he's walking through the forest and it's like, oh, it's beautiful and everything, but it's just so much different compared to what it is in Scotland. I've seen this scenery before, but
00:30:56
Speaker
comparing it to that. I think if, as far as I know, I don't think we have anything like this in Scotland because it's so small, but if there is, I apologise to any of the venn diagram of chat tsunami listeners and Scottish firewatchers in the dream.
00:31:12
Speaker
But I can't imagine, because it's so expansive, this whole area, it's not like it's a small territory. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the countryside and the rural areas of Scotland are small by any means or not, but compared to this, it's like there's so much that could be working in there. If Netflix documentaries have taught me anything, it's never to go in the woods alone.
00:31:35
Speaker
In America national parks can be scary because not only are they so so vast Yellowstone National Park where this game is set we are just in a section of it is over like 3,500 square miles I don't know what that is in real terms
00:31:54
Speaker
in America they use miles but it's really really expansive and people go missing in US national parks all the time and they don't always get reported because if you're not someone that someone knows you're at this park and will report you then they go missing and that's like a real part of like being in America so like this was almost like an added
00:32:16
Speaker
realism to that when we talk like about the people that go missing and how the boss Delilah handles that. It seems like very American and what they actually do. It's terrifying. There's so much and there is there has been bear attacks in middle America. That's the thing that happens to
00:32:34
Speaker
Like these are real things that happen and it's ridiculous.
Humor in Wildlife Fears
00:32:38
Speaker
Like we just, I mean, when I think America, I don't think of Wyoming. So it was funny to like research this because I did research it a little bit and like hear all this because that's not, they're not that far away from where I am. And I've never been that close to a bear. I'll be honest. I mean, that's the thing that's keeping me out of Canada to be honest. Like I get off the plane and all of a sudden I get mauled by a bear and I'm like, damn, my luck.
00:33:01
Speaker
You're more likely to get mauled by a coyote here right now. If you're in a city, if you're in a city, it'll be a coyote. I'll take my chances in Edinburgh or Glasgow or something like that where it's just random people coming up to you. I'll take my chances with them rather than a coyote.
00:33:19
Speaker
one of my co-hosts and good friends, Andrew, who also does some of the other episodes with me, he also was in Canada and he's been seeing for ages for me to visit because he's like, oh, you should come over and you know, we can do episodes together and things like that. But if he turned around to me and he says, you know what we should do while you're here? Let's go camping in Canada. I'll be like, no, my name's not Henry. No, I'm coming back in that place.
00:33:43
Speaker
You drive on our highways and there's moose warning signs. That's a highway. There's a lot of cars there. They're like, watch out for the moose. They'll total your car. I mean, the closest we've got to that, we've got warning signs for deers if you drive further up north. But I mean, that's okay. I've seen the size of, I was going to say, mooses, but then I remember people saying, oh, should it not be moses? No, it shouldn't.
00:34:10
Speaker
Yeah, well, not personally, and nor do I have any intention to go up to this and be like, excuse me, how tall are you? That is one of my fears, where if I, God forbid, if I got attacked or you're seriously hurt by one of these animals, and then the headline misinterprets what happened, it's like, idiot tourists got mauled by a miss. And I'm like, no, that's not what happened. I just wanted to record a podcast. I'm just making a TikTok, guys. It wasn't my fault.
00:34:39
Speaker
Who knew that flossing beside a moose would cause serious bodily harm? Not me! Speaking of getting attacked by animals, did you know there's achievements in this game where you can get attacked by animals? What? Yes! Okay, okay. So I have almost all the achievements. I'm missing two. My second playthrough, I actually got the bee sting achievement where there is a section where if you look, a bee will pop out and sting you.
00:35:05
Speaker
just for an achievement just just for fun but apparently there is a raccoon somewhere that will bite you and then you get an achievement that says uh it's probably not rabies so that achievement is there i have i have no idea where it is though so if anyone has played this game there's a raccoon somewhere in the woods find him
00:35:26
Speaker
I'm sorry, it's just the thought of you marching through the forest, like, where are you? I need that achievement. I literally did. Like, and after a while I gave up because I was like, I thought I looked here. I thought I looked here. I don't have no idea. I'm assuming maybe he pops up near the outhouse on a specific day, or maybe I assume where there's trash. He's a trash panda. There has to be trash somewhere. So I was trying to follow the trash, but then I also kept cleaning it up because that was a nice, nice little, did you clean up the beer bottles and stuff? Oh yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah.
Environmental Storytelling and Tension in Firewatch
00:35:56
Speaker
I was going to play the good guy in video games, so I was making sure to keep that park clean. ALICE No, I definitely did that as well. It's a bit like, you know when you play games like GTA, and it's like, oh, it's boring causing carnage, let's pretend that we're driving like a scene person. You drive, you follow the traffic lights and everything, you do your turn signals, and you're like, oh my god, this is so fun.
00:36:19
Speaker
You're like passing the cops. You're like, I'm in the lines. I'm following rules. I hold my breath for a minute. I'm like, I'm doing all the things. No, I totally know what you mean though. Although granted, I did steal the radio from the teens because they were very rude. And I'm a very petty man. So I was like, yep, I'm taking this. I threw it in the water. Well done. Well done.
00:36:44
Speaker
I didn't even realise. I accidentally picked it up and then they were yelling at me like, put that down or whatever. The teens yell. I just dropped it and I was right near the water and then they're like, I can't believe you ruined it. They were yelling at me more and then they disappear. That's what I did with that. It's quite funny. I think if you answer your walkie talkie to talk to Delilah while you're holding the radio, she actually goes, whoa, what's that?
00:37:10
Speaker
you're like, whoa, that's very loud music. It's like, oh, it's the teens radio and everything. You're like, okay, that's pretty. That's a nice touch. And I do have to admit there are a lot of nice touches in this game like that. And it definitely adds to the environmental story to a winnable, say, because there's a scene later on where the next time you come across the teens is, well, there's more or less gone missing. You come across their camp and everything and their
00:37:36
Speaker
tense being torn up. It is as if it's a bear. You're like, oh Jesus, am I going to have to do a quick time event? We'll have to fight off a bear or something. I'm not ready for this. I thought the same thing. I thought there was going to be a bear attack, so yeah. And of course, you've got the letter from them that says, oh, there's that pervert ranger and everything. And
00:37:54
Speaker
You know, there's a lot of moments like that where it does set you on edge for a game that doesn't have any actual characters, and by characters I mean models, following you about, other than those two instances at the very beginning. Oh, it's very unsettling at the other moment. I don't know if this made you jump as well, but you know the moment where you're fishing by the riverside and then you come across the radio and you get knocked out.
