Gone Home Makes Me Wish I Went To Another Friends House
I came into this game with an open mind, as I was told. I was told it would be short. I was prepared for all of that. The problem came for me when I realized the game was boring.
All the pieces are there. Mystery. A little suspense. Nostalgia. And good writing. The problem is, text books can have good writing. It doesn't mean they are fun to read. I'll give kudos to the attention to detail and the obvious work the team put into immersion. Those weren't the problems. The problem is that I wanted to come up for air because I didn't want to be immersed in it any longer. Thankfully I finished it because it is short. So I got to at least feel some closure. But I don't know if I could have stomached it for much longer.
I can see why the game is getting great reviews. From a gaming technical standpoint, it is extremely respectable. However, I wonder how many people will be fooled into it by the scores (like I was), only to find disappointment. Heralding a game for it's achievements in putting a modern spin into such an old gaming form is understandable. Using literally no characters on screen to tell a story is amazing to witness someone doing in this day and age. I just wish it was a different story. It simply didn't interest me.
The initial mystery is what captivated me. Even as the game started, the intrigue was thick. I smiled to myself and thought I was in for a great experience. Unfortunately, the mystery vanished quickly along with my interest.
I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this game. It seems I'm in the minority. So if you are interested, please go for it. Just do so at your own risk. You may not get what you bargained for. I honestly wish I had that money back. I should have just watched the game in a video on youtube. It would have been a cheaper 3 hours of disappointment.