Firewatch Analysis - YOU vs Henry

A bit of a different video this time, I go through the story of Firewatch, and discuss how the game portion and the story portions integrate
A few things to address:
I couldn't fix the performance issues. You can see that my framerate falls to single digits anytime the game is rendering any text related to interactable items. There's a forum post that suggests that the newest update to the game fixes this issue, but I am playing on the new version available. I tried to hide it as much as possible by working around it in editing, but it still can be seen.
I used AI upscaling on the still images I use. They are old images and not of great quality, so I feel that it was an improvement, but I think that it still introduced some visible distortions.
On that note, The portion in the middle of this video, where I discussed some of the real world history of the Shoshone, is a bit of a new kind of style for me, so keep in mind that its very experimental! Finding footage I can legally use of an old and very specific event was quite difficult!
The next video is likely to be on a 2008 first person shooter that laid the foundation for modern open world system driven games.

[@yidingliu8663]

A game about a broken man overthinking everything got some players overthinking about it, just poetic.

[@protect_provide8031]

Love how 5 years later this game still rivets our minds, too bad that there is a double delay on their next game in valley of the gods

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Yup, really a shame. Will be right there to play it when it comes out though!

[@fairsaa7975]

@@arvinkhoshboresh Agreed

[@Deadforge]

Same

[@luka-gd6pg]

@@Deadforge i just finished this game wtf i am depressed now

[@dies3156]

@@luka-gd6pg Yeah unfortunately the studio basically disbanded after being acquired by Valve. They kinda got thrown into making Half-Life Alyx which was supposed to just temporarily pause the progress on their new game but after their whole team got kinda shuffled around and thrown into working on different titles, a lot of the people who originally had a big part in making this game left Valve. So yeah I'm sad to say but there is probably not going to be another game of theirs, not for a long while at least.

[@RobotEye]

This game is just perfect to me from being everything a horror game should be the feeling of isolation, hearing strange noises and thinking your being watched and followed every where you go but in reality it’s just you and your mind alone creating crazy scenarios. The way you actually feel as if you are henry searching for an escape and get caught in your own mind and emotions like when you walk into delilah’s hut to realise she’s gone you will never see her again, henry and you the player are both smacked in the face by reality.

[@gillriet773]

Totally. It did feel far more true to life than most games. He didn't get a happy ending, he was the a hero, he's a man in a moment and we got to be a part of it.

[@curt3019]

Honestly this is a game I’ve revisited from time to time ever since it’s been released and it’s a game that really grown on me over time. Whether it be through the dialogue or the twist and turns of the story through either the possible theory of Delilah and Ned working with each other or overall intensity of the game (which is better than most horror games) and honestly something I just love. I really enjoyed your analysis.

[@donjinklejohn9249]

The conversation delilah has seems suspicious, but it just as likely could be a mundane conversation with another one of the firewatchers. Ned could have trapped you in the cave, but it also just could have been the gate closing by itself. (We never see anyone actually closing the gate) As you mentioned, Delilah could have been purposefully tricking you into thinking the radio is "untapped", or just as equally likely just not understand how radios work. I think many of these red herrings are left in to intentionally invoke a sense of dread and paranoia into the player. You walk through these empty landscapes, being left with nothing but your own thoughts. Thoughts of suspicion against Ned, Delilah, even of Henry himself as he begins questioning his own sanity and it works effectively because of that fact that there is no definitive answer to most of these questions. I think that's the ultimate purpose of putting in so many red herrings and the fact that even after the game pretty explicitly tries to say "No there wasn't any big conspiracy after all" players are still asking "But what if there was?? What if Ned and Delilah were in on it the entire time?" is a testament to how well this works, as well as the fact that people are still talking about this game so many years later On an unrelated note, this channel is seriously underrated. Hope you blow up soon :D

[@transfixit]

The game is well written enough to convey such great emotions, why wouldn't it be well written enough to be technically coherent? She has only one headset, she can't talk to someone else while transmitting to Henry. This conversation is happening live.