00:38:22
Speaker
I jumped out my skin because, don't get me wrong, I'm not that good when it comes to jump scares and things like that, but honest to God, when I saw that, I was like, ooh, a radio. I didn't get sucker punched. I'm like, ow. It's because you're walking around and you've already been conditioned to look for things in this game. So it's like when you see the radio on the ground, you're like, oh, OK, I just got to go pick it up. I did everything else. And then it just tricks you. It tricks you. It's like you walked into a trap. You just fell for it.
00:38:52
Speaker
lulled you into a false sense of security. I like when you're walking to the water where the girls are, and you see their underwear. Did you pick it up? Yeah, and then I had to report it. I was like, aww. Because initially, I was like, oh, God, don't tell me this is going to be like, you know, every horror film I was going to specify, but let's face it, it's like every horror film with team protagonists was like, oh, my God, they've gone skinny. I think I'm like, they better not be an axe murderer on this floor. This my poor heart can't take
00:39:21
Speaker
this. I just love how it calls you out for touching it. It's like, oh yeah, you're picking that up. That's gross. I can't believe you did that. Henry keeps getting called out. I have to admit, I do like Delilah in this game. I do like the fact that there is that kind of lighthearted banter.
00:39:38
Speaker
between the two. It's not just an exposition machine, if that makes sense. She's not just there to be like, someone went missing last year. She actually adds a lot to the game itself, whether it be her insight or just acting like a real person.
00:39:53
Speaker
Well, that's what I was going to say. She's her own individual character. Even if no one's like playing her, she's her own individual character. She's doing things while you're doing things. And I feel like that is like such a nice touch because she's not just a plot device. She's having her whole own story going on. Like, you know, the first day she talks to you and welcomes you. And then later on, she apologizes because she was drug
00:40:14
Speaker
when she when you came when she was first talking to you so she didn't mean to pry you know like you didn't realize that at the time because she was doing her own thing and I think that was a really nice touch I personally love her as a character hate her as a person yeah
00:40:30
Speaker
Because I was thinking back to the very beginning of what you were saying about the relationship between Henry and Julia and everything, and how it's bad enough that you ran away to firewatch. But then, of course, we get some late night. I don't even know how to make this until you've been myself. But you know what I mean, what happened? Late night walkie-talkieing, yeah. Late night firewatching, let's see.
00:40:54
Speaker
You know, literally. Because that's the first time you see the fire that you have to name. What did you call it? I can't even remember what the choices were, to be honest. I can only remember two. There was Fire Flapjack, Fire Delilah. Flapjack was the one I did because I was not naming this fire after Delilah.
00:41:15
Speaker
I mean, would you be insulted if someone named a fire after you? Because I think I would be. I'd be like, wow, rude. I probably wouldn't be offended, depending on who it was, who it was that named that fire. You know, if it was like a friend of mine, I'd be like, oh, are you saying I'm a firecracker? Ha ha ha. Now my name's going to be in the news. But if it was like someone that didn't like me, then I'd be insulted, I think. Yeah. If I beg your pardon, I'll show you a fire. I'll show you a fire.
00:41:41
Speaker
But yeah, that's of course the turning point of the game, I suppose, where things start to go wrong, where you're looking out and you see your first fire, as it were, and it's that uncomfortable scene I have to say, because obviously in the one hand you can look at this as Henry feeling alone and guilty about running away and everything, and he just wants that kind of
Complexity of Henry and Delilah's Relationship
00:42:03
Speaker
companionship.
00:42:03
Speaker
with someone who isn't really in the know, if that makes sense, just like an outsider. He just wants an outsider to confide in and get close to and everything. But on the other hand, come on Henry, put your wedding ring back on. For God's sake, I was very conflicted with that. I was like, oh God Henry, you're not making it easy to like you. Are we supposed to like you?
00:42:25
Speaker
I think it was just, you know, like every time I just kept going, what? It's not about you, Henry. I'm so sorry, but your sick wife is not about you right now. So stop making, like, I just felt like he was making everything about him. And like, because his relationship with Delilah was just audio based, really, she could see him, but
00:42:44
Speaker
you don't really have him see her that I think he was able to put probably all the best qualities he loved to Julia onto this almost fictional person because I feel like, you know, it's almost the same with like online relationships. It's like if you are only having a relationship in that one form, it's so easy to put qualities onto this person that don't actually exist.
00:43:04
Speaker
So I feel like he was just able to kind of put all the best parts of Julie on her. Think of her like he didn't know what she looked like really so he could picture it in his head for a bit that kind of thing you know and she was flirting right away day one so she made it easy for him which I question because you know if I heard some guy was had a sick wife at home I probably would not want to talk to them that way personally.
00:43:28
Speaker
Yeah, I can't imagine many decent people would, to be fair. Oh, so why are you here? Well, my wife's like, hello. I was like, no. Oh, you're completely right with the whole parasocial relationship thing going on there, because you're right. He does definitely project all of these positive attributes, even though, as you said, it's clear that I suppose you could say she's almost like a reflection of Henry, like they're both. Oh, yeah.
00:43:54
Speaker
heavy drinkers, they're both very isolated, they're both trying to get away from something in real life. And they both are selfish. When it comes out that the teenage girls are missing, Delilah's first thing is, well, Henry, you were the last one to see them, so should I report it?
00:44:09
Speaker
And it's like she's already putting it like on him when he was on the radio the whole time with her, you know, like pointing out everything. And then no matter what your choice is, she doesn't report it anyway. And then she tries to be like, well, if I reported it now, Henry, you're going to get in trouble.
00:44:25
Speaker
And it's like, no, no, no, this is my first year as Henry here. You're the boss of 10 years who didn't report it. I think you're going to be in trouble Delilah. It just sounds like you're just putting it on Henry. So she was doing like the same thing that Henry was doing with his wife, just putting all his problems. It's because of on this person instead of owning anything. And I feel like that's maybe that's what you need to be a fire watcher. Maybe that's like a personality trait.
00:44:48
Speaker
I mean, she is definitely, and don't get me wrong, I think that there's a lot of firewatch personality traits, I suppose is the right word. I think if you always have to do a checklist, it's like, you have to be a heavy drinker, you have to be someone who is emotionally volatile, you have to have a dark and brooding past, which...
