Learning from Picasso's iconic art style

Photorealism in games can be really fun. Having characters and environments that look just like real life can help immerse you in a game's world, and it can be exciting to see how graphics cont??inue to improve year after year. But here's the thing �I som??etimes feel like we can obsess a bit too much over how real or not real a certain game's art style is, picking apart every environment and every little detail on the character models.

I think back to the PS1 era, when people thought that the first Metal Gear game was as realistic-looking as they come. Players gushed about the immersion because of how lifelike it was. We laugh about it now, but anecdotes like t??hat really speak to how much our minds fill in the gaps when it comes to storytelling, something I don't think we give ourselves enough credit for these days.

Picasso's philosophy

A thread I saw on Twitter the other day does an excellent job of starting a conversation about how different styles of art can be effective in different scenarios. The initial tweet is a meme about photorealistic versus stylized art, but it's actually referencing a famous quote from the classical painter Pablo Pic?asso. You know, the guy famous for making everyone look like a bunch of colorful shapes. Picasso was prodigious from an early age, and could paint at a level that was basically photorealistic when he was still a young child. Of course, as he got older, he developed one of the most iconic art styles in history �one that many argue portrays human emotion better than photorealism ever could. As the quote goes: "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

Wait, isn't Destructoid a video game website? Why are we talki?ng about art h??istory?

Well, I think that this point can also be applied to video games, too. Just like how in visual arts, many mark photorealism as the height o??f one's skill as an artist, we tend to think the same of games. Realistic art can and has been used to great effect in games, but sometimes, having a really distinct art style can boost the game's story and themes into the stratosphere.

Making ugly beautiful

A great example of this is NORCO, a narrative point-and-click that is so far my game of the year. While NORCO has some of the most beautiful pixel art I've ever seen, it also straddles the line ??of ugly/beautiful most of the time, while also leaning into the grotesque. Some of the characters look terrible (intentionally so), the environments are dingy and run down, and the whole thing just kind of gives y??ou this sense of dread, like you want to get far, far, away from this place. And it's amazing.

Using a harsh, ugly art style works so well for this game, because it exactly mirrors what's going on in the narrative. Those moments of beauty are contrasted against a landscape of bleak, sometimes horrifying pictures, which again ties beautifully into the moments of hope buried deep in the game's plot. NORCO's art style is as much part of its storytelling as its characters or dialogue, and when developers use every part of a game to point toward a single arti??stic vision, well, that's how we get some of the best games ever made.

Making cartoony serious

Another game that comes to mind is Firewatch �its art style is really beautiful, but also kind of cartoony. ??The game is full of bright, saturated colors, which show off the landscapes and sunsets really nicely. So much of the game is about nature and our enjoyment of it, so that aspect of the art ties into the story nicely.

Then there's the fact that the game has a dramatic tonal shift, and suddenly the cartoonish nature of the art feels othering and uncanny. What was once pleasant and added a sense of ease at the start has turned into something that makes the darker subject matter of the latter part of the game somehow feel even more menacing. While Firewatch's art didn't get nearly as much attention as its writing or voice acting, I do think it's a key co?mponent in how we experienced its narrative.

The list of games with gorgeous but also effective art styles is endless. I could go on and on, bu??t I think you get my point here.

Other art style considerations

On top of what a good, unique art style can add to a game's experie??nce, there's also the fact that it makes both development and playing a game much simpler, and sometimes better. The more photorealistic we make our gam??es, the longer it takes to perfect them (any slight deviation from real life suddenly veers us into the uncanny valley), the bigger the files get, and the more susceptible our games are to crashes and bugs. I'm a huge proponent of simpler being better sometimes, but I know not everyone shares that sentiment.

There's a reason why most of the games that make bold choices when it comes? to their art are indie games �it takes huge teams with tons of resources to make a game look photorealistic, a??nd even the most monolithic of AAA studios can struggle with perfectly lifelike art sometimes. The limitations placed on indie studios have not held them back, but have instead propelled them forward into making some of the most stylish titles out there. My bias is showing again, but I never understood the push to turn games into the new Hollywood blockbuster when we can make pieces of art that look unlike anything anyone has ever seen before, regardless of medium.

