Review: What Remains of Edith Finch is a game about death, but full of life

Platforms: Playstation 4 (reviewed), PC

Developer: Giant Sparrow

Rating: T

MSRP: $19.99

Introduction

Anyone familiar with Giant Sparrow’s previous game, The Unfinished Swan, knows the developer is no stranger to sadness. Their debut game was about a boy coming to terms with the death of his mother, after all. But to call What Remains of Edith Finch a “game”, however, may be a bit disingenuous. It’s more of an interactive storybook.

A rich, mysterious family history…

Similar to the likes of Gone Home and Firewatch, What Remains of Edith Finch is first-person, story-driven experience. You play as the titular Finch, returning home for the first time in seven years. With her entire family deceased or missing (that’s not a spoiler), you return for what seems like closure, or at least a further understanding of the mysterious Finch family history.

You see, the Finches have always believed themselves to be under a curse, and they’ve all died — sometimes mysteriously, sometimes tragically — long before their time. The truth about those deaths are a mystery to Edith; her mom refused to talk about the past, and the stories told by her grandmother Edie all seemed a bit unbelievable. The secret to the family, you hope, is hidden within this house.

A collection of beautiful short stories

As Edith, you’ll move from room to room in linear fashion, piecing together her family history. The house itself is filled with exquisite detail, each room providing plenty of context for each past family member. What Remains of Edith Finch is a short game by design, but you could literally spend hours sifting through the environmental details. However, it’s the interactive “short stories” for each family member where you’ll experience the true heartbreaking nature of the story. And perhaps uncover the secrets of the Finch family at the same time.

These interactive flashback sequences, though brief, give you insight into each of the Finch family members. They allow you relive the precious moments right up until their ultimate demise. It’s amazing, but even in these short moments I had formed a bond with these characters — a sort of love that made losing them all the more heartbreaking. It didn’t matter that I had already known their fate, getting to that moment was gut-wrenching.

What keeps What Remains of Edith Finch from getting repetitive is the nature in which these short stories are told. Each character’s story is a different, unique experience — from both a storytelling and gameplay experience. The stories, though ultimately tragic, are beautifully crafted and whimsical in tone. Though that’s not to say that some of the moments aren’t grounded in reality. There’s one death in particular that’s all too plausible, and it definitely stuck with me beyond the game.

Hearbreakingly sweet

What Remains of Edith Finch is heartbreakingly sweet. Its stories, though grim, are enchanting. Even knowing that each story would end with a certain unhappiness, I was happy to have experienced it — because as What Remains of Edith Finch so brilliantly manages to convey through its nearly two hours of storytelling is that life isn’t about the ends; it’s about the moments that got us there.