00:45:08
Speaker
You know, when we talk about the antagonists of this game, you can see he also shares those traits with Delilah and Henry. So it's weird because you do want to sympathise with Henry at times, but there's just other times when you sit there and you go, Henry, my man, come on, stop donating twitch bits to Delilah here. She's not that into you.
00:45:27
Speaker
What is your deal, man? Yeah, he's just running away, as you said, with his stomping legs. Well, part of that is literally like, I think that's what it is, is like, it's the human part of it. Humans mess up. Humans make bad choices. Not all the time, but they do. And I feel like maybe that's one reason the game had so much emotional depth was just because you were playing as a not good guy. No matter your choice, you weren't the good guy here.
00:45:50
Speaker
Yeah, there's no real redemption as it were. He does try to do the right thing at times, but you know, it's not like he turned round and says, oh I was a fool for, well he does like ruminate over, oh I was a fool for leaving Julia or anything, but there's no definitive moment where he goes, hold on, I've been sitting for 90 days up a tower.
00:46:11
Speaker
with nothing but a typewriter and a woman who keeps texting me over this radio. It's like, maybe I should be at home with my wife. Like there's no moment like that. I do think the end of the game almost like it doesn't give Henry that moment, but it's almost payback because like we know Delilah is selfish and her inherent last moment in this game is a selfish move. So after the fire takes over and everything like that and you're running to Delilah's tower where the helicopter is going to be,
00:46:40
Speaker
doesn't even wait for you, dude. You put your effort into her over your wife and she couldn't even wait for you." Like, I was like, fair, fair. Henry got what he deserved in the end, I guess. Because I mean, he even says, oh, maybe you could come to Bull's or Colorado with me and everything. And it's like, Henry, my dude, the helicopter's right there. That's going to be an awkward thing, you know, talking to the pilot. Like, so if you got anyone at home, yeah, I've got a wife with dementia. But do you know if Deliah was free?
00:47:10
Speaker
You're like, Jesus, Henry, come on. Calm down. Simmer down, my man. And something that I did notice, and obviously it's supposed to be like a kind of extra, oh, look, that's cool. But earlier on in the game, Delilah asks what you look like, and she draws a picture of you. And by the end of it, when you get to Delilah's tower, you sit down and you see that picture.
00:47:33
Speaker
of yourself, you know, hanging up in the wall. And then the one hand you can kind of think, oh that's nice, they had like a personal relationship and everything, or more a professional relationship, but then on the other hand you can kind of think, she gave so less of a you-know-what about him that she left the picture she drew of him to burn in a wildfire. Henry, my man, don't... This isn't the woman you want to introduce to your folks, I'm just going to say it.
00:47:58
Speaker
But that's what I'm saying. They're the same. They're both as selfish. And she was just as self-absorbed as he was. And she was probably getting the same kind of thing out of the relationship that he was. But she probably was more realistic in that it wasn't gonna leave the tower. Like, that's why she let it burn. It was just part of that scenery. She didn't want that in the real world.
00:48:17
Speaker
think that's why she purposely broke the lift? But you're the lift to go over. Because technically, there is a scene where apparently if you go up there, it says something like, oh, you can't use the lift because of, I don't know, some reason to obviously stop you from getting to that point early on in the game. But did she break it and go, oh no, it's broken.
00:48:40
Speaker
Yes, probably I would not be surprised like she says herself that she doesn't really talk to any of the other Watchers and everything like that besides just like work stuff and I personally I mean she's been there 10 years I wonder if every time there's a new fire watcher She just talks to them for that year and then that's it and then moves on to the next fire watcher I don't know I don't know Delilah's life, but I mean she was getting pretty nosy with Henry day one So maybe that's why she doesn't talk to the other fire watchers been there done then
00:49:09
Speaker
I mean, she can keep getting away with this, like, flirting with random firewatchers. This is like an HR suit waiting to happen here. A few of us actually is probably in the perfect job for that because if there's a wildfire, she can just go, oh no, wildfire! Gonna go, g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-
00:49:27
Speaker
Well, and like most fire watchers probably only do it for like the one year. Like I don't know how many career fire watchers there are. So just she's like, Oh, you know, new guy might only be here one year. Let me see what his deal is and see if I can drink and talk with him and have fun. Like I think it's all just a game to her, but I mean, she doesn't even have stairs. They're just made out of whiskey bowl to just like link up them.
00:49:53
Speaker
What the hell? There is like a half bottle of tequila or something you see in her tower and stuff like that. I don't even know if it's right to call her a villain at times. What a human. What a human. Yeah, that's fair. What a human being. That's the motto of this game. We're all humans. But speaking of the third human that we have in this game, obviously not including the two teenagers who, honest to God, as soon as they went missing, I was like, oh no.
00:50:24
Speaker
back to the scenery, but yeah of course we've got this very serious and quite frankly disturbing undertone in this story and there were so many moments as I said that completely pulled me out and in a good way, like not in a bad way of oh my god it's a scary moment but it was more moments where you know just the unsettling implications like there's a scene where you're out at night and you're talking to Delilah and she turns around and she's like oh why don't you crack open that bottle of whiskey or whatever and he's like what are you talking about I'm out in the forest.
00:50:54
Speaker
like, haha, nice try. I could see you in your tower. And he's like, I'm not in the tower. And after that, that was one of the moments I was just like, hey, wait a minute. I'm going in the tower. Who the hell is in my tower? I don't run back. I was like, oh, no. I hated that scene because in your next task is run back to the tower. I'm like, why would I do that? There's someone there. Why would I go back? I'm going to stay out here until they leave. That's what I would have done. I'm like, do I look like a bodybuilder?
00:51:22
Speaker
With this dad board of steel? What do you expect me to do, Delilah? What if he has a knife or a gun or something? It's America! Ain't that a good happen? It's a tower! There is only one set of stairs in and out. So if like, what if I'm running up and he's running down? What do I do?
00:51:39
Speaker
there's the thing as well though. It's like Delilah's looking, and again I know obviously it's a far distance as she probably sees only the silhouette, but I'm assuming Henry doesn't look like, I'm going to spoil who it actually is here so apologies, but you know, it doesn't look like Ned. He doesn't look like Ned at all. So again, is that like either she was too drunk or she just didn't care about Henry? It was dark. Wait a minute, that's not your chiseled abs and rock hard pegs. It's like, no.
