Game Review: What Remains of Edith Finch

by Chrisanna Lazaridou on 24 May 2017 · 3414 views

After gracing us with their debut game The Unfinished Swan, Giant Sparrow returns with What Remains of Edith Finch, a collection of short stories regarding a family that appears to be cursed since past generations. AFter reviewing Blackwood Crossing, I thought it was fitting to review Edith which also belongs more in the walking simulator category rather than in the adventure type of game.

Plot

The story begins with 17-year-old Edith returning to her father's house in Washington state, seeking answers about why she is the only remaining living member of her family. The secluded house in the woods has many secrets that her mother has been hiding from her all these years, but Edith will do anything to find all the answers. Going from room to room, she learns about the life and especially the death of her relatives, most of whom died at an early age. Through a journey fll of feelings and loss, you complete the family tree of the Finch family and try to understand if the family has been the victim of a curse, as it is believed, or if the deaths were a series of unfortunate accidents.

Gameplay

I’ll start by saying that the gameplay is considerably limited, so don’t expect action or puzzles like in other similar games. Other interactive stories, such as the recent Blackwood Crossing, include puzzles even though there are not many, but in What Remains of Edith Finch all you are tasked with doing is exploring, reading, reliving memories, and opening doors and boxes.

On the other hand, this simple narrative is done in a variety of ways and impressive graphics that make up of the lack of action. You will experience many interesting things such as taking pictures for the environment around you, transforming into an owl or a cat, flying a kite and more that make the story progress in a very pleasant way, despite focusing on tragic events. The places of high importance are very easy to find as they are marked with a large white dot. Auto-save works to a good extent, and if you feel lost as to what course to take next, Edith will makes a brief comment to help you. What I also found interesting is the fact that the comments of Edith appear in different parts of your screen and in a visually very calming way. Finally, after completing the game, you have the option to re-play certain chapters from scratch.

But don't forget that the main theme of the game is death and the player will have to face it in very violent and disturbing ways that include accidents that happen to children and young people, and also touches upon the theme of suicide. The finale will probably leave you asking for more but I felt satisfied with it and enjoyed the journey.

Pricing & Availability

What Remains of Edith Finch is available for PS4 and PC. The PC version is available on Steam for $20.

Graphics & Sounds

The graphics are well-designed, pleasant to the eye and with colors that fit the dark theme of the game. The environments around you are beautifully designed and very detailed, and my favorite place is no other than the Flinches’ house itself, as it is huge and offers a vast number of places to explore. As far as the soundtrack goes, the melodic, atmospheric and touching BG music will enrich every family member’s story and needless to say, it fits the atmosphere perfectly. You can purchase it seperately on Steam as well. The voice acting is also well done and I loved the children's narrations.

Conclusion

What Remains of Edith Finch is a walking simulator that won’t take you more than a couple of hours to complete, depending on how much you want to explore. It is a journey to the tragic stories of each member of the Flinch family throughout the years. A sad, dark journey but also a lesson about life itself. If it had more content on some chapters perhaps it would be better but overall it is a great game that will please lovers of walking simulators. Let us know your thoughts and impressions in the comments below.