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  1. Games
  2. Adventure
  3. Firewatch

Firewatch gallery: a colorful tour of Shoshone National Forest

Features
By PCGamer published 12 February 2016

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Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 1 of 42
Page 1 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 2 of 42
Page 2 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 3 of 42
Page 3 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 4 of 42
Page 4 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 5 of 42
Page 5 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 6 of 42
Page 6 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 7 of 42
Page 7 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 8 of 42
Page 8 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 9 of 42
Page 9 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 10 of 42
Page 10 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 11 of 42
Page 11 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 12 of 42
Page 12 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 13 of 42
Page 13 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 14 of 42
Page 14 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 15 of 42
Page 15 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 16 of 42
Page 16 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 17 of 42
Page 17 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 18 of 42
Page 18 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 19 of 42
Page 19 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 20 of 42
Page 20 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 21 of 42
Page 21 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 22 of 42
Page 22 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 23 of 42
Page 23 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 24 of 42
Page 24 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 25 of 42
Page 25 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 26 of 42
Page 26 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 27 of 42
Page 27 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 28 of 42
Page 28 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 29 of 42
Page 29 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 30 of 42
Page 30 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 31 of 42
Page 31 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 32 of 42
Page 32 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 33 of 42
Page 33 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 34 of 42
Page 34 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 35 of 42
Page 35 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 36 of 42
Page 36 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 37 of 42
Page 37 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 38 of 42
Page 38 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 39 of 42
Page 39 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 40 of 42
Page 40 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 41 of 42
Page 41 of 42

Pixel Boost is our weekly series devoted to the artistry of games, and the techniques required to run them at high resolutions.

Art direction can go a long way in creating a believable videogame world, even if it ignores realism entirely. Firewatch is a prime example, using advanced color theory and scenic framing to render the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming. The shade of a single tree communicates the time of day and mood while staying recognizable, even silhouetted against a mesh of other props. The same lighting and color spread across every object in the environment is nothing short of astounding, especially in 4K.

Firewatch matches your monitor’s native resolution by default, so to get it running at 4K or higher, you’ll need a 4K monitor (duh) or you’ll need to change your monitor’s rendered resolution to something higher. Nvidia's DSR was a no-go in this case, so we created a custom 4K resolution and ran out desktop at 3840x2160 to grab the screens.

Artists on the Steam forums are already taking some phenomenal wide angle shots. This may not be our last Pixel Boost from the Shoshone.

There’s no way to turn off the massive circular aiming reticule while walking around just yet, which is odd for a game designed to be ogled. Even so, a quick bit of Photoshop work could turn any of these into a wonderful desktop wallpaper.

Page 42 of 42
Page 42 of 42
PCGamer
PCGamer

PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games—starting in 1993 with the magazine, and then in 2010 with this website you're currently reading. We have writers across the US, Canada, UK and Australia, who you can read about here.

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