00:52:06
Speaker
That's actually a really good point because we know Delilah can see Henry well enough that she knows he's wearing cargo shorts because she does bring up his cargo shorts multiple, multiple times. It's like she can see the silhouette of his clothes at the very least. From what the pictures we've seen, Ned and him don't look a whole lot alike. I'm going to blame it on Delilah's drinking problem. Yeah, I would say so.
00:52:30
Speaker
She's definitely got beer goggles on for that point. It's like, oh, Henry. Oh, I love that moment last night when you had a machete running around. It's like, what the hell's wrong with you, Delilah? Are we sure that Delilah wasn't the main villain here again?
00:52:45
Speaker
I mean if we want to get into Ned, so you know Ned and his son Brian were in the woods and everything like that and Delilah knew she talked to Brian the most but she was supposed to report them and she didn't because she didn't want Ned to get in trouble because she was so fond of his son Brian and then when we solve the mystery of what happened with Brian, that's kind of Delilah's fault.
00:53:09
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. And then you have to sit through and be like, oh no, it wasn't your, and then you look at the script, it wasn't your fault. Fault? It's that French for, is your fault? You know, the one thing I will say before we talk about needs and brains and the storyline,
00:53:29
Speaker
The one thing I didn't like, I will say, and I don't know how you feel about this, is C when there was the whole conspiracy theory part where, and don't get me wrong, I like how it plays into the story, where basically Henry finds the transcripts between himself and Delilah and how they had steamy, walkie-talkie, rumpy-pumpy and all that. It's the nicest way I can describe it. No, you're doing great. That's the best description I've ever heard of.
00:53:55
Speaker
you know finding that and he thinks that he's being tracked and everything and it starts to feed into his paranoia which I think is like a very interesting theme because there's a moment where he starts to break down and they keep saying to Delilah like what if none of this is real I've got the same illness as Julia and everything and that is such a heartbreaking moment because although Henry has done some terrible stuff
00:54:18
Speaker
It is horrible for, you know, to think that, oh God, what if I am losing my mind? And obviously, Delilah talks him down. It's a very human moment there. It's just a good contrast to even like the beginning, because it's like, it's showing him almost having like a little bit of empathy for what his wife is going through. But then again, it is a bit awkward when you look at yourself and you're like, you're the one controlling. And you're like, what if it's all in my head? What if it's a simulation? And I'm like, yeah, that would be, that would suck.
00:54:51
Speaker
Totally not a simulation, Henry. You're good, man. You're good. I did like the transcripts and stuff. There was so much, again, in the story that you could choose not to look at, but you also could, and you could get more of a background of Delilah and stuff like that, and more of her story, and I thought that was a cool touch.
00:55:10
Speaker
story is pretty boring. She had like an ex and I think she's older than Henry slightly, but she's been doing this for 10 years. But it was, it was just like a nice backstory to like everything else that's going on. And it kind of shows how crazy Ned was after everything happened.
00:55:25
Speaker
you get to see, again, you get to see that kind of downward spiral of Ned Psyche after he loses Brian and clearly he is, for good reason, like he is a veteran of the US Army and everything so he's got that in green to him that he's really aggressive with his son, you know, he wants his son to be like a stereotypical old, your man, you have to climb these
00:55:48
Speaker
cliff faces and everything, and you have to do this and that, whereas Brian is a bit more sensitive, as you see later on, he loves D&D, even though it's not called Dungeons and Dragons, it's called, I don't know, some knockoff like Dyson Dungeons or something, I don't know. Dyson Delilah, let's see.
00:56:06
Speaker
You know? Probably. He loves that fantasy side of life, and of course his father doesn't approve, and that's why he runs to Delilah, which let's face it, probably not the best choice, but hindsight's a wonderful thing. The one thing I didn't like though, and again it is debunked, and it is probably the moment of the game where I got the most bugs when I was playing it, so maybe that
00:56:27
Speaker
factors into this. It's like when you go to the camp and everything, and you see all the equipment for surveillance and everything, and it's like, oh my god, it's a government conspiracy, or oh, it's like a shady organisation. The biggest sigh that I could muster at that point, I was just like, don't tell me it's going to be a secret organisation that, you know, oh, they're looking after firewatch people. It's like, why?
00:56:49
Speaker
Why? What is the US government doing spying on Rangers? And obviously we find out later that it's Ned trying to frame this narrative. And I like it in a way because it does show that although there is a lot in this game that it does feed into the paranoia, it feeds into the idea of them self-reflecting to say, oh, why is this happening? Maybe because of X, Y, and Z. But I would have been so mad. I'm not going to lie.
00:57:15
Speaker
I would have been so mad if it was like a government conspiracy. Usually people are like, ooh, it is a government conspiracy, but this is only one of the only times I'm like, can we not have X-Files in here? Can we not have the CIA here for whatever reason? Or like the weird League of Firemen coming in?
00:57:30
Speaker
The first time I played it and I saw that part I actually thought like if it was something government related or someone was spying I didn't think they were spying on me I thought they were spying on Delilah I thought maybe it was Delilah was doing something else and Delilah because she just rubbed me the wrong way sometimes with her not wanting to report things
00:57:48
Speaker
because she does that multiple times. So I was like, okay, maybe someone's spying on her and I'm just caught in the middle kind of thing was my first thought. But yeah, I'm glad they did not go that route because I feel like that would have totally just ruined any emotional context that was going on there.
Ned's Tragic Story
00:58:06
Speaker
Oh yeah, so-and-so's dared, but you know what? The CIA were like...
00:58:09
Speaker
It's aliens. It was aliens this whole time. It was the mysterious figure who was an alien. It's like, no, no. It was Death Glotch. Big Foot was starting fires. He got on a pack of matches. We got to get them back. He's in cahoots with Delilah. Delilah gets him matches until he gets hard Sasquatch whiskey. Delilah didn't report it.
00:58:34
Speaker
Do you think that's the real thing? She just flew away with a Sasquatch at the end. There never was a Delilah. It's like, what the hell could I be talking to? Well, I don't know. I guess they have to make a Firewatch too. We don't need to know what happens. Yeah. What's Sasquatch watching?