I'm not saying that we can never have a photorealistic game again, or even that people don't appreciate stylized art in games enough, because they certainly do. I just want to emphasi??ze how important art can be in hammering home a game's message, whatever that might look like, and I don't want that to ever be discounted. Raphael and Picasso both have their merits, but I find Picasso a whole lot more fun to look at.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

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You gotta start somewhere

Holiday shopping can be pretty difficult, especially when you have really different interests and hobbies than your non-gamer friends or family. Gift-giving can, however, be a great opportunity to introduce your loved ones to the magic of gaming, because there's not??hing better than helping ?someone understand your passions and then enjoying them together.

The only thing is, if you're going to get someone a game who has n??ever tried them before, you've got to make sure it's the right one, lest you risk putting them off of games forever. To give you some handy suggestions, or at least get you thinking on the right track, here's our list as some of the best newb-friendly games to gift to your favorite non-gamers this holiday season.

1. Minecraft

When taking into account different types of potential players, Minecraft is an all-arounder when it comes to game recommendations. It can appeal to pe??ople who? just want to chill out in creative mode and build something cool, as well as those who want to challenge themselves with survival mode.

There are also a plethora of mods out there that can cater to all kinds of niche interests, so you can customize the game t?o be appealing to anyone in your life. To top it all off, it's also a great way to help someone learn gaming controls in a low-stakes, low-pressure environment.

2. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a great choice for a new player because of its more casual feel. The game never rushes or forces you to do anything in particular �you can play it however you want. The mechanics are also simple ??and relaxing (with the exception of combat, but new?? players can work their way up to that), and do a good job of easing the player in as they learn.

There's also the benefit of it being a 2D game, so you don't have to worry about dealing with the whole moving-and-looking-at-the-same-time thing if that's a stumb??ling block. Just make sure you set them up with the practice fishing rod at the start, and your buddy should have an awesome time.

3. Pokémon

I kind of missed the Pokémon train the first time around, but after playing Sword & Shield, I have to agree with my friends that say this series is a great way to introduce someone to turn-based combat or JRPGs. Having cute little critters to collect makes for a fun, easily understandable objective, and you don't have to be amazing at the game to progress, especially with the newer entries in the series. I've heard Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! can be a great place to start, but you're probably fine if you try any mainline series entries that have come?? out in the last decade.

4. Telltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale's The Walking Dead is a great choice because while it does introduce new characters, it's part of a franchise that non-gamers are already familiar with. It's even structured like a TV show with its episodes, which also divide what is overall a longer game into manageable?? chunks.

The gameplay itself is mostly limited to dialogue choices, but also includes some classic point?-and-click adventure stuff �both of?? these factors can make it a great jumping-off point to try some other games that share these mechanics.

5. Portal

Portal is also a great game I recommend to newbies, seeing as it's the game I played to learn shooting mechanics on a controller. Because it's a puzzle game that only has stationary turrets as enemies, you can really take your time as ??you try to figure out how the camera works. Some of the later levels re??quire perfectly-timed shots, but by the time you get there, you pretty mu??ch have the controls down.

There's also the fact that Portal has one of the best game stories out there, s??o in addition to helping a new player learn the ropes, they can also see some of the ?superb storytelling that games are capable of. I'd just steer clear of this one for someone who is particularly puzzle-averse, because it can be pretty challenging to figure out some of the solutions.

6. Journey

One of the problems I've run into while trying to recommend games to someone who has never played them is how long most of them take to complete, but Journey negates this issue by having a run time of about two hours. What better way to ??convince a skeptic than to have them play a great game that's no longer than a movie?

Journey is also new player-friendly because of its fluid, relaxing gameplay. There are no enemies to be seen, so your friends shouldn't have any issues making it to the end. The game is known for its gorgeous visual style and music as well, so if you show someone Journey, they know they're?? getting some of the best that gaming has to o??ffer.

7. Overcooked

Want to be able to play alongside that friend or family member while they learn the ropes? No problem! Overcooked is a great option �while things can get a bit hectic as you progress through the levels, the game is designed to be easy to pick up and understand. Considerin??g it's one of those games whe?re you can see yourself mastering it as you go along, it can make for a good confidence booster before throwing your new player into the deep end.

8. Firewatch

Firewatch is such a fun ride, but in different ways than you might expect. The gameplay is super simple, and mostly involves walking around and interac??ting with items. The real star of the show here is its story, particularly its voice acting, which can make it the perfect option for someone who prefers a more narrative-based experience, if that's something your new gamer is into.

