More Games Should Replicate The Magical Realism Of What Remains Of Edith Finch

More Games Should Replicate The Magical Realism Of What Remains Of Edith Finch

Contents

What Remains of Edith Finch is a rare example of magical realism in the world of video games, and more developers should take note of its success.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

More Games Should Replicate The Magical Realism Of What Remains Of Edith Finch

Released in 2017, What Remains of Edith Finch is a unique walking simulator that tells the stories of various family members in the Finch family. As 17-year-old Edith Finch, the player explores the gorgeous mansion that has been in the family since her great-great-grandfather Odin immigrated from Norway. The story has a dark flavor, though, as every story of the family anthology is about their death and Edith is the last surviving member of the family tree.

The looming threat of death and mortality is tied up in pretty wrapping paper and a bow, though, as What Remains of Edith Finch brings magical realism to each dark story it tells. For many of the characters, it is not even known how exactly they died, as the game beautifully plays out the experience of death and loss through something akin to magic. For example, the youngest member to die, baby Gregory, is hinted to have died in a bathtub – but what the player experiences is a story of transformation, where he becomes a frog and explores another world down the drain. There is also Milton, who disappeared, though his room makes it seem like he actually entered a painting due to the footprints and subtle hints in his artwork.

A big part of what made What Remains of Edith Finch such a wonderous game was this specific genre of magical realism. Few to no other games have replicated this magic, and it is a great loss considering what masterful stories video games could possibly tell by utilizing this magical realism more. First of all, though, the difference between magical realism and regular fantasy needs to be explained.

See also  SpiderMan No Way Home Will Cause Lots of Debate Says Benedict Cumberbatch

What Magical Realism Is

More Games Should Replicate The Magical Realism Of What Remains Of Edith Finch

Magical realism is not often seen in video games and is most known in literature with famous examples being One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The genre is basically grounded in reality as people know it, but has fantastical elements. A famous movie example is Pan’s Labyrinth, which takes place in real historical times but has a little girl interact with mythical beings.

The genre of magical realism is not to be confused with fantasy, as magical realism is meant to be utterly mundane with a little bit of magic tacked on in certain places. Due to that, games like Metal Gear, Persona, and Life is Strange do not count as magical realism, because their scenarios and plot are far from the mundane and tend to touch on more world-changing consequences. With that in mind, practically no other games tackle magical realism like What Remains of Edith Finch.

This is why books and movies are far more likely to tackle magical realism than video games. Video games tend to aim for action, adventure, and world-changing plots with far from normal characters. With such goals in mind, there is no room for the soft mundane setting and goings-on of magical realism. In turn, the genre is left alone in the gaming world, and it is rarely picked up by indie developers.

How Magical Realism Can Be Put Into More Games

However, What Remains of Edith Finch did shed some light on the possibilities of games that tell stories with magical realism. The walking simulator genre is a perfect match, as such games can easily be mundane with the only goal being to explore and learn about the players’ surroundings. The plot is simple, with What Remains of Edith Finch simply constructing a diary entry about each family member that lived in the huge house. The simplicity of the game and story left room for the magic, such as the possibility that Lewis died while also spiriting away to another world he created, or how Calvin’s death is paralleled with flying and space travel.

See also  Star Wars Reveals The Siths Ancient Ally

To look for the other few games that show what magical realism can do in the video game industry, there are a couple more in the simulator genre. The Harvest Moon games are simply about farming with small pieces of magic in the various corners of the game, such as the presence of a Harvest Goddess, Witch, and forest sprites. This was replicated by the popular game Stardew Valley, which has a Wizard and strange creatures in the caves, but the story and gameplay are ultimately just that of a farming simulator. Lastly is one outside of simulators, Kentucky Route Zero, which is a point-and-click indie game about a man making his final delivery for an antique company. It is absolutely a magical realism piece with hints of ghosts, a giant eagle, and a performance by android musicians.

Realistically, the way for more magical realism games like What Remains of Edith Finch to come out is for gamers to support indie developers, with simulators and point-and-click games being a point of focus. In supporting such titles, RPGs may take note that not everything has to be earth-shattering and utterly fantastical. What Remains of Edith Finch proved to its players that sometimes, the best magic is the kind that only feels like a whisper.

What Remains of Edith Finch is available on the iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

#what-remains-of-edith-finch-magical-realism-similar-games-good/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>#what-remains-of-edith-finch-magical-realism-similar-games-good/

Movies -