In today’s world there are so many games to choose from. Especially when it comes down to action titles, shooters, fighters or adventure games. But what about those story-driven immersive and atmospheric games? Those that remain in your memories for a long time, even after playing. You know, games like What Remains of Edith Finch or Firewatch. Many players share their beliefs that Gone home is worthy of a spot in the list. of these great games. But really, how is it?
A feminist side of things
Developed on the Unity engine, this game isn’t very long nor is it extremely good looking. The textures in Gone home are decent, but the visual aspects are only a sidekick to the spectacle that is the game’s story and atmosphere. Although looked at from a woman’s perspective it’s no wonder that characteristics and problem analysis are done in a more “Feminine” way (whether that’s just a coincidence or done on purpose we don’t know) the story is very believable and grabs you by the throat instantly. The story of Gone home is focused on the main character Katie, who ran away from home (we don’t know why, yet) and returns to the old house to catch up with the family. Surprisingly, the house is empty and you set out on a mission to find out what your family has been doing during the time you were away. You find mysteries and clues of what every family member has been up to these past years. The story pinpoints and exclusively acknowledges the fact that your mom has been a model person in the marriage and your dad was quite the opposite. To add to the fact, the story is very enforcing with this aspect, this would be the only negative thing (not to everyone, but to people looking for a more neutral vibe) in the story.
Maybe we’re just chauvinists?
Although it is told from a female perspective and in the video game world, that isn’t all so common, so maybe it’s just that we haven’t got used to these kinds of games, it’s hard to tell right now. In our minds, What Remains of Edith Finch did its narrative better. There, characters weren’t made for us to hate, rather to wonder what happened and think about their motivations. All in all, the story of Gone Home is well-written with some unpolished elements.
Gameplay and visuals
Gone Home came out and was released on 15th of August, 2013 worldwide. Graphics came a long way from that time, but the textures and visuals are lacking to say the least. Of course, having a darker, toned down environment with little light helps with the atmosphere, there is no excuse why there is quite literally not a lot of decent quality textures and well-lit rooms in the house of Gone home. The mansion itself, feels very realistic and lived in, but there isn’t much detail other than a lot of items that you can interact with. The voice acting is on par with the greatest games in the genre and the thumping thunderstorm and squeaking floors just make you grab your mouse and seat harder.
Drawers and drawbacks
There isn’t a single enemy or physical threat in the game, but you’re still intrigued, thrilled and sweating from the tension that keeps building up in some parts of Gone Home. Gone Home is about an hour long, but the memories will stay with you. The audio of rain hitting the roof and the windows is with a quality standard common for games in 1995 and may get annoying if you listen to it too much, but shift your attention to the game and it all fades away. Gone home’s gameplay is just walking and exploring the house. Picking up items, reading notes, listening to the narrative. The ending is strong, but weird. Although it leaves some room for thought, the satisfaction level isn’t where you would think it could be.
To sum up, Gone Home is a good single-player experience, but it lacks detail and the finishing touches to be in the category of “What Remains of Edith Finch” or “Firewatch” and falls a bit short on its path to video game elite.
7.4/10
