What Remains of Edith Finch is a wonderfully told narrative about generational trauma, loss and grief.
The house itself is a wonderful metaphor for the pain the Finch family was in; it's broken state with the closed off rooms representing Dawn's unwillingness to face her past and the disarray the family was in, while Edie and Edith use secret passageways to remember and learn the family members' stories respectively.
The game, despite consisting of mostly walking and listening, has a surprising amount of little gameplay sections and differing art styles which really help set each family members narrative apart.
I think in a lot of ways this is a 'perfect' game, or as perfect as this genre can get. However, I can't quite give it 5 stars as the game didn't quite hit me the same way emotionally as for example it's contemporary RiME did. Nor does the ending really surprise of leave particular impact (though perhaps all it needed to do was tie a neat bow in the story).
In conclusion: What Remains of Edith Finch is a beautiful small story about a family and their tragedies, and this game is, and rightfully should be, a hallmark of the genre for a reason.
The house itself is a wonderful metaphor for the pain the Finch family was in; it's broken state with the closed off rooms representing Dawn's unwillingness to face her past and the disarray the family was in, while Edie and Edith use secret passageways to remember and learn the family members' stories respectively.
The game, despite consisting of mostly walking and listening, has a surprising amount of little gameplay sections and differing art styles which really help set each family members narrative apart.
I think in a lot of ways this is a 'perfect' game, or as perfect as this genre can get. However, I can't quite give it 5 stars as the game didn't quite hit me the same way emotionally as for example it's contemporary RiME did. Nor does the ending really surprise of leave particular impact (though perhaps all it needed to do was tie a neat bow in the story).
In conclusion: What Remains of Edith Finch is a beautiful small story about a family and their tragedies, and this game is, and rightfully should be, a hallmark of the genre for a reason.