I read this whole thread and everybody is ignoring the elephant in the room:
Why give the player a choice in responses if all responses lead to the same ending?
Seriously, why are response choices given in this game if they lead to the identical outcome.
Literally all that time spent racking your brain as to which response you should give, is meaningless in Firewatch, as they all lead to -exactly- the same ending.
A game that gives choices in response alludes to showing you where YOUR specific voyage of self discovery will lead. Firewatch doesn't do this, whether through budget considerations or otherwise, it feels like a cheat.
For me it was a meaningless waste of time because of this
I couldn't delete it off my HD fast enough after completing it. I can't imagine anyone playing it more than once. Searching for a deeper meaning I believe stems from the time and emotional investment spent with the game rather than any equally deep intrinsic quality.