I know for me, story games were a great way to initially get into the hobby, and then I started trying out some more gameplay-heavy games once I learned the ropes. Firewatch also has the benefit of helping players learn the controls at their own pace, similar to Portal.

9. What Remains of Edith Finch

Many of the principles that apply to Firewatch are also in play here. What Remains of Edith Finch is in the upper echelon of game stories, in my opinion, so it's another excellent choice for those ???who like storytelling.

It also just has some really clever gameplay sections that I think showcase some of the best narrative design in the industry. It's wistful and moving, and is yet another relatively short play that can help you learn controls, ??so this one is a must for new players.

10. Uncharted 2

If you have a buddy who loves action movies and just wants to feel like a hero, Uncharted 2 is the way to go. I could be recommending the first Uncharted, but parts of that game haven't aged super well gameplay-wise (I'm looking at you, jet ski level), and the sequel is wh??ere Naughty Dog really hit their stride with the franchise, both in terms of narrative and gameplay.

You've got loveable characters, swashbuckling action, and puzzles that will make you stop and think, which makes it perfect for a movie buff. Plus, if they end up liking it, there are still four other Uncharted games they can go and play.

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And that's about all we know right now

Indie developer and publisher Campo Santo has announced that it's teaming up with Good Universe, a motion picture production company. The goal behind?? the partnership is to create video game adaptio??ns of movies and vice versa. The first project has already been announced.

Firewatch is being turned into a movie. The adventure-mystery story about the forests of Wyoming, guilt, and non-physical relationships&?nbsp;will supposedly debut on the silver screen eventually. Details are very sparse at the moment. No release date, director, or actors have been ?revealed.

This news feels fitting and maybe somewhat ironic because an argument could be made that film would've been the best format for Firewatch in the first place. The more that a game strips meaningful interactivity, the stronger the case gets that a different medium would've been a better choice to tell that particular story. It's not that these tales can't be told as video games -- plenty of people were enamored by Firewatch, after al?l -- but some??times a video game just isn't the best fit.

Firewatch is a rare instance where we'll (probably) get to see if turning this narrative into a game first was the correct decision. We'll have a movie and a game, and, assuming the stories are comparably close, we'll be able to decide for ou??rselves which medium best suits Henry's ever-crumbling life.

Good Universe, Campo Santo Team Up for Vid??eo Game, Movie Slate (Exclusive) [The Hollywood Reporter]

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'We're so grateful. And relieved. But mostly grateful'

The walking and boombox pitching simulator, Firewatch, has sold over half a millions copies since launching in early February. We already knew the game was selling well (even beating out SFV and Far Cry Primal on the PlayStation store), but the actual figure is still damn impressive. An indie developer selling half a million copies at full price is nothing t?o snee??ze at.

The illuminated numbers come from a blog post yesterday by Panic, Campo Santo's publishing partner. The half a million mark represents a real milestone for the small development team that managed to recoup their investment on the first day. "As an indie game, or heck, even as a “real” game, ok fine but not as a Call of Duty or Star Wars game, Firewatch can be considered a sales success."

Always goo??d to see passion and hard work pay off. ??Hopefully this success will lead to bigger and better games from Campo Santo.

Firewatch: One Month Later [PanicBlog]

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Best-selling digital PS4 game of February

Last week, Firewatch studio Campo Santo revealed its first game had outsold the team's, "wildest expectations." It turns out Firewatch also outsold a couple of last month's most high-profile games -- Far Cry Primal and Street Fighter V -- at least on the PlayStation Store.

According to Sony, the story-driven adventure game was the best-selling PlayStation 4 title on the market during the month of February. The company did not provide sp?ecific sales information, only that it outsold the competition, including Ubisoft and Capcom's hot new games.

One could argue Firewatch had an advantage on those titles, being a cheaper digital exclusive that launched earlier in the month than both Far Cry and Street Fighter, but to do that at all, as an independent game with a fraction of the name recognition or marketing budget, is?? damn impressive.

PlayStation Store: February's Top Downloads [PlayStation Blog]

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'Can't wait to make whatever is next'

Campo Santo, the developer of Firewatch, is celebrating.

The game apparently sold enough to ex??ceed the team's "wildest expectations." According to the studio, the amount of sales ensures they'll "be around for a while," and the team "can't wait to make whatever is next."