[@TheSleepyBear]

Nice video man! You make an interesting critique of the game. The only thing I would disagree with is the section where you say there is no reason for the biologists not to have found Ned's papers, this is explained by the documents you can find behind the wapiti station panel (rewarding you with the "The Bee Theory" achievement) which explains that the biologist who works in wapiti station is to return in the upcoming days (after the events of the game) to resume his research. Thus, Ned could have just known that he had the whole summer to borrow the researcher's equipment for his purposes and had no reason to hide his operations in wapiti station. Anyway, keep up the good work! Cheers

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Ah you're right! Thanks for clarifying. It's so easy to miss details like that in a game like this. I actually remember reading those documents, but just didn't make the connection. It's really interesting how media can give you this kind of information, making YOU do the work in realizing it's implications.

[@NexusAnimationsYT]

Can we just take a second to acknowledge how nerve racking it was when bed coughs and D(can’t spell her name) says to get in your lookout and lock yourself in Got to be the scariest moments in the game

[@AbleAnderson]

This game is absolutely fantastic. Played it through first in 2016 and then all the way through again today. There’s just something about it; the scenery, the story, it is amazing and really sucks you in imo. Unless you hate games like this I think anyone would enjoy this experience. It’s not Call of Duty, so as long as people are familiar with story type walking sims and expect that going in there should be 0 disappointment. I wish I could play 5 more games like this, I just love it

[@kingthorn509]

I was a bit skeptical at this video due to the sub count, but holly crap dude, you are awesome as a creator, how do you not have more subs???? Props man utterly and entirely absorbed into the video. Defiantly looking forward to seeing more from you!

[@KloPoon13]

When I first saw the ending of this game I saw myself in the reflection of the screen. Something about that in any story driven game hits hard, but knowing it means something in this one really makes it special.

[@Mu_Anwar]

Im your 200 subscriber🎉 man you deserve more than that

[@Deadforge]

Mid way through the vid but I loved and still love this game. It's the first and only game I've played of It's kind so far I believe.

[@Chloefarm22]

Ok so I appreciate a lot of what you have to say. Delilah and Ned were in communication. That’s who she talks to when Henry overhears her. Delilah knows neds here. And Ned does all this stuff to scary Henry because he wants him to leave. Delilah says earlier in the game that no one has been in two forks since ned left. He’s protective of this area. And the issue with the scientist area is that Ned is using a pre existing station for scientists who don’t come back until august. And if you look at the sign post at the head of the trail it explains this. I think you’re dismissing that theory a bit too quickly.

[@theinkking]

My take on the plotholes: The teens broke into Henry’s house while Ned returned to his hideout after being spotted by Henry. Ned began to watch them after this, fearing he may find Brian’s body, which he doesn’t want for obvious reasons at the time. The teens then also cut the wires, Ned didn’t do it because he didn’t want them to become suspicious of his behavior. Ned then sees an opportunity to get Henry fired by making the teens call the cops on him for trashing their stuff. This doesn’t work because the teens left. Ned left the paperwork out on accident, probably being dumb because he just felt like doing his schemes by the lake or something. He still returned to punch Henry in the head. Ned probably already started keeping tabs on Henry and Delilah, but he probably made the official documents to plant in the research station to make them believe the government was tracking them, this was to throw them off his trail. (This is proven because in his hideout he has messed up attempts at typing the official documents.) After Henry talked about the fire he thought of a second way to get them to leave, which is the plan he went with from then on, which ended up being less effective. After the fire became uncontrollable and he knew he for real would have to leave, he decided to just reveal everything so Brian’s body would be found, and they wouldn’t be scared forever. Then he just needed a new hiding spot. That’s just how I took it, it made it all make sense to me.

[@Regis1603]

I've just completed the game, and i'm honestly still conflicted about Delilah Did she lied to us and covered Ned the entire time, or was she a true ally from start to finish and just ran off from this place asap since she seemed deeply traumatized about everything that happeaned, even if it meant not meeting Henry I've downloaded this game yesterday morning, and honestly didn't thought it would be that interesting

[@IdioticSynergy]

Why the hell don't you have more subscribers? This video is amazing mate

[@Cluxiu]

Great video bro thank you❤

[@ilyaanufriev1344]

A really liked your video!

