[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat Remains of Edith Finch is a game developed by Giant Sparrow who also made The Unfinished Swan. They seem to enjoy the concept of an interactive storybook, and from what I saw, it works out well for them. You see, this game is all about the story. In Edith Finch, it’s clear that this game is more about discovering the narrative than anything else. The game’s sound design, varied visuals, and the overall mood really work to sell these mysterious circumstances and I feel like it works greatly in the game’s favor.

Story Concept

The game begins on a boat out in the middle of the sea. You immediately have control over the character’s view and look down to read a book written by the title character, Edith Finch. As soon as the story begins, you’re already being presented with mysteries. Not everything will make sense at first, but if you pay attention, you’ll begin to piece everything together.

The story follows Edith Finch as she makes her way through her family’s old house that her late mother would never let her explore. She tells her readers about her childhood living in this house and how as strange as everything was, it just seemed normal to her. Following the deaths of many family members, the mother, Dawn, chose to seal up all the doors in a nearly insane attempt to hide her family from a curse that seems all too real. As Edith makes her way through the house, she discovers the stories of her family members and how each of them died.

There’s a very dark overtone throughout the whole game that just keeps players from ever getting comfortable. Even in some of the more lighthearted stories, the reality weighed me down, making me realize just how tragic everything really was.

The greatest strength of the story seems to be in the discovery, so I won’t go into details as to avoid spoiling the story. What I will say is that I played this game with a couple friends, and while there were great moments that really told us just how dark a story we were getting into, there were also some moments where something happened that just completely broke the mood. While I appreciate the variety in the story-telling styles, naturally, it meant that some would work better than others. As such, it’s understandable that some narrative styles may have cheapened the impact a little. Overall, that’s made up for by the styles that really drive it home, though, so I think it’s a fair trade-off.

Visual and Sound Design

I would feel bad if I brought up sound design and didn’t give credit for the voice acting. I really think the voices and script go a long way in making this story feel more real. Between the voices of the family members telling each of their stories and the writing that reasonably changes in style depending on who’s telling the story. Not only that but the medium through which each story is told changes, as well, typically reflecting the personality or background circumstances of each person. For instance, one story is told through a journal while another is told in the form of a comic book or a series of photographs.

Aside from that, the graphics are decent. While the game doesn’t do anything especially impressive on that front, it does make good use of what it has. The views are worthwhile and the rooms inside the house just get crazier every time.

The actual background music, on the other hand, is gentle and sorrowful. It plays under the narrative, setting a mood without really requiring much of the player’s attention. The only time I remember the music being the focus was right when I started up the game, but it fades and often even disappears altogether, simply keeping you in the moment. It’s the kind of music you might listen to while studying and it works very well, in this instance.

Gameplay

Unfortunately, the gameplay is not where this game shines in any sense. The controls work just fine, though I did find myself stumbling a little bit due to limited space to move my mouse in. It definitely appears that this game sacrifices gameplay for story coherence, but in this case, I think that’s a trade I’m willing to make.

Edith Finch falls squarely into a category I like to call “beautiful walking simulators” where the gameplay is more akin to walking through a museum than anything else. The upside is that it makes a narrative far easier to craft, but it risks losing any players that aren’t just looking for a story. What’s more, the game only lasts about two hours and has next to no actual replayability to it, so you’re effectively paying to watch a movie. Overall, this is definitely the category that hurts this game the most.

Conclusion

What Remains of Edith Finch is short, but sweet. The game really sells its story and mystery, making the player wonder if they might have missed any clues or secrets. However, the game is very heavily scripted and gives the player little freedom to experiment in any meaningful way. The voice acting is definitely great, but don’t expect to be revisiting this game anytime soon. With a $20 price point, it’s difficult for me to argue that it’s worth the money, but if the intriguing narrative piques your interest, please pick this game up on the PlayStation Store or Steam for Mac and Windows.