Last year I was looking at playing a game called What Remains Of Edith Finch, an intriguing title that was created by Giant Sparrow, who also made the Unfinished Swan. I quite enjoyed playing the PlayStation Vita version of the Unfinished Swan a couple of years back. I added What Remains of Edith Finch to my list of games to play and promptly forgot about it until a few weeks ago. I couldn't remember what the premise of the game was or what the gameplay was like but I thought to myself let's give it ago.
Any fans of beans on toast? I am, there is something about its simplicity that makes it so great, all you need is a can of beans and some bread. There are a few additions I have seen added, my personal favorite is adding a little cheese on top. I remember eating beans and toast growing up and I always loved it, there is just something comforting about it, throw in a cup tea or a mug of milk and you have the perfect meal. Playing What Remains of Edith I found myself asking was this the tasty comfort I was looking for?
Story
The story starts on a boat, with you looking down at a journal with the name Edith Finch on it. It is clear from Edith's narration that you are going to her family's home that has been long since abandoned. The purpose of this journey is to learn more about her family and the unusual house they all lived in at one point or another. The journey you are taken on is both magical and sorrowful and keeps you engaged constantly. I really liked some of the dialogue, one of my favorites lines is when you see a disheveled living room to which Edith remarks "It was like a bomb had gone off and killed everyone and spared the furniture".
There is a deep simplicity to the story which had my attention the whole time, making me want to constantly learn more about the Finch's. I can't say any more than that without ruining the experience for you. Overall though I can tell you that the story is amazing.
Visuals
The visuals in the game are amazing, the world you are in feels alive and filled with many interesting sites. Something that first caught my attention was when the handwritten dialogue popped on the screen, I opened a gate to move further up a path and this action caused the letter and words to be knocked apart almost as if they were part of the landscape. The grounds around the house are filled with vibrant lush nature, which you have the opportunity of exploring before entering the house. I was skeptical initially as to how visually interesting exploring a house could be when it looked so nice outside, this was quashed fairly quickly. The house felt real and lived in, books stacked haphazardly, old dishes laying around, boxes partially packed up giving very much the feeling that whoever left, did so in a hurry.
Throughout the game, you will get to see a glimpse into the Finch's lives, there are some really interesting moments one of the most fun visually was getting to conduct a bunch of bath toys including a frog and a whale.
Games are art, and this statement could not be relevant than with What Remains of Edith Finch.
Music
When I'm writing a review I always listen to the soundtrack independent of the game, it helps me to better focus on it. It is rare when I listen to one that I feel almost confused like something is missing. There are various elements that make up any game: story, visuals, music, and gameplay. Generally, these can be taken and reviewed individually and based off of this they help in establishing the overall strength of the game. However, with What Remains of Edith Finch these elements are so dependent on each other that their true strength comes when they are brought together, but it is more than that. Each part is so fundamental to what makes up the game that viewing any one element seems lost without the others and I really felt this way in particular when listening to the soundtrack.
The composer for the soundtrack is Jeff Russo an American composer, performer, and producer who has a diverse background. He is part of two music groups Tonic and Veruca Salt, who both have released a number of albums. Outside of this, he has also worked on a number of TV Series including, Lucifer, Fargo, and Star Trek Discovery.
The soundtrack runs just short of an hour, and has a number of great tracks, my favorites include:
'Edith's Theme', 'Gus's Kite', 'Lewis Coronation - Daydream', 'Lewis Coronation - Sailing Ship','The Finale' and 'The End'. Overall the music keeps its distance but is never afraid to announce itself when required, it always manages to do this without ever spoiling the story.
Gameplay
The gameplay itself is more like a first-person visual novel, but don't get me wrong this is a good thing. This style of gameplay helps better enjoy the subtlety of things going on around you. The journey through the family home is an interesting one, there are hidden locks and passageways that really add to the overall intrigue. Around the house are shrines to the family that used to live there, investigating them allows you to experience a glimpse into their lives. Each time you complete one it will be added to the family tree in Edith's journal. The memories are full of emotion and depth, my favorites were Molly's, Sam's and Lewis's.
In honesty, it is tough for me to say more than that, not for lack of wanting to but purely because it is all so important and revealing. The overall gameplay is amazing and highly enjoyable, the replay value may be low but with a game that has this much impact experiencing it once is enough.
Final Thoughts
So, after four hours of playing how did I feel? Really good! The story was engaging and interesting, the visuals were amazing, the music was just right, and the gameplay was right on the money. It didn't take me too long to score this one, overall this gets 5 out of 5
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