[@Humzahization]

3 hours? It took me 10 hours, mainly cause I didn't understand either compass or the map.

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

To be fair, by the time I was playing this game for this video, I had already played through it two times in the past, so I had the map and compass figured out already.

[@Humzahization]

@@arvinkhoshboresh That makes sense. I was able to do it properly by the end.

[@Meatman2042]

@@arvinkhoshboresh it took me about 4 or so hours on first okay through I didn’t look at my compass once until about 2 hours in and I would run around and check my map every couple of minutes to see if I was close😂and the absolute pain I felt when I opened my map and saw I walked like 3 miles in the wrong direction made me want to turn off my Xbox and watch hella kitchen or something

[@AbdelAziz-vs3qd]

there's no answer and that's why it's good, it's to make you thiiiink a lot, that the best endings for a horror story, no real answer. Like after you watch a David Lynch, all thos emystery make it a good story.

[@someevilswan2314]

Fire watch strikes me in a way no other game does, even though I know from an outsider perspective this way of life would be terrible as yes fire watching is a good job, henry should not be there, and you know that but even though of this you still want to jump into the screen and enter it’s world, you want to be henry, to cut off from reality and stay in this basic and simple world that allows you to just be yourself with zero worries. Fire watch makes me want run away to this world more then any other game makes me want to enter their world every though it would be wrong.

[@SLAYHOLE88]

I played what remains of edith finch directly after firewatch as well, both great games with some flaws

[@-Scrapper-]

Another tragic dead underrated channel. RIP

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Hey! The channels not dead it's just... In hibernation! Seriously though, I'm trying to work on videos, but real life is getting in the way. Hopefully more uploads soon.

[@-Scrapper-]

@@arvinkhoshboresh Eyoo

[@robertnull]

If you've played the game, there's no sense watching 13:57-39:20.

[@Deadforge]

What was the last game you mentioned in the list of similar games?

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Draugen, I believe? I won't spoil too much, but it is another walking simulator style game similar to firewatch. You spend some solitary time in a remote Scandinavian village.

[@Deadforge]

@@arvinkhoshboresh That sounds awesome. Thanks for getting back to me I'll go check it out.

[@shocknawe]

Well....subscribed.

[@AbdelAziz-vs3qd]

Delilah --> The Liar LIAR! All the game Lying!!!!

[@AnimaidanFrames]

This is so incredibly well thought out, this is just the type of long-form analysis I needed after replaying this game for the first time in half a decade lol. Thx dude you rock

[@eraumavoz6344]

I think that the criticisms about Delilah are okay, but everything about Ned not being discreet or stealthy enough about his secrets is misguided. He wanted specific info to be found so Henry would give up on his job. All the things he left were left for the specific purpose of being found by them, to fuel into their paranoia. Every single point you criticize in that regard makes perfect sense if you consider his goal *was* to be found. As you mention, he *knew* about the campfire attracting attention, he wasn't trying to hide anything. Other than that, great video, and overall good analysis!

[@mkwsoxfan]

I still think about how it felt to evacuate the tower and get to the helicopter. I learned later that you do technically have the option to not get on the helicopter and it leaves without you if you turn around. Kind of a bone chilling gameplay option to end the game out on. But I can't say I wasn't kinda feeling like staying was a legitimate option after how the game made me feel

[@Deadforge]

I truly wish I could write and structure a video like this. One day I just gotta work on it.

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

I really recommend you try it out, it's a great form of self expression. And of course, you improve with every video. You can clearly see that by comparing my first video with my later ones.

