What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch is a hybrid of a game and an interactive novel. Edith Finch revisits the house of her family. The only one alive, she goes through stories of family members, watching them live and die, and searching for the curse she suspects around. Download What Remains of Edith Finch for Windows, PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch and follow the generations with Edith!
Graphics (5/5)
It’s an interactive novel with rich details, seen from first person perspective and drawn with love. While the home looks like a typical mystery house first, this impression fades in minutes. As for the stories, they differ in style, from a gothic naval adventure to a comic-book (literally). The style is as diverse as the lifestyles of various generations, embracing almost a century.
Gameplay (5/5)
Edith Finch is the last survivor from her family. She has her reasons to suspect some curse that extinguishes her kin, and here she comes again. Her house is empty; rooms are closed after family members die. Each of them, though, has left a story, told by the things remaining in the room. So Edith explores the house, trying to walk in everyone’s shoes and see their lives from within.
There is no certain gameplay style; it depends on the person, so it might be a puzzle, an arcade, or just a walking or a waiting game. You won’t find alternate endings either; what’s done is done, you only have to follow. But this process of living other people’s lives (each one to the end, mostly bitter) is fascinating.
It’s not a horror game as you might assume. No jump scares, no explicit mystic, no blood on the floor. But it has all it takes to thrill you, and it’s not about some stories being really horrible; its rather about the sense of revelation.
Controls (4/5)
This isn’t the game that requires powerful combos or precise timing. Playing is, in fact, an immersion method to tell this story; you try other people on, just like Edith does. On the other hand, the tricky part is finding the right controls each time you enter a new minigame. There is no explanation at all, so entering is as mysterious for you as it is for Edith.
Replay Value (3/5)
Replaying What Remains of Edith Finch as a regular game makes little sense. First of all, it has no alternate endings. Second, it’s not as cathartic when you have been here. Third, it’s even less than two hours if you do it right. Still, you may want to replay it, just like you want to rewatch an old movie or reread a book – when it resonates with your mood or thoughts. And this one, on life, death, destiny and past, has a lot to resonate with.
The Bottom Line
It’s not the sort of game everyone is used to. No open world, no multiplayer, no online features, and no opponents to defeat. There is a story you follow and play roles; but the story pays. Give it an evening, and What Remains of Edith Finch may revolutionize what you think about gaming.
Conclusion
Do you want to know what else gaming can be? Download What Remains of Edith Finch and dive deep, because something similar may never appear.
Great visuals.
Touching very sensible matters in a sensible way.
It’s not like anything you have played before.
The controls are counterintuitive.
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Very interesting singleplayer mode.
- You just can't miss this game!
