5/5 ★ – FireFoxie's review of What Remains of Edith Finch.

Platforms played on: Xbox One (Gamepass) Few games come along that try to challenge the boundary of how stories are told and expressed through video games, and even fewer are actually successful at it. What Remains of Edith Finch is one of those games. I walked in with low expectations and left deciding this game was one of my favorite indie games of all time. *I strongly advise to do a blind playthrough, otherwise it waters down the experience and takes away the emotional impact. There will be minor spoilers in this review, however it's best to go in knowing nothing, in my opinion. The game's premise sees the player walking through the shoes of Edith Finch, the last remaining member of the Finch family. In her mother’s will, Edith has inherited her great grandmother’s house, and a mysterious key that unlocks something inside the home. Although she thought she’d never come back, Edith returns to uncover the secrets the house holds about her deceased family members. Secrets that she was never meant to know while growing up as child. When I reached the front of the Finch’s house for the first time, I took in the design of the architecture and how abstract it looked. The way the house grew and twisted upon itself, years of added rooms jutting forth at odd angles, and the looming tower up above... I could tell that this house had a story to tell. A sad and tragic story, yes, but also an emotionally deep one. The story is told through the eyes of Edith as she goes from one deceased family members room to the next. She discovers how they died through notes, journals and more. However, this is where the game is unique to other walking simulators. What sets the bar really high is that you don’t simply go into the room and have it just told to you via aforementioned journal entries or notes, and then you move on. Each story is told through a unique gameplay segment that reflects and gives insight to the fate of that family member. These segments emphasize the tragedy by placing you in the characters shoes, making the story more immersive and heartbreaking. Yes, you're listening to that journal entry, but you're also experiencing it too. It's much more interactive than other games of its genre. What makes it feel even more emotional was that each room felt unique for that particular relative. No room felt the same because each one was decorated differently and had a different theme, making each relative feel like a distinct individual. Not one person felt like they were "just another finch family member". The same could be said for the tales of their death, that each one was different. Also different was how each one pulled at my heart strings. Through all that variety, they all managed to impact me emotionally. Every time I left one of the rooms to go to another, it felt like the house was becoming larger, but also more lonely and empty. It seemed that no matter where I went there was the sense of both nostalgia and heartbreak. All this made it easy to empathize with the main character, Edith. Not only because you play through her family’s somber past, but because throughout the entire game she narrates her thoughts and feelings. In fact, a lot of the history of the Finch’s comes from her commentary, and unlike a character such as Kaitlin from Gone Home, she doesn’t feel like an empty vessel. This is because the game never treats her like an after thought. Edith feels like a fleshed out character as well, one that I quickly connected to. What really brings this world to life however, is the environmental storytelling that this game does. What Remains of Edith has some of the best I’ve ever seen in a video game and I feel this game’s plot wouldn’t have been the same without it. Almost every picture or object you look at tells it own unique story and adds another layer of depth to the lore of the game. For example, the stack of cans filled with salmon found in the kitchen that came from the cannery that Lewis use to bring home which take on new meaning as you learn more. Or the picture on the fridge of Edith and her family, with letter magnets that spelled out their names, giving you glimpse into the family and their dynamic. My favorite example being the original home of Odin Finch, that lays submerged into the sea behind the house. It's always in the background. With its blinking red light, it lets you know it always close by, but never in reach. All of this environmental storytelling you may not notice right away adds a cherry on top of the tear soaked Sunday that is the narrative of What Remains of Edith Finch. Overall: What Remains of Edith Finch is quite possibly the one of the most beautiful, devastating, and endearing game I’ve ever played. This game has left me haunted in ways I never thought possible. Pros: +great story +top notch environmental storytelling +creative gameplay sections +beautiful soundtrack +great art design Cons: -no guidance on how to play the game