I’m not one to write about the User Interface of any game. I’m not one to write about much of anything, if I’m being entirely honest. So compelled was I by the excellent use of a user-interface (Or lack thereof), the beautiful implementation of Verlag and the captivating art-direction in general of Firewatch, I had to share my thoughts.
Day 1: New user experience
When you begin Firewatch, one of the first screens you’re greeted with has an alluring use of imagery and an interface that’s so clean, so uncompromising in it’s simplicity that it’s a joy to behold. It’s not flash, it’s not big, but it works extremely well and reflects the ambiance of the game entirely.
The animation here is subtle. The sound design is excellent, with the faint audible noise of what can only be described as a warm breeze. Like an animated painting, it’s tempting to pause slightly and bask in it’s summertime mise en scène.
The Verlag font is used throughout to great effect. Verlag, the affable modernist, was initially created for the Guggenheim Museum by Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones. A geometric, sans-serif font that echoes…
