There are experiences that occur in our lives that alter its course forever. Like a fork in a tree, you can trace the path of your life back to that very moment and know, with certainty that your life would have been very, very different had that thing not happened to you at that moment. This is an interesting concept, and one that What Remains of Edith Finch explores on several deep and visceral levels. Interestingly, because of this, the game itself becomes one of those very moments for those who play it. It is an experience, to say the least, and one that I highly recommend you see for yourself.
Gameplay wise, there is little that the game does to instruct you, as the player, on what it is you need to do. There are no tutorials. No handholds. Just a beginning. There are visual clues that will help guide you, as well as the on-screen narrative text that is as much a part of the atmosphere of the game as the world you explore. The words that textualize the narrative become a part of the world around you. There are moments where you need to manipulate objects with your hands or control your character in different ways than what you have had to do up to that point, but the solutions are always very intuitive. The game flows from one moment to the next. There are times where you are playing as Edith and times where you are playing as other characters. I will not go into detail to save from spoiling the experience, but even these transitions from one character to another are so seamless and natural, that it all weaves together to create an amazing tapestry that is the narrative of the story that is told to you throughout the course of the game.
There are a few things that tie the whole experience together. First of these is the house itself; the place that you explore; the epicenter of all of the calamity that has befallen the family Finch. And by walking through the house, you unlock (literally and figuratively) more and more of the history that you were previously unaware of. Second is the narrator’s voice…or voices. The voice actors for the game do an amazing job of creating the soundtrack and tone for the story that makes it so engrossing and engaging from the moment you begin your journey all the way until the last moment. Third are the words and the way they become part of the world around you. It underscores the idea that the story’s foundation is the collection of words upon which it is written.
One of the things that makes this game work is that there are so few things that distract from the experience. There is no HUD other than the little white prompts that will indicate things that you can interact with. And you really do interact with things. As you approach objects in the world, or just look straight down, you will see the body of your character, their hands, and there are even many, many visual clues that will help you piece together the story as you go. To the keen eye, you may even be able to pick up on things that aren’t revealed in the game until much later on. There are so many small details, so many clues. The house itself is an accumulation of clues; one that you can sort through one piece at a time, slowly recreating the history of your family, and discovering the truth of what happened.
It is quite an amazing game. One that is almost impossible to describe in any detail without ruining the experience for the uninitiated. Suffice it to say that it is one most definitely worth the price of admission. Even the fact that the entire game can be played through in a few hours is not enough to stop me from fully recommending the purchase.
What Remains of Edith Finch has been available on other consoles and PC for about two years. Bringing it to the Switch is a wonderful way to allow players that haven’t otherwise had the opportunity to play it a chance to have the experience for themselves. The short chapters and book-like presentation make is the perfect fit for the Switch.
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Without a doubt a favorite standout experience for me as well! Can’t recommend Edith Finch enough!