Firewatch teaches players to cultivate small virtues

Reflecting on human nature in his autobiography, G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper.” Video games tend to present players with opportunities to exercise “great virtues”—saving their country and overthrowing evil regimes.

More personal games like That Dragon, Cancer, represent a shift in the types of stories games are telling and the types of virtues demanded of characters. Firewatch, the first game from new studio Campo Santo, continues the trend of more personal storytelling by focusing on the difficulty of small virtues in the aftermath of one man’s failure to care for his ailing wife.

The game begins by putting players in control of Henry, who subsequently falls in love with and marries Julia. Though far from perfect, they love each other and plan to have children. But those plans are derailed when Julia is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Through a combination of unfortunate events, and Henry’s own failure to care for his wife, Julia’s parents move her back to their home in Australia. Unable to deal with reality, Henry takes a solitary job as a wildfire watchman in the remote wilderness of Northwest Wyoming, where his only source of human contact is with his boss Delilah—through a one-way, handheld radio.

Players spend the majority of the game exploring the Shoshone National Forest, doing maintenance jobs, and watching for illicit activity that could cause a forest fire. These activities are far more interesting than they sound for two reasons. First, the game is gorgeous. Its virtual canyons, lakes, and mountains are startlingly realistic. In fact, the game encourages players to soak in its sights by giving them a disposable camera whose pictures can be developed and printed at the end of the game. Secondly, while hiking through the Shoshone, Henry begins to feel threatened by someone and is forced to investigate, adding a layer of mystery to his exploration.

As Henry trudges through canyons and walks along vistas, he and Delilah occasionally chat over the radio. These chats are where the game really shines because players can choose to interact with Delilah in a surprising number of ways. They can look to her as a confidante and a friend in the wake of Henry’s recent trials. Or they can try to shut her out, seeing her as a hindrance in Henry’s quest for self-discovery. They can even look to her for romance, leading Henry to further flee from his marital difficulties. It is important to note that Delilah and Henry often use coarse language. (The game is rated Mature for language and mild sexual content.)

But these conversations, no matter how players lead Henry to interact with Delilah, combined with Henry’s exilic wanderings, force him to come to terms with the current state of his relationship with Julia.

Delilah is Henry’s only source of meaningful human interaction. I found myself looking forward to her calls while Henry was out on lonely hikes. I even began looking for things to talk to her about. Firewatch beautifully illustrates the biblical truth that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God designed man to live in community, so true solace can never be found in isolation.

But periods of deliberate isolation are not without merit—they often provide needed opportunities to evaluate our lives and return to the world with a renewed sense of purpose. Many of the most important figures in Scripture—Moses, Elijah, and Jesus—spent time in the wilderness, only to emerge with determination to embrace God’s plan. My experience with Henry in Firewatch wasn’t all that different.

The time I spent alone with Henry did not make me want to retreat. I wanted Henry’s wilderness experience to move him back to Julia, to love and care for her even if her dementia prevented her from reciprocating. Firewatch encouraged me to embrace the difficult work of cultivating virtue, of dying to self, of returning to the real world with renewed vigor to serve those I love.