This is a game caught in an odd maelstrom of both praise and backlash. Initially touted as a breathtakingly unique and stirring achievement in video game storytelling by critics and early fans, I feel like a lot of negative reactions toward the game came from those who expected a more exciting experience than what it actually is, which is in many ways just a walking simulator.

Finally sitting down to play it years after its release, after all the hype -- good and bad -- has settled down, I feel like I can have the final say on this matter: it's pretty good.

More so than any other game I can think of, "Gone Home" utilizes its relatively unassuming setting to its fullest potential as a narrative device. The labyrinthian journey through the "Psycho House" is constantly engaging and mysterious, though never at the expense of the simple feeling of walking through a regular family home, one that feels lived-in and full of a rich, real history.