Firewatch

Calling all explorers: Firewatch now has a free-roam mode

If you could shout “Heyooooo” into Firewatch‘s virtual rendition of the Wyoming wilderness then you would now be able to travel to everywhere the call echoed. That’s on account of an update that has rolled out for all the versions of the game—PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One—that introduces a free-roam mode.

hike around its trails unhindered

After completing the game once, you should find the mode available to select in the special features section of the main menu. Once inside, you can walk and climb around its entire ecosystem with a dynamic 24-hour time cycle to experience too. That makes it the ideal mode for any budding photographers too, then, making use of the in-game disposable camera to snap any groves of lodgepole pines, able to wait around the same scene as the sun makes its journey across the sky, turning from noon to night with all the rich blues and oranges that come with it.

Perhaps you’re one of the people who didn’t find the turtle in Firewatch. Well, you now have an endless amount of time to hike around its trails unhindered to find it. But if you want a quick fix right now I’ve got you sorted (isn’t it adorbs?).

Oh, and if you didn’t know, the Steam version of Firewatch lets you get physical prints of any photos you take from inside the game. You need only to snap a picture with the disposable camera, and then, upon completing the game, there’s an option to head to a web store and order the prints for $15 (TechnoBuffalo has more on that).

If you want to read more on how the world of Firewatch was put together then check out our interview with artist Jane Ng.