PS4: 10 Best Console Exclusives You Need To Play

9. Firewatch

ratchet and clank
Campo Santo

It's not often that a game can leave a profound emotional impact on the player after a brief four-hour campaign, but Firewatch managed it. While it could prove too slow if you like your games fast and frenetic with plenty of action, those who appreciate the slower, more thoughtful experiences will find lots to enjoy here.

Players assume the role of Henry, a fire lookout working in the Shoshone National Forest in 1989 - it's your job to keep the area safe and secure, free from vandalism and blazing forest-fires. Along the way, you'll explore a selection of beautifully-rendered environments, from deep blue lakes to forests to gloomy caves, while piecing together the mystery of two missing teenage girls.

Firewatch is short, and heavy on dialogue - which you can select from a number of options - but it's well-acted, punchy and engaging. There's no ridiculous supernatural twist or moustache-twirling villain here - the game is a simple character piece, polished to the highest of standards.

In that sense, it's a breath of fresh air in an industry of brown multiplayer shooters and grim apocalyptic dystopias.

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.