[@eduardogutierrez3753]

Have you done it yet? It's been two years? If not, get going 🫡

[@connor7396]

Me and my friend would talk about this game all the time. We would talk about it in the Cafe, in the Weightroom, or at our sleepover Game Nights, all the time. It truly is a phenomenal game, with an even better story. No matter where you are in life, Learn from Firewatch. and I dont mean all the crazy philisophical mumbo jumbo, but view it as an example. Don't rush it, enjoy the beauty around you, and dont me afraid to sit there and take it all in. Be more like Firewatch, LIVE more like Firewatch, and most of all, PLAY FIREWATCH.

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

OMG :o Your friend sounds extremely Intelligent, wise, and unbelievably attractive. Seriously, if you're a single female, I highly recommend you hit up this guy's friend

[@CL33R]

Amazing video man. I am currently working on a firewatch video myself because of how amazing the game is. I am for sure subscribing.

[@Seldarius]

I don’t think Delilah is meant to be some evil mastermind. She’s impulsive and a flake though. Her call with the other firewatcher is really not that ominous. Could be about anything really, unless you distinctly want it to be about Henry. I think it just helps with the unsettling atmosphere. During the game Delilah makes a number of not great choices and tells us about more. Not coming home to see her grieving boyfriend, not calling in Brian’s presence, not calling in Henry’s run-in with the teenagers, asking Henry to burn down the station when surely thats the last thing he should do. She very easily accuses Henry of wrong-doing, too. Delilah is not a reliable companion in the forest. She’s amusing, sure, and we get to like her along with Henry, but she is not really trustworthy by the way her character is built. She seems to enjoy the puzzle and the conspiracy theories they concoct. Henry does too, but he is directly involved, so there is a more scary element to it. She is the only person he can rely on out there in the forest and she’s not reliable. Maybe this reflects his relationship with Julia, a very smart woman who suddenly cant rely anymore on her own brain. A beloved wife who’s fading from existence. The life Henry’s built is built on sand and it’s crumbling. The relationship he’s built with Delilah is also a mere illusion. They both think they know and like each other, but in the end Delilah will abandon him no matter what. She points out on a number of occasions even earlier in the game that she doesn’t trust him and she is, again, not trustworthy. The illusion for her fades when Brian’s body is found. You can feel the shift in their relationship. Henry becomes just another one of Delilahs regrets she will be running from.

[@morganas3878]

I love this game, but the ending is just so anticlimactic for me. it could have done with a text sequence like the intro, saying that Delila comes down to visit sometimes or moves in and what happens with Julia and stuff, just a bit more closure than it gives. I love the idea it had with red herrings and it just turning out to be a mundane explanation instead of conspiracies and plots, but they could have done that while making a better ending than there was. I knew we were never going to meet her, a character like that is better faceless, but the ending feels so rushed and empty, it could have ended simarly but with a bit more closure or meaning or something, idk

[@edwinam1362]

I felt sooooo blue balled it was not satisfying at all. But I think that’s the point.

[@knoxschyuler5716]

For me I believe in the Ned and D working together theory, but the only thing that doesnt make sense to me is why Ned wouldnt bury his son, have D report his son, even if he was escapign and not wanting his family to know. Why leave the key in a random area? To lock him in the cave? Was he aware he brought a fucking axe? A new axe can bust open an old gate like that any day of the week. How could a man who is so careful just leave his clipboard out in the open? If its intentional, then why? This was always going to escalate even higher once the discussions were found. Its clear he cut the lines, since he was a former firewatchman and could know the means to climb up that pole and cut it, he also had the beer cans to pretend to make a trail. He also stole the girls panties and left them up there to blame him. Is this because hes jelous of D and him getting along so well? Why create so many red herrings, and why scare off those girls??????????????? There just so many uncessesary actions from Ned that it makes logical sense that he and D are working together, but not emotional sense. The ONLY thing I can think of is jealousy, and even then, D and him were not close so why would he be so fixated? Idk, for me I can tell they tried to make it an art piece, but didnt think to add reason to some of the actions and just made them red herrings.

