What Remains of Edith Finch

For context, I'm a grand-father nearing 60 with grown children (and grand-children) and I play video games. I shy away from games that are a first-person multi-player shooter titles, and prefer solo experiences at my own pace. I play all kinds of titles but lean towards those that are not "stressful" and that I can put down if I need to do something else.
I was suggested "What Remains of Edith Finch" by my daughter who very much enjoyed it and give it my highest rating.
I went in with no expectations and left completely spellbound and emotional at was probably the best story driven, first-person experience I have ever had behind a computer screen. I was so moved by the story that upon completion of the game (which was very early morning by the time I crawled into bed), I was anxious for my daughter to wake up the following morning so we could discuss various elements of the game and story.
The visuals were amazing and varied, the voice acting superb, and the game play was well designed and interesting. I have never played a first-person game of this type that was so richly detailed. Without spoiling, there is a room where you will find books on shelves. The book selection was not some skin that was generically textured across the wall. The selection of books were obviously hand selected by the incredible team that put this master piece together. Everything seems related to the story at some level.
The game felt (for me anyway) a bit overwhelming near the start as a bunch of points of information are revealed and I was worried that (without taking notes) I might forget or get confused by the story. Fortunately, the designers of the game gently bring you through this game and usher you from story element to story element in a way that reveals itself and gives so many "wow" moments.
The game is sort of "on rails" where your path through the game is somewhat linear but not in a way that is frustrating. You feel like you have plenty of freedom of movement, but at the same time you are not left often wondering "what should I do" or saying "I'm stuck".
I cannot say enough to praise this game!
I purchased "The Unfinished Swan" (made by the same team) immediately after completing this game and just completed it as well. Although creative, I would say that What Remains of Edith Finch is a story driven game, with some puzzle elements incorporated beautifully. The Unfinished Swan (to me) is a puzzle game, with some story driven elements. Although I enjoyed The Unfinished Swan, I loved What Remains of Edith Finch, and hope to see more opportunities to experience the range of emotions and surprises that I did in this title.
One of my son's would describe this as a "Cozy" game where you can relax and enjoy yourself without worrying that you are going to be getting upset at the game, or yelling at the computer.
If you do purchase this, I hope you experience what I did. This is my first review for any title on steam but I felt compelled to say something to promote the kind of art that computer gaming can produce and encourage more of the same.

I got so angry at this game. It ended and I shut it down and was so heated about it, I hopped into my discord server and started trashing it.
But then I realized something...well....I realized a lot of things.
It did have an ending. Just not the ending I wanted. It left me with more questions than answers but I soon realized that it was exactly the point of the story. You get more focused on the "what" is happening to this family and not the overall tragedy of this poor girl's existence.
And that is why I got so upset. I got so enveloped and transported to Edith's life that I didn't want to leave it after a few short hours with her.
I want to know more, I want to feel more.
And that is a pure example of how video games are am artform and I am a firm believer that sometimes video games are the best way to tell a story. What Remains Of Edith Finch is a shining example of this case. I strongly don't believe it could get told any other way and capture your emotions better than how it is presented.
I commend the developers for a job well done. It won my heart over. My biggest regret is not playing it sooner. Thank you for the experience.

I am 50 years old and I have been playing videos games since the 80s. I have played "What remains of Edith Finch" through twice, once when it came out (2017) and then again years later (2024). It's as if it did not age. It's like a great movie that you watch again and again. This game is a true masterpiece. Despite it's short length, the story and the emotions it leaves with you with stays with you for years. This is one of the best story driven games I have ever played and I have played A LOT. Also the way the story is told and the interface is really innovative and creative 10/10. I will be back in another few years to play it again.

I got so angry at this game. It ended and I shut it down and was so heated about it, I hopped into my discord server and started trashing it.
But then I realized something...well....I realized a lot of things.
It did have an ending. Just not the ending I wanted. It left me with more questions than answers but I soon realized that it was exactly the point of the story. You get more focused on the "what" is happening to this family and not the overall tragedy of this poor girl's existence.
And that is why I got so upset. I got so enveloped and transported to Edith's life that I didn't want to leave it after a few short hours with her.
I want to know more, I want to feel more.
And that is a pure example of how video games are am artform and I am a firm believer that sometimes video games are the best way to tell a story. What Remains Of Edith Finch is a shining example of this case. I strongly don't believe it could get told any other way and capture your emotions better than how it is presented.
I commend the developers for a job well done. It won my heart over. My biggest regret is not playing it sooner. Thank you for the experience.

I'm unsure how to feel after completing the game. Should I feel content because death is a natural part of life that everyone must confront eventually? Or should I be saddened by its suddenness? Am I now more fearful of my own mortality, or less so? Undoubtedly, the game is a masterpiece in its own right. It has evoked quite a few tears from me.
I will likely spend the entire night now pondering what I witnessed.
MUST PLAY GAME!

Amazing game with an amazing story. Short, it took me 3.5 hours to complete at normal pace. If you ever read the book 100 years of Solitude, well this is story is very similar. If you have not read that book, and did enjoy this game, then get that book and read it.

---{ Graphics }---
☑ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☑ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☑ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Difficulty }---
☑ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☑ 9
☐ 10