Why should I buy this game as opposed to just watch it on Youtube?

[eobet]

I've watched a few videos of it already, and so far I haven't seen any game mechanics (or any interesting story, actually).

Also, some people are saying that it's a really short game and it doesn't even have a branching story with multiple endings.

[Samurai]

I am interested if anyone can actually make a decent point for buying this game without insulting you for posting this thread. I honestly doubt it.

Best reason will probably be "to support the developers". I call dibs on that one.

[[FR] Tooms]

Well you can buy this if you like interactive stories. It is short and there is only one ending but this isn't the point. I bought it because I wanted to live it myself rather than watch somebody else play with his commentary.

[yusupov]

the instinctive reason i would give you isnt compelling and not what at all what id say if i was trying to sell it, so i think that makes it worth sharing -- henry is a flesh and blood human of his own, & as a player you are already in large part a voyeur on the journey. if theres someone you watch on twitch or who LPs who resonates really well emotionally with you theres a lot to saving the $20, but youre still getting that extra layer of distance from the game that wont do it full justice. its not an interactive movie, so your frustrations/delights etc will be your own if you play it yourself rather than your impression of someone elses. and that IS a substantial difference.

but if you dont think youll play it down the line on a sale or something, giving an LP by an invested player who you enjoy doesnt cost anything & i do think this would be a great game to experience secondhand to a disinterested person for the same reasons id recommend playing it instead to an interested one.

[Keavon]

The game is story driven, and that mystery story is what drives the whole experience. But that said, it's a game that actually gives you a lot of free choice. You can go wherever you please but it still paces you so you don't get lost or sidetracked if you don't want to. It has tons of dialogue choices, and some of those matter, but I felt it's a good balance between branching story and not missing too much if you only give it one playthrough. I absolutely love good storytelling and this does a fantastic job at it, and while I love movies and TV shows as mediums for visual storytelling, nothing beats the experience of a game because it gives you full control over your own choices and immerses you into a world where you are the character. Watching a gameplay video just doesn't give you anywhere near the level of enjoyment you can experience from playing a game yourself. You can make choices for yourself, go wherever you please, and explore anything you see. But more importantly, it gives you that sense of presence which truly makes the experience. At only $18, Firewatch is a very polished, high quality experience that is absolutely worth your money so you can experience it yourself. My friend beat it in 3 hours but I got a good 6 hours out of it. But the game has lots of depth and I would encourage you to go slow, explore everything, get as much dialogue as you can, find hidden things, and enjoy the sights. It's not a race, and you will have more fun if you make it 6 - 8 hours. It's worth playing yourself because the central storytelling and gameplay mechanic is your freedom of choice with the dialogue with Delilah and merely watching it online won't feel the same. Give yourself the ability to choose your own relationship with Delilah so you can enjoy it more than watching someone else be Henry instead of yourself.

[Starscreamx86]

The negative things you have read haven't had an impact on me as of yet. I am fully into the game and story, for me with some things that happen in the game had me questioning if this was going to be a horror story game. I rushed to the internet to find out. So much of this game screams the shining in an odd way to me that it really could make for an interesting horror story/thriller on the fact that the story is at the fore front of being thrown at you from the beginning, as well as your character being alone questioning his sanity.

Is there better games for 20$ or less? Sure. Are there worse games? absolutely. This isn't me saying you should buy it or not. However for me after spending closer to 200$ on the recent sale, Firewatch has been my most go to game I was looking forward to and thus far it has been very entertaining, and rewarding. I enjoy this game as well as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Its a quality title, even if as you have said some found it very short. That won't bother me. I've gotten my moneys worth.

[GameDragonZero]

This is actually a good question. The reason is the sense of immersion.

If you watch it this seems to be an interesting story. But when you play it, with choices, controls, finding things, etc. there's a real sense of connecting to what's going on. It's the difference between seeing a film and being in the story - which is handled quite well.

In short, if you want to step inside an interesting character story/mystery, then it's worth playing.

[eobet]

Thank you for your replies, everyone. Not a single insult, I'm very impressed!

I just watched Total Biscuit's WTF video on this, and interestingly, it seems that I was right and will continue to experience this (some day) via Youtube instead:

https://youtu.be/qXv5uIke8HY?t=28m30s