What Remains of Edith Finch Reviews
After the evocative The Unfinished Swan, the developers of Giant Sparrow re-center with What Remains of Edith Finch, a narrative adventure that stages the story (stories) of the bizarre Finch family. Although the structure is typical of the walking simulator, with the spotlight on exploration and narration, the developers demonstrate an original and imaginative taste for experimentation.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A courageous, humane and sincere proposal about the relationships we establish with our loved ones, with the spaces we inhabit and, above all, how to learn to live with the inevitable fact of our mortality. In a medium in which killing is the order of the day, where murder has become one more mechanism to advance the plots, to the point of completely trivializing death, never has a video game used language in its favor in such a human way. What Remains of Edith Finch is more than brilliant, it is necessary.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I can't recommend What Remains of Edith Finch enough if anyone has yet to play it. With so many incredible games that are currently coming to Switch, it's important to support the special titles coming from publisher Annapurna Interactive. Its explorations of loss and tragedy left me emotional on numerous occasions, yet it also holds an uplifting and edifying emotional core. This experience remains undiminished thanks to a comprehensive port that doesn't make any drastic sacrifices to the performance and visuals. As far as I'm concerned, it's required reading for those passionate about storytelling in video games.
Poignant and powerful, What Remains of Edith Finch has set a new standard in storytelling. Don't be put off by its brevity – these are two of the most enjoyable hours I have ever spent in front of my PC monitor.
At its best, the game is a perfect marriage between the telling of a story and one's first-hand engagement with it.
What Remains of Edith Finch may not be a very challenging game, but the story it tells is one which will undoubtedly resonate with players in ways they may not expect. If anything, it proves yet again that video games can be used to tell some truly immersive and thought-provoking stories, ones which stick with us long after we put down the controller.
If you enjoy narrative-driven games, What Remains of Edith Finch is simply unmissable. The game takes the player on a weird and compelling family journey happening Inside the walls of a house that is explored with absolute fascination. The stories that are told are both beautiful and tragic, and are always told in imaginative ways. The game looks good with its mesmerizing and surrealist atmophere. And thanks to its high-quality storytelling, this little collection of macabre poems takes the player through a strange story that he will remember for a long time. Unless you are one of those "walking simulators"-hating gamers, you shouldn't miss out on What Remains of Edith Finch.
Review in French | Read full review
What Remains of Edith Finch is an intimate and incredible adventure that uses very intense feelings to tell a pretty sad story. If you liked The Unfinished Swan, you should check this tittle.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
What Remains of Edith Finch is a heartbreaking, playable short story collection that lingers long after the end of the game.
Review in German | Read full review
The game takes players off into some far-off places when it comes to its dream sequences and vignettes, and while they're purely based in the fantastical, there are plenty of elements that every player will relate to on some human level throughout the journey; sadness, disappointment, heartbreak, love, joy, and most of all, the will to experience life to its fullest. What Remains of Edith Finch may only provide a brief glimpse into the lives of its characters like a family photo album filled with moments that have long since passed, but by the game's end, it's sure to leave a lasting impression.
What Remains of Edith Finch masterfully shows that narrative-driven games can tell stories in creative ways without sacrificing gameplay. Ultimately, though, the experience is let down by the story itself, which doesn't do much of anything interesting with its characters or subject matter.
Although What Remains of Edith Finch is a short experience, Giant Sparrow's second game tells a beautiful and emotional anthology of stories, woven together by the titular characters equally touching tale. The allegories are unique and convey just what is possible from video games, in terms of storytelling and design.
Equal parts somber, whimsical, devastating and charming, What Remains of Edith Finch is a moving exploration of what it means to be a family, to be loved, to be missed, and how the places we call home become just as much a part of us as we are of them.
A high-water mark of narrative video game design
What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the most engaging pieces of interactive storytelling I've had the pleasure of experiencing. I walked away at the end of the credits strangely satisfied by being unsatisfied. These brief but intimate windows into the most tragic of the Finch family's moments leave so many questions unanswered, but give just enough to let your imagination fill in the holes. I felt that I had really explored the sad and storied history of this house and family, discovering only what the walls wanted to show me. The rest was left wrapped in mystery as I stood the final living member of the Finch bloodline. Through uniquely visceral methods, Giant Sparrow made sure that my familiarity with the Finches at their most tragic moments made me feel like a part of the family.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a 'Walking Simulator' that doesn't just tell an unforgettable story – it's genuinely unforgettable. As tragic as its tale is, it always manages to entertain. As one section ends and as you fight back tears, you'll always carry on, because the next story is as engrossing as the last. If you want a strong feature-length story that doesn't waste a minute, Edith Finch is the one you need.
What Remains of Edith Finch is an astonishing patchwork of inventive ideas rich in unforgettable moments. This is interactive storytelling in its truest form. A narrative adventure game that serves as another nail in the coffin of the reductive and derogatory term 'walking simulator', imbued with the ideas of a talented team working at the peak of its powers. This is a game that needs to be played. It's an essential new text in the history of video game storytelling.
For those who can't stand the "walking simulator" genre, Edith Finch likely won't change your mind. But Edith Finch does incredibly interesting things for fans of these kinds of experiences. Telling stories from different perspectives throughout time allows it experiment with different types of gameplay in different settings. At two hours it may be a bit short, but ultimately I was satisfied with its conclusion.
Given its wide scope, it's understandable that it's also a game that succeeds more in concept than execution. Like the subjects of the multi-generational novels whose tradition it embraces, Edith Finch's individual successes and failures are less important than its overall effect. It's a story made of stories, and the results of its breadth seem more important than the fine details.