00:58:52
Speaker
success. That would be such a good game. That would be terrifying. You're turning around the corner and just this huge Sasquatch. Hey, what's up? Do you want some matches? But I have to have some like emotional story where like your wife got some disease that made her really furry or something. So you leave her to come to the woods and then all of a sudden you run into Sasquatch and now it's like reflecting on what you just ran away from. It's okay to be funny. It's like, what? What is this game?
00:59:21
Speaker
10 out of 10 game of the year edition. Oh my goodness, I've got to learn how to programme. Get on this. Going back to the quote-unquote antagonist of this game, and again, it's hard to call him an antagonist. I mean, don't get me wrong, he does try to kill Henry at some point. That's pretty antagonistic behaviour, don't get me wrong, but it is quite hard to see this dad, too, obviously. He wants his son to be much like him. He wants him to be this macho figure and everything, and Brian just wants to be himself. He wants to be this
00:59:50
Speaker
fantasy nerd for lack of a better term. And keep in mind that this game takes place in, I think it's 1989, the fact is that obviously being into fantasy novels and things like that, it wasn't, I mean obviously it was a thing but it was more associated with being an
01:00:06
Speaker
and being very introverted. Don't get me wrong, technically those stuff apply nowadays, but it's not as much of a social stigma. He also carried around the disposable camera, which you bring along and everything, which I have to say, I had a bit of an awkward moment. Did you use the camera?
01:00:21
Speaker
The first time I didn't really use the camera, I think I kept forgetting. And then by the time I got to the end, I was like, oh yeah. But the second time, I purposefully did because there's an achievement if you use all the film. So the second time I did use all the camera, yeah. The only time I used it was, and after that, I still sound morbid, but I took a picture of Brian's body because I was like, right, OK. We'll need evidence, right? That's what I did too, though.
01:00:44
Speaker
Because I was like, we need to evidence in case someone says, oh, Henry, you killed Brian. I'm like, no, no, no, no, you look at this all. I didn't realise, was it? See at the very end when the credits roll, it also includes your.
01:00:58
Speaker
The only picture that I'd taken was a picture of Brian's body and I was like, oh! Oh my. Oh no. A very morbid indeed. I was like, I should have taken more pictures of the scenery or anything. Yeah, it's so beautiful of a game. You're like, I'm just walking by. You know, it's scenery. Nah. You watch tower. Nah. Delilah. Nah. Body. Ooh, snap.
01:01:21
Speaker
But going back to Ned for a second though, it's quite a horrible story. He's a former firewatch person who tries his best to be that father figure who's there for Brian and everything, but at the same time pushes him to the extent that Brian wants to prove him wrong by going down the cave
01:01:40
Speaker
area and he's upfalling, unfortunately, to his death, and the only person that knows he's there is Ned. So of course, when he sees you climbing out the cave as out there, he's like, oh, this is a bit of a problem, a bit of a co-inkering. He tries to stop you by knocking you out, trashing the place, basically just acting like a general bear. What did you think overall though of Ned's role within this game?
01:02:04
Speaker
Well, I mean, he was creepy from the beginning because you don't know who he is or his motives. And as you get more and more of his story, it gets more and more sympathetic. Yeah, obviously when he locks you in the cave, super creepy at that point. I do think with Ned though, like at the end, his ending is he's living in the woods. That's it. Like there's no idea how long he's gonna live in the woods. No one would be able to find him. The woods are huge and expansive. Like we explore so much. It's such a large map.
01:02:32
Speaker
But we're only like a small section. We talk about other sections of the woods where the other watchers are, but we never like see them. Just with Ned's character, it's another human moment. They're all human. They're all making bad decisions with the bad hands they were dealt. And I think Ned would have gotten help if maybe Delilah had reported it. So maybe it's all Delilah's fault. And on that note, thank you for- no, I'm only joking.
01:03:01
Speaker
Now, you're completely right. It's something that seems to keep going back to Delilah. I know. It's the first time I played this, did not think about it this way. The second time I played it, I was like, why is Delilah always wrong? Why?
01:03:17
Speaker
Like, why is she always just doing the wrong thing? But I mean, she does drink a lot. There's even like a letter you find from one of the other fire watchers, I think that's like a complaint or talks about like Delilah's drinking. So probably it was just influenced by alcohol and she gets it brought to her. She doesn't have to go to the cash boxes like everyone else does. So she's getting, you know, all of her whiskey and tequila hand delivered to her towers. So no wonder she drinks a lot.
01:03:44
Speaker
Do you think she hears the clinking of the parcel, you know, and she runs immediately to like the window of the watchtower, you know, like, oh boy, oh boy, that's tequila Tuesday. I'm assuming that they would have to helicopter it to her, right? So maybe she's just looking out, she'd just say, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. And she's like, ah, sweet. So I just ran out. I just finished my last bottle. Perfect timing. And then goes and gets it. She gets like one little thing of bread and then the rest is alcohol. Oh, great. My heart medication. Great.
01:04:14
Speaker
Yeah, she doesn't eat, it's just drinking all the time. That's what it seems like because every time you phone or rather you radio her, all you hear is just the clinking of the bottle and, oh Henry, you're like, Delilah, are you okay? Well, she rarely leaves her tower. She even says, she's like, I just do word searches while you're out running around. It's like, okay, Delilah, so you drink and do word searches and don't report things. What do you do?
01:04:41
Speaker
How much does she get paid? I don't know how much a firewatcher gets paid, but too much. She gets paid too much. She gets paid far too much for whatever she's getting. That's the moral of the story of this game. Delilah gets paid too much. Or do you think it's kind of going back a bit, but do you think it's the fact there's been budget cuts in the American government are like, okay, we can't pay you in money, but look at these bottles of tequila.
01:05:09
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that would make so much sense though. For her, she's like, you know, I don't mind getting paid this little because I get free room and board for like three months. You know, she's like, I don't have to look for a place to live. I don't have to worry about feeding myself. I just get to sit here and do my word searches. Well, that's until there's an actual fire and then
01:05:27
Speaker
And then she just leaves on a helicopter. What does she do? She just says, fire, and then leaves. She's like, I watched it. I did my job. I saw it. I watched it. I did report this one, and then leaves on a helicopter. It's like that meme of walks in, says nothing, goes out without clarifying. It's like, what are you doing, Delilah? I have to admit, this has been a very eye opening discussion of Delilah.