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

I actually totally agree. I had a lot of back and forth with myself over whether I believed the Ned and Delilah working together theory. The problem is that, with either theory, there's always a FEW things that don't quite line up. If I made this video over again, I think I might emphasize this problem a bit more. They had this general idea and a few plot points that they thought would be interesting, but I think that in a few areas they don't actually have any answers.

[@bobplanderlinde329]

This piece of developer commentary basically debunks the theory of ned and deliah working together: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKabgpaImZh0jMk

[@bobplanderlinde329]

And the answer about the keys: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6LCn35-n8idjs0

[@bobplanderlinde329]

So deliah didn't know that Brian was dead nor that ned was still in the forest

[@AbdelAziz-vs3qd]

there's no answer and that's why it's good, it's to make you thiiiink a lot, that the best endings for a horror story, no real answer. Like after you watch a David Lynch, all thos emystery make it a good story.

[@gillriet773]

I think Julia decided meeting Henry was too much. He is in a complicated situation, she has her own emotional/commitment hangups potentially, I think she decided she wanted to keep her life as simple as it had been before all the craziness of the story. She did like him, but having Henry in her life means she cant leave all this behind, shed be reminded forever about Brian and her role in his death and... yea idk, just my thoughts but it adds up to be a rational decision for a woman in her position. Easier to get on the chopper and move on.

[@edwinam1362]

Like Henry, she is a person that runs. That’s Firewatch.

[@msmiasings02]

Delilah* not Julia

[@JeziStar21]

What a thought provoking take. Glad I watched.

[@dies3156]

This is one of the most underrated games of all time. Great video man. It's unfortunate that it hasn't gotten more traction but I enjoyed it a lot nevertheless!

[@davs8450]

i dont wanna like because is on 690

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Its ok, I'll remove my like so you can like

[@gillriet773]

I loved the dialogue, it felt real. Maybe it was the multiple F words. Genuinely. People whos anxiety and fear are taking hold dont watch their tongues for no reason. They would both absolutely be saying WTF many times.

[@southernknight9983]

Continuing, only because my new game is still DLing. It's slow, but intriguing enough to keep me watching it.

[@emjayee]

Lol you just don't understand these herrings. They aren't just random placements.

[@AugustRx]

Why does the woman who got the job away from her troubles not want to lose that job? Out of all the red herrings here..

[@Kampyy531]

True, this really isn’t a game, it’s more like interactive storytelling. I for one am down for any form of story.

[@Dennis-de1ji]

We also have to mention the Soundtrack, second only to Minecraft!

[@Deadforge]

Definitely gonna check out your other stuff. Great video man. Keep it up.

[@arvinkhoshboresh]

Thank you!

[@istari2]

This is such a good video! I finished Firewatch for the second time today (the first time I played it was maybe five years ago) and went to KZbin to watch videos on the game and yours is the best one so far. Also, you have a really nice and calming voice and it was relaxing listening to you, talking about the game. I see your last video was from eight months ago, did you stop with making youtube videos or can I hope for more videos in the future?

[@zrtrztzrt1753]

24:59

[@mkwsoxfan]

In terms of the story problems you mentioned as unbelievable conveniences. I think to have them work it must be assumed that Delilah is in contact with Ned the whole time, maybe she doesn't know brain has died, but I think it's fairly certain she's been communicating with him in secret for years. When Henry finds the clip board he isn't doing his job, he's unexpectedly going out to fish which is a surprise to Delilah (which means it's a surprise to Ned) Ned must have been just sitting by the lake with the radio and clipboard taking notes and then hid when he heard Henry was headed to the lake over his radio. Secondly the time Henry finds the cave is also an accident, his rope breaks and he only finds the cave by accident, with that information it makes sense that Ned would be freaking out to see Henry leaving that cave, and shining the light makes sense so he could either get a look at Henry, or make sure he's not a cop, or carrying a camera or something. Lastly in Neds notes in his bunker you can see he has the clear date recorded of when the science research team is coming back written down, I think it's clear he is borrowing a lot of their supplies/equipment to enhance his setup and is planning on returning it before they come back, that to me is a simple explanation as to why he has a clipboard with the stations name on it conveniently