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dkirschner's Gone Home (PC)
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| [December 31, 2014 07:45:56 AM]
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I liked Gone Home. I’d give it an 80%. It was innovative storytelling. You’re Kaitlin, a girl returning to her family’s new home from a year in Europe. Upon arrival on a stormy summer night, no one is home to greet you. Where is everyone? Your parents? Your high school freshman sister? Unravel the mystery piece by piece as you explore the house.
Prepare to spend the next 3 hours wandering through your family’s gigantic house looking at stuff. Looking at stuff kept me entertained for about half of the game. I eventually had to accept the fact that, aside from various notes, letters, and diary entries scattered about the house in the strangest places (seriously, this was unrealistic), I wasn’t going to find anything else cool. This was one of my biggest problems with the game. I picked up the same cups, the same books, the same soda cans, pens, 3-ring binders, etc. etc. 20 times each. I kept thinking that maybe there would be something scribbled on the back of a binder or a price tag on a mug – anything to spice up the crap lying around the house!
Although the monotonous junk to sift through was a drawback, it was the means to one of my favorite things about the game. The benefit of poking around everywhere is that you learn about Kaitlin’s family, including her grandfather and deceased uncle, as well as various family friends. Kaitlin’s sister, Sam, is the main character in the game’s story. Most of what you discover revolves around her life. It’s a sweet story that I don’t intend to spoil for anyone here. It is also a bit…unbelievable in the end. You can play and figure out why. Or, maybe less unbelievable, but more susceptible to what will certainly happen in the story in the time following the game's ending. It’s a lot of build up for a satisfying ending that, when you think about it, isn’t satisfying in a key way: what happens to the characters after the credits roll?
I loved how the hints of typical “game” themes (aliens, spirits, murder) were toyed with and subverted. I think this was incredibly clever, as the story you are left with is more real, personal, and something absent in 99.9% of games. It was great to see such issues dealt with in a mature and smart manner. I admit to being socialized by games to the extent that my expectations aligned with these hints coming true later in the game, but again, was pleasantly let down.
I also must admit that I found an embarrassing "bug" that wasn't a bug at all. After I found the basement key, I went to the one locked door on the first floor I knew of. It wouldn't open. I had searched the entire house. I backtracked. I searched again. Still only one locked door. I googled about this bug where the basement door key wouldn't work. The internet validated me. I rebooted the game three times. I rebooted my computer. I tried the game in normal mode instead of Steam's Big Picture mode. Nothing worked. A game-breaking bug! The next day, defeated and annoyed, I went to YouTube for the ending. While scanning a video to find this basement door part, I noticed a different door clearly marked "locked basement door" on the YouTuber's map. What?! I can't be at the wrong door! I looked at their map. I looked at my map. I had missed the end of a hallway! My girlfriend laughed at me. I hung my head in shame that I had blamed the game for its non-bug. Remember: If you can't get in the basement, recheck your doors!
So. PC game of the year for 2013? Hardly. But definitely worth playing. BE SURE TO FIND THE BASKETBALL IN THE GARAGE!
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dkirschner's Gone Home (PC)
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Current Status: Finished playing
GameLog started on: Sunday 28 December, 2014
GameLog closed on: Wednesday 31 December, 2014 |
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