01:05:52
Speaker
have to admit I remember after the game I obviously looked up the reception of the game to see what other people were saying and there was a lot of people being like oh what's up with Delilah Delilah conspiracy theories is she the villain blah blah blah and I never really thought much about it it's a bit like
01:06:07
Speaker
when I played what remains of Edith Finch and my friend was like, oh, you should really play it. And I played it a couple of times. I thought, this is great. And again, it's one of these games that the first time I played Edith Finch, I was like, okay, that was a very emotionally charged game and everything. And then the second time I played through it, I was like, Edith Finch is a monster.
01:06:24
Speaker
And then it's just like, this is like, Delia was a monster. There's no way to spin it. Again, going back to the trademarks at the end of the night here, they're human. But I feel as if Delia was a wee bit more human than the rest of them.
01:06:39
Speaker
Maybe it's because she's been doing this for so long that she's built this pattern. And so for us, we're just walking in on her doing what she's probably been doing for the past, you know, seven years. Maybe not the first three years she was a firewatcher, but definitely by year four, she realized she could get all the alcohol she wanted and didn't have to move because she was the boss, so. Hey there Delilah.
01:07:05
Speaker
I wanted to work the joke in and I was like, no, don't say it, don't say it. Have you ever met someone in your life called Caroline? Immediately the first song that comes in. And then obviously they look at you as if, wow, I've never heard that joke before, never talking to you again. I feel like
01:07:27
Speaker
Maybe that's what drove Don't I What to Drink? Do you think all the new fire watchers were just like, hey there, don't I like that? I said, look at your... I've looked at her. Aww. So she just started doing shots every time someone did said that. She could have done something productive, like just change her name or give people a nickname to call her by, but instead she decided it was easier to drink. So that's how she solves all her problems.
01:07:51
Speaker
But that's one of the things in the game though, she does turn round and she says something like, I can't remember what she calls Henry, but she calls him something else. And he's like, oh no, it's Henry. And she's like, oh, I like that better. And it's like, what is your deal? I feel like because we're talking to her through, we're not visually seeing her, that we also don't know when she's drunk.
01:08:12
Speaker
So sometimes when we're talking to her, she could easily be drunk and we have no idea unless she like explicitly tells us. So that really makes like the second playthrough. Some of the conversations make a lot more sense if you just imagine her drinking. Oh yeah, absolutely.
01:08:28
Speaker
It deserves a second playthrough for sure to be like, wait a minute, this isn't fair at all. Although I'm laughing, I'm just looking at the float summary of this game. And this is what the Wikipedia page says, by the way. I just want to point this out.
01:08:44
Speaker
This is about Brian's death and you know the scene where Ned's confesses to everything and he says Brian's death was accidental and because of the climbing and experience they fell and you know all tragic. This is a penultimate sentence of the plot summary. Despite Ned's confession Delilah blames him for Brian's death and leaves on the rescue helicopter.
01:09:06
Speaker
That just summarizes her whole character. It really does. Maybe she is like Henry if he keeps going in this direction. I like to think maybe after this, Henry goes back to his wife and takes care of his wife for, you know, as long as she's there, you know, like maybe even if it's not in like a romantic capacity, sometimes that happens. But I feel like he still would take care of her because if he does it, he's going to turn into Delilah. If he goes back to fire watching the next summer, he's Delilah and he'll be the next Delilah. Fire watch too.
01:09:36
Speaker
They're going to be singing Hey there Henry. Firewatch 2 is 10 years later where he's now the manager because Delilah was fired and you're a new person coming in talking to Henry on the walkie talkie. Are you implying that Delilah didn't just take a helicopter and escape to like Mexico or something?
01:09:55
Speaker
She's like, I'm going to go. Okay, we find the source of the fire. It's like a sacrifice circle with tequila bottles. Why is this in the middle of the photo style? She's like, oh, no idea. No idea. I'm in Mexico. No idea. It was Henry. It was Henry's fault. He was the last one there. It must have been
01:10:17
Speaker
And that's why he's like, well done. Well done, Henry. You're fit for the job.
01:10:26
Speaker
I'm sure there's commentary in there, but you know what? Listen, I was like, this side. We talked about the emotional, we talked about the gameplay, we talked about the beautiful scenes, and then we talked about Delilah's terrible, terribleness. Just, you know, she's human, but she's like the most human. Oh, absolutely. Most human, yeah, in this game, I think. You could really, you could really slow up that on the front of the box. Just these characters are human.
01:10:53
Speaker
What does that mean? They're human. Just trust us. The only one who's not human is Brian and that's because he's being by default taken out the equation. Well he was also a kid so he didn't have like a long enough timeline to really build a character. So like, you know. True, true.
Polarizing Ending and Replayability
01:11:09
Speaker
And yeah, the teenagers end up, they go missing and they turn up on a farm and everything. Yeah, they're fine. They were fine. They were red herring.
01:11:18
Speaker
There's one thing I do want to ask you about, and it's the, of course, ending, and it is something we've talked about quite in depth about Delilah's horribleness. I'm saying, I'm sorry, I had to return to my home planet, you know, just that at the end, Delilah died on her way to her home planet of fire watching her.
01:11:34
Speaker
But like, what were your thoughts about the ending? Because when I was reading about this, there is a lot of people who hate this ending. A lot of people who are like, oh, it's anticlimactic, it's terrible, you know? Maybe not the worst ending. Like, there are worst endings out there, but what were your thoughts of it the first time you played through?
01:11:51
Speaker
Yeah, I was gonna say there was like a difference in the first and the second time so the first time I played through I actually I feel like I was hopeful I felt like maybe Delilah's there, you know, so you're running through the smoke-filled forest and you're heading to trying to get to her as fast before she leaves and so I thought maybe she would be there like maybe there would be a character there that I can like see
01:12:14
Speaker
So it was almost another loss. Like it started with a loss and it ended with a loss. The first time, because I didn't realize Delilah was again as horrible. You know, I kind of liked the relationship between Henry and Delilah. And so I felt like, you know, it was just another loss to have to experience. The second time I played through and I realized Delilah's human traits, I was like, if she leaves, this relationship is done.
01:12:38
Speaker
And of course she leaves. So I was like, there, there you go. There you go. She made her choice. And so second time I was like, Henry deserved this. He deserved it. I didn't hate the ending. I thought it was a good way to wrap it up without leaving too many loose ends. And then you can kind of infer what you got from that game, because not everyone got the same dialogue. The story is the same, but you don't always have to like let Delilah know everything and stuff like that. So I feel like just how you played that relationship is what you get out of the ending, I guess.
