Name of game What Remains of Edith Finch
Creator, platform: Developed by Giant Sparrow, published by Annapurna Interactive, available on PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. I played the game on the PS5.
Target audience: The game targets players who are interested in narrative-driven games and are willing to engage with a slower-paced, exploration-based gameplay experience. It also specifically targets those who would enjoy mystery or thriller genres and value an interactive experience. I can see anyone 12+ enjoying this game, as long as they can stomach the potentially scary scenes.
My experience: I played the game up until the end of Molly’s room (which may or may not be the first one everyone discovers). I turned a key in a lock on a book, which I found in an aquatic-looking room. What I didn’t expect was that Molly’s story wasn’t a classic murder or death story, but rather followed a very fantastical narrative. Molly spoke from the first-person POV of her assailant (which seems to be a monster) and empathises with its hunger, calling herself “delicious” (which freaked me out). Throughout the story, Molly turns into a cat, an owl, a shark, and a monster, and I was controlling the creatures myself to eventually lead the monster to Molly’s bed. The mechanics of the game thus permitted me to take many actions with only two buttons, which I found to be very well-designed. I found that the game itself was dictated by my mind far more than the buttons on the PS5 controller, which is clearly the intention of the designer.
Formal Elements: The game is primarily a walking simulator, where players explore the Finch family house and discover the stories of its inhabitants. The resources in the game include keys, books, and other objects that players can interact with to unlock doors, open secret passages, and access the stories of the deceased family members.
The roles in the game are that of the player, who takes on the role of Edith Finch as she explores the house and uncovers the secrets of her family’s past. As I saw in Molly’s room, the POV can suddenly change in a way that allows the player to embody the deceased family member in the form of a first-person flashback. The procedures of the game involve moving through the house, interacting with objects, and triggering the stories of the deceased family members. The outcomes of the game are dependent on the player’s actions and choices, and can result in uncovering the secrets of the Finch family or failing to do so.
The mechanics of the game are primarily focused on exploration and storytelling, with players using the environment and objects to trigger stories to piece them together. The number of players is limited to one, as the game is designed for single-player exploration. The objective of the game is to uncover the stories of the Finch family members and figure out the mystery of their deaths and to make sense of it as a whole (I’m assuming).
In terms of aesthetics, the graphics of the game are visually stunning, with smooth movements and attention to detail. I found that I could walk around and uncover seemingly mundane facts (like the fact that only a Chinese restaurant would deliver to the house) but anticipate some of these details being essential to understanding parts of the story. The subtitling of the storytelling is also location-dependent, appearing on a variety of surfaces such as the sky, a table, a wall, or a diary. The game successfully achieves its intended type of fun through a combination of discovery and fantasy, as the more players explore the house, the more of the story they’re able to uncover. There is some discourse in the way you interact with the instructions and diaries, since the player is in constant conversation with the ex-inhabitants of the house. I also would group the quality of the narrative with the other aesthetics of the game, as they form a cohesive whole.
Where it succeeded / failed: The game’s mechanics, such as the way in which players interact with objects and the location-dependent subtitling, create a unique experience for players that enhances the storytelling and adds to the overall immersive quality of the game. While there is limited discourse in the way players interact with the instructions and diaries, the game’s focus on exploration and storytelling still creates a compelling and engaging experience for players. I also found the story to constantly surprise me and keep me guessing, which is essential for a game in the mystery/thriller genre. Needless to say I would not play this alone at night.
As for Molly’s story, I did struggle to make some sense of it. Is the monster a metaphor for something else she experienced? Is Molly a schizophrenic? Or is the game set in a world of complete fantasy where monsters exist? I did not get many hints as to which is true from just playing her story. I wouldn’t call this a failure, but I could see this deterring some players who are already put off by the slower pace and just end up being very confused. Still, I think this is a conscious choice by the designer, considering the game’s target audience.
Potential improvements: A potential improvement for the game could be to provide more guidance for players who may feel lost or confused. While the game’s exploration-based gameplay is intentional, some players may struggle to piece together the various stories and make sense of the overall narrative. Providing more subtle clues or hints could help players feel more engaged and invested in the game. For example, if Molly’s story does point to something like schizophrenia or real monsters, I may have liked a subtle hint as to where the game was going. But then again, I see how some audiences would like to constantly be kept guessing.
