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Nothing Remains of Edith Finch


What remains of Edith Finch was an interesting game to play, to say the least. I had never heard of the game prior to playing, so I was completely unaware of what to expect. To be frank, this game went well beyond what I could have anticipated. Since I just finished, I am a little unsure on exactly how I feel about playing the game. I will say that the story was quite interesting, but I am not sure how much I enjoyed it as a video game. The creators of the game did a good job keeping the story intriguing and odd to an extent that made me want to know what was going on. I enjoyed the aspect of the game in which Edith was narrating the story as a journal to her son. Additionally, I was fond of the suspense created as to what was going on with the family, which I learned must have been a curse caused by the house. The last thing I enjoyed the most was the intricacy of the house and the maze-like structure it happened to be. The creators put a lot of depth and detail into each passage that lead to each story.

My favorite story was probably Barbara's. I am a sucker for superhero graphic novels, and while this may not have been superhero, the graphic novel style story kept me the most entertained. There was good humor, suspense, and surprise throughout the makeshift comic book; also, the voice narrating the story was creepy enough to not be cliche. In saying that though, I enjoyed most of the stories and their oddities, specifically Lewis' and Molly's due to their creepy, weird tone. Experiencing the Lewis' story was incredibly interesting, especially because it was his psychiatrist that was walking us through what had happened. Molly's story was eerie and weird, and I think it was a very strong beginning story to have because it caught my attention and made me want to know more.

When examining the gameplay/story mechanics and how they intertwine, this game is clearly story driven. The gameplay is very minimal as all you do is push single buttons occasionally or twist the joystick to open something. There is nothing impressive about the gameplay, mechanics, or graphics, which I believe is completely on purpose. This game was made for a sole purpose, and that was to tell the intriguing story.

The depth of the story created was impressive, and I believe the minimal gameplay was what this game needed for what it was meant to be. This game I would recommend to someone who wants something quick but with a good story, kind of like a playable movie. Additionally, this gameplay engine would be good for kids games or educational based games; super simplistic with minimal player engagement besides walking and the occasional button push.

My next discussion will be about Brandon Jacob's and his opinion that using cut-scenes in games is a lazy tactic. Talk soon.

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