01:13:08
Speaker
Yeah, there's a really weird playthrough I saw where it was like, oh, I'm doing this challenge run where Henry doesn't talk. It's basically just, you don't answer the river. And it's the weirder thing because the river's constantly talking to you and you just don't reply. And I was like, well, obviously, I think there are moments where the game forces a reply and everything, but
01:13:29
Speaker
else. It's like watching the fire flapjack and everything. It's just like silence, silence. It's like playing Ocarina of Time, fire watch. What is this? It's so funny, but it's just so unnerving. Do you?
01:13:46
Speaker
I do think this game would have been better if they added more music. There was music during specific scenes, but a lot of the forest walking, there wasn't really a whole lot of ambiance, I don't think, audio-wise. So I think that's one thing this game could have used, in my opinion, is forest-y music ambiance while I'm just getting lost, because I got lost a lot the first time.
01:14:09
Speaker
same. There were some moments where it was like, oh go out and try and fix this power line. I remember looking up and seeing like in the distance all these power lines. I was like, oh.
01:14:22
Speaker
You know, I got lost so many times. One of the ones I hated, and after a minute, this is like the kind of few criticisms I would have of the game, is there's some moments where it isn't as clear to tell you where you're supposed to go. There's one where you have to find, I think it's like the tracker or some device, and it's buried deep within this random side. I don't even know what you call it, you know, like a side.
01:14:44
Speaker
and you're like, oh god, you go in and then of course you find it. But I was running around like an idiot because the detector would beep and everything and then it wouldn't beep and then it'd beep again. I'm like, I have no idea. Are you expecting me to run through the whole of this map with this pitiful beeping machine? You might as well strap a Tamagotchi to my wrist and say, go forth Henry, go forth and find this psycho that's stalking you. What are you supposed to do?
01:15:09
Speaker
But of course, I looked up the thing and as much as it is good for the ambience, I don't know. This might be controversial to say, but there were some moments where I was like, you know, maybe a waypoint wouldn't have been spanned in some bits. And I know the whole point is you're supposed to explore the area. All I can say is I'm not a good map reader. I'm more of a Zodian than I am like a geographer or a map reader. So I was just getting lost constantly looking at my map going, I have no idea where this is.
01:15:38
Speaker
You can't really walk and look at the map at the same time. And so that that was like my issue because I have the memory of a goldfish. So I would look at the map and be like, OK, I need to go to this and then go right. And then I'd walk, walk, walk. And I'd be like, I'm lost. I look at the map. I'm completely not where I'm supposed to be. And I'm like, but I follow the directions in my head that the map said to follow. Where did I get turned around? You know, like where? And so, yeah, so that was I can't tell if that was just me being bad at games.
01:16:06
Speaker
or whether it was just a flaw in the game. But I get it, you are in the woods. It's still within borders, so you're not gonna be lost forever, so...
01:16:16
Speaker
But then again, there was that scene where, as I said, I jumped where you get sucker-punched in the back. I was like, oh my God, what's happening? And then that tension was completely destroyed when I was just walking up and down the stream like a jackass. I have no idea where I'm going. I'm like, am I supposed to go this way? No, I'm supposed to go that way. And the only saving grace was when Delilah would come on the radio and be like, oh, you know, how are you getting on? And then I'm like, okay, I am going the right way then. I must be going the right way because you're talking to me.
01:16:44
Speaker
It's in her day drinking. Yeah. She probably still was day drinking. She probably still was. She just wanted to check in. Do I always the kind of person that imagine, you know those glasses you get where it's like a straw as well? She's the kind of person I can imagine she's wearing them and she's like talking.
01:17:01
Speaker
like, oh, you're doing good, Henry. Yeah, just one of those drinking helmets, you know? Oh, God, she would. She absolutely would. Can you imagine if you go to the lookout tower and it's just that waiting for you? Just like, oh, Henry, thanks to see you.
01:17:16
Speaker
She's also like 40 I think in the early 40s and she doesn't go anywhere and she just plays crosswords. So she's probably out of shape drinking all the time. So like in my head, this character, I'm just like imagining her and she probably looks closer to like 60. So I'm just like thinking in my head, I'm like, I want to know what Henry was picturing. It's like the ultimate catfish.
01:17:43
Speaker
That's literally what it is. This is like firewatch catfishing. Oh yeah. Well, I would pay to watch that show. I'm not gonna lie. Firewatch catfishing, they should make it a special. I don't know that I'll have enough firewatchers to make it a show. You're completely right though. It's like she works in the sun. She barely goes outside as she said. Maybe she goes outside, we don't know that. But the main thing is as she said to day drinks, she does a crossword, she sits there, she's in a very hot environment. I'm saying before the fire,
01:18:13
Speaker
for 10 years she's got like the sun lashing down on her, so skin's gonna be all like leathery. And she'll look like a British tourist in Medidorm, you know, she'll be just completely fried, you know, and of course I don't know if Henry thought she looked like an anime waifu or something, you know. Can you imagine he's like, oh wow, it's the love of my life and comes to terms with it.
01:18:37
Speaker
Yeah, because I mean, his wife was probably beautiful, and then she got dementia, and now he's gonna leave her for leathery Delilah. The wethery husk of a 10-year veteran of the firewatch. Until Delilah gets liver cirrhosis, and then he'll join another long-term career. Maybe he'll go on an oil rig for that game.
01:18:59
Speaker
or like an arctic research thing. Am I making the right choice? Do you know what he reminds me of? I don't know if you frequent read it very much, but there's a subreddit called Am I the Asshole? Don't get me wrong, sometimes they are genuine questions, but you get people who are just so obviously not all there and they're like,
01:19:21
Speaker
am I the asshole for saying this absolutely abhorrent thing? But they stole the last chip from my plate or something that was like, that doesn't justify what you just said. And that's what I feel like Henry would be. I feel like he would be the guy to go on a subreddit and be like, am I the asshole for leaving my dementia-ridden wife to live in Solitude in Wyoming? Of all the places you could go, you go to Wyoming? You're the asshole for Wyoming alone.
