Overpriced
Bluetooth mouse plugged in. Headphones connected. Check. Check. Launch game. I hear my computer struggle now. Subtitles on. Graphics switched to Low. Check. Check. New Game. Gone Home (The Fullbright Company, 2013) here we go.
I don’t know whether it is because my GPU and CPU are inadequate for the game, or the game is designed to be so, I spent half a minute staring at a black screen. The game’s title then appeared. I shall say Gone Home starts with a contemplative mood. According to the reviews on the game website’s homepage, Gone Home tells a story about love, so at that moment I realize this will turn out to be a real-world fiction, not a horror game. The voices of both Samantha and Kaitlin triggered in the game are pleasing, and the voiceover artists do an impressive job. The score for the game adds to the contemplative mood. One unfortunate thing was that the subtitles to the voiceovers lagged too much on my computer. Interestingly, the player cannot see Kaitlin’s body. If we turn the camera angle straight down (corresponding to looking at one’s feet in a first-person POV), we see the floor only. Back to the contemplative mood, the character is not allowed to run or jump, and objects move in slow-motion. For instance, when we open a drawer, the pencil would roll outward in uniform linear motion; when we throw an object into the air, it does not observe every law of gravity. In addition, all the objects look realistic, and are relatable for an American. Also, I looked up some of the books by Greenbriar, and they indeed do not exist.
Although Gone Home receives mostly positive feedback, there could remain minor improvements (merely a non-professional’s casual observations). Gone Home does not provide players with hints. Some players assume the game’s thrill will depend on jumpscares, while this is not exactly the case. The atmosphere brings uneasiness, and ambient sounds may serve as slight jumpscares, but scaring the players is not the main purpose of the game. Under stress, the player might not be able to idly search for every object available. Compared to more recent “point-and-click” high-definition adventure games, Gone Home’s magic somehow pales. One of the most expertly-made examples include What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow, 2017). Also a “point-and-click” game with a few puzzles to solve, Edith Finch provides the players with clear clues on what to click on (flashing white dots), and allow players to read the whole story in an innovative. The storyline is the core of some “point-and-click” games, so when the player misses a component, the gaming experience would not be complete. Gone Home has no cues for distinguishing critical objects (including light switches and objects that trigger voiceovers: pieces of paper, cassette, spray can, etc.) and ordinary objects (toilet paper rolls, pencils, etc.). Still, it is not to say “point-and-click” games have to provide cues for players, as some players could find entertainment in looking for the right object. Either way, Gone Home tells an adorable love story in a creative way.