Game Review: What Remains of Edith Finch

One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful video games in my opinion is What Remains of Edith Finch. It almost feels like a playable novel, through the method of storytelling used, as well as the steady pace that you move through the story.

The gameplay is centered on the player exploring a massive house as Edith’s voice tells you about the people that lived there. She goes through her whole family tree as you investigate each room that belonged to the family member and discover how they died. Part of what makes this video game so sad is the gradual death of the Finch family due to a family curse.

As you play through each death from the perspective of the family member about to die, there are minigames, puzzles, and varying art styles to help tell each story. Each person dies in unique and interesting ways as the subplot about why Edith left her home and her relationship with her mother and grandmother progresses in the background.

At the end of the game, I felt almost the same as I do at the conclusion of a satisfying book. Not to mention the voice actors, especially the one who plays Edith, give each character the perfect voice that really makes the story feel real.

Overall, the gameplay is entertaining and engaging, the story is incredible and unique, and the characters are very well developed. The mysteries about how each family member died, from swinging off a cliff to getting hit by a train, parallel the mystery revolving around Grandma Edie, another central figure, and about what happened that made Edith and her mother leave. All in all, there are some excellent playthroughs on YouTube you can watch, or you can even play the game yourself, and I highly recommend giving What Remains of Edith Finch a chance.