Although walking simulators are all the rage these days so some form of audience ?was fairly secure, it took guts to make a game like this, and the developer worked really hard on it. Congratulations are definitely in order.

Campo Santo [Twitter]

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'We're working around the clock'

Developer Campo Santo is working "actually, literally, around the clock" to fix the frame rate drops experienced by PS4 players of Firewatch. "Couple'a updates," Vanaman stated on reddit. "One is that we're in pipe with SCEA to get a patch into the game but it's like 99% strange content fixes we've found as lots of people play th?e game on PC. So that's coming but we're at the mercy of the console patch process.

"Secondly, we're currently talking with both Sony and Unity (the creators of the engine the game is built in) to continue to optimize performance of the game on console. Unfortunately, it's a process that requires all three parties to be involved unlike a typical bug that we can quickly fix on our own (we're pretty good at that). We'll definitely be patching all platforms with every little content and performance fix we can find so folks can rest assured we're doing everything we can (and WILL for a long time. We want the game that's on Steam/PS4/anywhere to be the best possible version even after we're out of the excitement of the launch wi?ndow)."

When asked how the p??roblem wasn’t picked up during testing, Vanaman replied: "I've played the game for hundreds and hundreds of hours on PS4, and maybe because it's on test-kits and some retail boxes are different I personally didn't experience these things. That doesn't mean they don't exist, but I want to unequivocally say it wasn't like we sat in a room, saw this stuff and went ‘eh, screw it, ??sell it anyway.’ We're super fucking bummed that this is happening for some people and we're working actually, literally, around-the-clock on it."

In our Firewatch review, we said it was a “tight, taut human tale well wort??h the trek&rdq??uo; and gave it an 8.

Sounds like Significant PS4 Performance Issues [reddit]

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What else is on that old Kodak?

When Firewatch releases tomorrow, it'll have a neat little bit of functionality that blurs the line between video game and real life. Photo modes traditionally are used as a passive feature to memorialize something in-game. Firewatch takes that one step further. 

There's a disposable camera somewhere in Firewatch that essentially se??rves as the game's photo mode. You can snap pictures of whatever you want and save the images. But, upon finishing the game, you're also given a link to buy ac??tual physical prints of those pictures.

After reviewing Firewatch, Steven made mention of this nifty feature in our staff chat. However, he didn't actually purchase any of the prints. Fortunately, TechnoBuffalo did and an image of them is embedde?d below. 

Also, it's worth noting that th?is isn't available on PS4, only PC. And, one lingering question mark is how much this ?all costs. As TechnoBuffalo mentions, pre-launch cost was heavily discounted; that'll surely change once the game has been officially released. 

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A watched fire never kills you

The drunk, nude teens bathing in the lake at sunset summed up Firewatch neatly: "you're just some sad man out in the woods." Kids always know just where to cut. If you could translate the insult quadrant of their brains you'd ha?ve the mo??st precise web algorithms in the world and only ever see cute animal gifs and Missy Elliot songs. 

Firewatch is a first-person mystery and the first release for Campo Santo. The studio brings together the writers of Telltale's The Walking Dead (season 1), the designer of Mark of Ninja, acclaimed artist Olly Moss and, with the rest of the crew, proves to be a for??midable team for tackling a character-driven? piece of intrigue and blistering Crush-colored skylines.

Firewatch (PS4, PC [reviewed])
Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Panic Inc., Campo Santo
Released: February 9, 2016
MSRP: $19.99

Henry is sad. Why else retreat to the woods of Wyoming to become a fire lookout? It starts in Colorado when Henry, plastered, tries to hit on a woman? at a bar. She feels so bad for him she gives him a pity date that turns into a relationship. These bits are done purely with text and music, interspersed by full three dimensional segments of Henry walking out of an elevator into a parking garage a??nd getting into his beat up, fire-engine red pickup.

Not unlike Kentucky Route Zero, a high mark in the adventure game genre, Firewatch opens with opportunities for the player to partially define Henry's character. When your girlfriend Julia wants a dog, do you accept the beagle she falls in love with, or?? insist you get a German sh??epherd (for protection)? When she asks about children, do you ask her to wait? These choices are not superficial; they are real-life important. More than affecting the outcome of that relationship (you already know he is escaping to the Wyoming woods by the mid-80s), they take on personal meaning in how you sharpen elements of Henry's character. 

