What Remains of Edith Finch Review
Played on Xbox One (base)
Developed by Giant Sparrow
Released 25th April 2017
After the team put out their debut, The Unfinished Swan, a BAFTA-award-winning title, Ian Dallas wanted to create a game that captured the "feeling of finding something beautiful, yet overwhelming", inspired by his time as a scuba diver. What unravelled from this scuba diver idea were mini-experiences that each of the team broke out to develop, focusing on a mood and story that they wanted to tell, all interconnected and woven together like an anthology of sorts, that didn't directly answer whether the stories they were being told were grounded in reality or not. What was the result? A Best Narrative award at the 2017 Game Awards, and many other incredible accolades.
Story
The story of What Remains of Edith Finch is that of a multigenerational history. You play as Edith Finch, someone who is visiting her family home for the first time in, what feels like, forever. Being the last Finch in this creative yet sorrowful and potentially cursed family, you experience the demise and ending of every member of the family as they contributed to the insane structure that remains there in the woods as a reminder of the Finch ancestry. This 2-hour story was perfectly made. The moments that offered uniquity really delivered a fine and fresh experience and the heart-aching sections in the narrative played their part incredibly well.
Gameplay
The gameplay is just a walking simulator. However, this doesn't mean it's terrible since as you move throughout the well-designed house, you can feel its liveliness as it's packed to the brim with reminders of the previous generations that found comfort in this home. As you experience the fate of each member of the family, you are never given the same, repetitive task but instead offer a distinctive short story that resembles the member themselves. From playing as baby Gregory, having fun with the toy frog in his bath to traversing the comic book pages of Barbara and her incident with an invader, the playable segments were depressing and morbid yet enjoyable.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a beauty. The scenery presented throughout is gorgeous and any screenshot you take mid-gameplay could easily become a background wallpaper. The soundtrack offered plucks at the harrowing chords of the player and perfectly emulates the effect the game delivers. The sound effects are done amazingly; every window cracked open or door closed feels lively and done right. The technical side of the game is smooth and consistently great, however, I did come across a couple of little stutters of the frames freezing. I could easily keep saying how amazing, intriguing and absolutely stunning the game's visual appearance is and its soundtrack but there wouldn't be enough space on this review for the scores.
Story- 10/10
Gameplay- 9/10
Atmosphere- 9.5/10
Near Perfect
What Remains of Edith Finch is possibly the best, and most perfected short-story game that I'll ever play.