01:19:50
Speaker
Also, for legal reasons, that's a joke. I have no idea if my omega's nice, but I'm assuming it's a lovely place. You know, he definitely, there's just such that disconnect. But again, again, to semi-justify his actions, he is human. He's not dealing with it clearly. He's not dealing with it very well. Is there anything you want to say about the game just in summary? Just in summary, I think
01:20:15
Speaker
the game still holds up and even though I didn't like certain things my second playthrough I'm still really there was still so much to discover in playing it again so it does have good replayability again the graphics are great the voice acting is phenomenal and I think that's one reason it makes it so believable too and so I recommend if you've listened to this and haven't played it why also play it
01:20:40
Speaker
totally agree with that. If you haven't played it, definitely play it. It's relatively cheap as far as I remember on Steam and usually the Xbox. It goes on sales. I mean, if you're buying it on the Switch, that's your fault. They've got the Nintendo tax. That is on you. That is not on us. That's all I'm saying.
01:21:00
Speaker
Yeah, fair, fair. Apparently what I didn't realise was that this game, as I said, this game came out in, as I may have read on the Wikipedia page, this game was released in February 2016 for Windows OS X, Linux in September 2016. This was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Can you guess when the Nintendo Switch port was?
Game Recommendations and Jess's Projects
01:21:22
Speaker
2020.
01:21:24
Speaker
course, 2018. So like two years later. I was going to say, it's probably something ridiculous because they're always late. Why? I'm not being funny, but this game doesn't seem the most taxing. It's got beautiful scenery for its range and limits and things, but
01:21:40
Speaker
It's not exactly one of the most taxing games, I would say. Like, you're not going to be playing this in ultra graphics or anything. I mean, if there's mods for it, that would be awesome. And by mods, I mean for the scenery. I don't mean to like Photoshop Delilah's lettery husk and take the Overwatch tower out of the tower. Honestly, see if there's a mod for that. Please, somebody message us because I would love to see that.
01:22:06
Speaker
just like a cardboard cut out. Oh good. In fact, do you know what it reminds me of? Going back to what I said about Benadorm, there's like a show called Benadorm, and there's a character in that that she's the kind of ganani figure, and she's got like the very dark skin because she's out in the sun all the time. Out in the sun sky, she's got the bleach bond here. Now I'm just imagining that's just the lie of it. I'll send you a picture later to show you, but
01:22:30
Speaker
That's honestly how I imagine her to be just scooting around with like, oh yeah, I'm the bombshell, don't I? It's like you're not. You're like 42 and you look 55. What are you talking about? How is this possible?
01:22:44
Speaker
the forest looks better and there's just been a wildfire. Sorry, going back to positives. Yeah, I would definitely recommend this game as well. I do think that narratively, it's a fantastic game. You're not going to regret playing Firewatch, I will say. You're not going to regret going into this game and saying, oh, it's a waste of time. Because it's not. What I will say is, though, there are some frustrating moments with the gameplay, that's all I'll say, like when they go to the camp and you know how you have to look through the files and things.
01:23:13
Speaker
my game glitched because I was trying to look at different items but kept looking the same dialogue over and over again. I was like, oh, they have been spying on us. And then I looked at the typewriter. Oh, they have been spying on us. And then I look at playthroughs of it. It's like, that's not what you're supposed to say. And you know, I genuinely thought I was stuck at that point. So
01:23:33
Speaker
Oh, that's annoying. I think if you play games, then you probably should just play it once. At the very least, it's one of those games I think every gamer should play once. But at the time, I mean, Firewatch was there at one point, and it's just one of those games that I think if you play games, and especially if you like story-driven games, definitely for you. And I don't think it would... It's not a waste of time. And it's relatively short. Depending on how in-depth you want to look into things, you can play through it fairly quickly.
01:24:01
Speaker
thinking about three hours would you say? Maybe three or four hours. It's not overly long. I think the longest bit for me and after a matter of fact I think that's what adds you to the stress because I had two days to play this game because it was going off a game pass and the speed those stubby legs were racing
01:24:19
Speaker
going to Wyoming. They're like, okay, I love the story and everything, but I gotta run because I don't have time to waste. If I waste time, I don't finish this game and it's going off a game pass. That's my fault for not playing this. I was like, okay, Henry, go, go, go. Found a lot of fun. But yeah, don't be like me. Buy the game because I actually, I have to admit, I did buy the game on Steam because I didn't enjoy it so much. I did rebuy it. So definitely, if you haven't played this game, absolutely check it out.
01:24:47
Speaker
it is definitely worth your time. And yeah, on that note Jess, thank you so much for taking part in this episode and discussing not only Firewatch but the urgency of Delilah, I suppose.
01:25:00
Speaker
Talked a lot about human psychology and just how hard it is to be human. We brainstormed future games like Sasquatch. I think that's what it should be called, Sasquatch. Yeah, I agree with that. That's better than main Sasquatch watch. That's Ricky to you. Thank you so much for having me. I love talking indie games. This was a great use of my time because I loved it so much. Well, you're always welcome back.
01:25:31
Speaker
If there's any other game, you're always welcome back to talk about it. Yeah, it's an indie game, then yeah, definitely invite me back. But before we wrap up this episode, where can the lovely listeners at home find your content? All my content. Okay, so I am one of three members of a podcast called Opinionated Lushes. We are 18 plus, so don't look for us, unless you're 18 plus. But you can find our podcast, Opinionated Lushes, wherever you get your podcasts. If you want to check out our merch store and
01:25:59
Speaker
And other things we do, search up our link tree slash opinionated luscious and you can find all of our links there. I personally do music as well. I've had music on HBO shows, MTV, that kind of stuff. So you can find me Jessica Hart, H-A-R-T, wherever you get your music. And again, I have a link tree slash Jessica Hart music if you want to keep up to where I'm playing shows and everything else with.
01:26:22
Speaker
That's. And I also stream video games on Twitch. So go to twitch.tv slash variety Jess. That is me. And I'm currently playing scary games because I can only play scary games if I have an audience watching me because I can't do it by myself. So yeah, those are all the places you can find me and yeah, that's it. No, thank you for that.
01:26:43
Speaker
And if you want to find more Chatsunami content or of course this episode, in which case you probably are listening to this episode on there. So you know what, I'm just going to remind you just in case you forgot. In case you went away to play Firewatch and you're like, where can we find other episodes? So you can find Chatsunami on podpage.com forward slash Chatsunami and
01:27:04
Speaker
course you can find us on iTunes, Spotify and all good podcast apps. Just look for the Ray Panda and we'll see you there. Until then, thank you all so so much for listening to this episode. Stay safe, stay awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated but preferably without Delilah's tequila. I just want to point that out for legal reasons. Without that, but yeah.