Mixing these text-adventure-style segments with Henry's dutiful trek into the woods makes them more poignant because you already know how it ends. Badly. Yes. But with a surprising complication. Julia, by then Henry's wife, comes down with early onset Alzheimer's. I didn't expect to be hit that hard by two white text options, but the decision to keep minding her around the house 24/7 or put her in a home was not easy -- and I don't even know what she looks like. While Julia and the relationship are defined in broad strokes, the choice doesn't feel as abstract as choosing to save a character and let another die in The Walking Dead, for example. These are familiar, rea??l-world issues.

As Henry settles into his role as lookout, ascending his tower after an eight mile hike, he is met by the voice of Delilah, his boss, who communicates with hi??m via walkie-talkie. This makes up the bulk of the gameplay: walking around, chatting with Delilah via radio. It is a welcomed evolution of the stationary choice-based dialogue trees (you use?? the triggers so you can walk, talk, and probably even chew gum at the same time).

Their conversations are natural thanks to strong dialogue matched by each character's voice performance. Delilah's constant cursing and groan-inducing puns are met by Henry stammering "p-p-p-panties" on the way to keep those aforementioned nude teens from setti?ng off any more fireworks in light of the extreme fire?? warning. The chemistry is natural as they alternate jabbing back and forth and opening up with one another, though still I found it difficult to bring up my abandoned wife the first few times opportunity arose. Silence is a viable dialogue option.

Henry, though, is not just defined through player-guided dialogue. Everything about the production furthers his character. He is not a camera on wheels. You see shorts-clad legs when you look down or his large, meaty hands as he exerts himself clambering up a one meter lip. He is human, average, and the animation work reinforces that. Firewatch is filthy with telling details like these. Some pieces just add flavor (in the confiscated bund??le of bottle rockets, one is called the Screaming Wife, and all have original artwork), but it all works towards a cohesive tone.

Art director Olly Moss' color palette is not just pretty to look at. The exaggerated hues work towards the overall tone, from the warm oranges to vivid, dark evenings, while the stylized look is readable, moving away from obfuscating photorealism. I rarely got lost in the unfamiliar woods (though there is a paper map Henry physically pulls up and scribbles notes on). The area is designed and the story paced with just enough backtracking to breed familiarity with the territory, while the relative isolation still leaves it frightening, especially as the story moves away from potential drama-cum-romcom into a thri??ller. 

Most impressive is the thematic cohesion. Firewatch is broadly about guilt, which metastasizes here as isolation-induced paranoia when things turn frightening. After day one on the job Henry comes back to his tower to find? the place smashed into. The teens, maybe? Or that silhouette of a hiker spotted on the way back home? While Henry has Delilah on the radio, isolation is what drove him into the woods, perpetuating a cycle o?f guilt leading to self-imposed loneliness shared by the major characters.

The same nagging doubt, decision-questioning, and fear is externalized in the second act as o??utside forces appear to be stalking Henry and monitoring the conversations between him and Delilah. At which point, incidentally, their carefree, innocent flirting now seems lurid. Something to be ashamed of for the still-married Henry. Let's not? forget guilt, internalized anger that can lead to isolation.

Ambient sound design shines brightest here, as everything from the weirdly strong rattle of a chain link fence to scurrying in the distance invokes fear -- especially after Henry is sucker punched unconscious on the way to? do some fishing.

It was here for me Firewatch accessed fear on a Hitchcockian level. No monsters. Only one encounter wi?th some kind of assailant. Still the surveillance, the mystery, the vulnerability and the isolation left me wandering around always checking my six rather than frolicking through gorgeous woods. Music, art, and dialogue quickly established the?? forest familiar, giving me nostalgia flashes of camping as a kid and first stepping out of the car, dwarfed by redwoods, twigs crunching underfoot. Then that comfort is stripped away.

The analog inputs (pulling up the walkie-talkie or map, spinning the same "1234" tumblers to unlock every single park lock box with Henry's paws) combined with unique animation and believable voice work help ground Firewatch, which manages both restraint and maturity in its story without ever going full mumblecore "walking simulator." The warmth of the budding relationship between two voices with natural chemistry is undercut by harsher realities and the drawn out segments of feeling stalked and vulnerable?? are legitimately stressful. The result is a tight, taut human tale well worth the trek.

