This is a guest review, written by Anna Kozakova. She can be found on Twitter as @Legit_Ann
What Remains of Edith Finch is a captivating experience veiled in mystery and tragedy. While the story deals with loss and death, it is well balanced with plenty of minigames that feel like little adventures of their own. Giant Sparrow created a game that will make you forget the fact that what you’re playing is mostly a walking simulator.
Edith inherits her childhood home and decides to visit. She is determined to discover the story behind the untimely deaths of her relatives and is writing a diary on the way. Upon entering the house, you can immediately feel the nostalgia. It is obvious that the mansion was left in a hurry. Sealed rooms, boxes everywhere, the meal from the last evening the family spent there still on the table. You can almost smell the dust in the air.
As a player, there are not that many actions that you can carry out. The captivating story however makes up for that, big time. Edith starts out with a sketch of a blank family tree. Filling in the empty spaces with names and portraits, you learn about how the Finches came to live on the coast of Washington state, and everything they had to go through.
Misfortunes, loss of young children, mental disease – all these grave matters are told in a sensitive way without being melodramatic. The story is conveyed through diary entries, read out loud by Edith, and mini-games that reveal the destiny of each character.
While the story itself is sad, the vignettes often have a light, playful feel to them. The writers did a fantastic job conveying that death has claimed Finch relatives young and old. You will take on the role of a toddler and observe plastic ducks and frogs in a bathtub spring to life. You will step into the shoes of a small girl who was denied dinner and turns into a cat in order to hunt birds. These examples truly capture the boundaryless imagination of kids.
In these types of story exploration games, the environment design plays a significant role. The house is so detailed and realistic that it doesn’t feel like a game at all. You will explore the rooms of all the family members who lived there. Each of them left their mark. A space shuttle in a kid’s room, a bathroom covered in pink plush or a miniature of a castle serving as a bedroom. The dead left behind a part of their personality and even after years you can still feel their eclectic presence.
The setting brings the story to life and tells years of family history and drama through a handful of small yet important details. Remembering secret passageways as Edith shares her memories gives you a feeling that you really are a part of the family. Compassion and curiosity will drive you to explore every corner of the mansion until you know all its secrets.
Another selling point is the protagonist. Every time the camera swings down to Edith shoes, you can’t overlook her pregnant belly. Given that she is only 17 and obviously dealing with a family curse of sorts will make you sympathize with her. Her diary entries leave even more impact thanks to brilliant voicing by Valerie Rose Lohman.
Without the minigames, the experience would feel rather flat and too similar to, say, Gone Home. Yet the team at Giant Sparrow came up with an original way to freshen up the walking simulator experience. The only downside is that game probably won’t take you more than three or four hours to complete.
The epilogue adds a melancholic touch to the experience that will leave you with a feeling of both sadness and satisfaction as you read the last pages of Edith’s diary. Short but intense, What Remains of Edith Finch is definitely worth playing for artistic value, fun game mechanics and deep story. Even if you’re sceptical about walking simulators, try this game before dismissing the genre for good.