The post Review: Firewatch appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a little discount

February got here in a hurry, and that means Firewatch isn't far off.

Campo Santo's first-person, wilderness-set mystery game is coming to PlayStation 4, Linux, Mac, and Windows on February 9, 2016. It's going to be $19.99, normally, but there's a 10 percent discount for folks who pr??e-purchase on Steam or buy it at launch with a PlayStation Plus account.

That price is exactly what I expected, and I'm in for the visuals alone.

Camp Santo [Twitter]

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Fun with thumbnails!

I wrote about Firewatch's topless teens, meaty hands, and mystery way, way back at the beginnin??g of this year (wanna feel old!?).

The gorgeous, narrative driven game from artist Olly Moss, Mark of the Ninja designer Nels Anderson, and season one The Walking Dead writers and designers Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin seemed like it was doing that sa?me GDC demo at PlayStation Experience, but IGN has some additional gameplay from after that section in the game.

And the "first" thumbnail looks like "fyrst" against the x-shaped beams; that's that joke, explained. Not a great one, but mildly amusing. I watched enough to see that cardboard ranger, but I'm pretty content not seeing anymore of Firewatch, especially with the dialogue focus, until I ca??n play the whole thing for myself. But it's so dang pretty I won't hold it against you if you want to see more.

The post Fyrst look at more beautiful Firewatch fyytage appeared first on Destructoid.

Releasing February 9, 2016

I'm supposed to tell you that Campo Santo's wilderness-set exploration mystery Firewatch will release on February 9, 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac, and Linux. That's the news to??day.

But I've fallen into an image gallery wormhol?e, a??nd I'm taking you with me.

Ahem. Back to that release date.

"Right now we're still polishing, optimizing, writing, and developing the last bits of the g?ame, but we can't wait to put it out there for you to play. Our goal is a worldwide simulta?neous release!"

Firewatch arrives on February 9 on PC & PS4 [Campo Santo]

The post Firewatch is such a lovely looking game appeared first on Destructoid.

Also features first-person turtling

Campo Santo's Firewatch enjoyed a short fraction of Sony's E3 press conference tonight, but it was a good little video. It starts with high spirits, two voices joking around with one another, one guy p?laying with a turtle just for kicks, the usual.

Toward the end, it hints?? toward the central conflict. Something dark is at play here. Some sort of park ranger impostor, maybe? I don't know.

The post New Firewatch trailer hints at something dark appeared first on Destructoid.

From artist Olly Moss and people behind Mark of the Ninja and The Walking Dead

I am into this. It's a bit inscrutable, sure, but a mystery game needs to be mysterious. I was into Firewatch as soon as I heard of the talent involved. Artist Olly Moss, whose work we enjoy regularly, along with Mark of the Ninja designer Nels Anderson, and season one The Walking Dead writers and designers Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin.&??nbsp;

You are alone in the Wyoming wilderness, save for the voice on the other side of your radio. And clearly there's some impropriety going on between Henry and his supervisor Delilah. Also, stuff spookier still. 

There are a few more screenshots on Campo Santo's Firewatch website. The game is aiming for a 2015 PC, Mac, and Linux release. I'm pr?etty okay going i?n knowing not much more than we do now.

The post Fire watch wi?th me: Firewatch gets first, myster??ious trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Intriguing, to say the least

Firewatch is exactly the kind of original game one would expect a studio like Campo Stanto to produce. This is a first-person exploration mystery coming from artist Olly Moss, Mark of the Ninja lead designer Nels Anderson, and writers / designers Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin, both of whom worked on the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead.

Anyway, back to the new project. Henry, a fire lookout in the mountainous Wyoming wilderness, has a single poin?t of contact with the world back home: his supervisor Delilah.

"But when someth??ing strange draws you out of your lo?okout tower and into the world, you'll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making interpersonal choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have."

Unsurprisingly, they're trying not to say too much about the story as it'll be a large part of the appeal. And, again, Firewatch is a mystery. Camp Santo would "love for it to come out in 2015" and is lo??oking into console d?evelopment. PC, Mac, and Linux versions are happening for sure.

No screenshots or anything along those lines ju??st yet, but I'm counting on a strong art direction given Moss' involvement and the picturesque setti?ng.

The post Campo Santo’s debut game is Firewatch, an exploration mystery appeared first on Destructoid.