“I’m ready for it.” Those aren’t typically the last words one would say before dying. Especially if they are afraid of death. Walter Finch was a man who was terrified of dying and hid in a bunker for thirty years to avoid his demise. It didn’t go to plan though, as when he left, he was immediately hit by a train. It sounds brutal for a human to experience, except he wasn’t real. Walter Finch was just a fictional character in the hit video game What Remains of Edith Finch. Although it was released back in 2017 by Giant Sparrow, it still leaves an everlasting memory on anyone who gives it a whirl. The game is a narrative-driven story, meaning there are no risks to take, monsters to fight, or items to collect. Chances of dying, or causing any butterfly effects, like in Until Dawn, are not even possible. Instead, the game’s purpose is to tell a story. What Remains of Edith Finch is just like what its title portrays. It’s a story that starts with a character named Edith Finch.

What Remains of Edith Finch follows Edith Finch, a seventeen-year-old, with a journal. Her mission in the game is to return to her family home and discover information about her family’s curse. The Finches were never lucky people. All of them are destined to die, to extravagant, or simple things sooner or later in life. For example, Calvin Finch dies due to swinging too high, while Edie Finch simply dies due to old age. To cover the grief and guilt, most of the members have blamed it on a curse. It’s never clear whether the deaths are actually caused by a curse, which leaves interpretation for players. Cami Anderson, a junior who played the video game has her own theory on the curse. “I think the curse is real because the odds of these deaths happening otherwise are basically nonexistent. The curse seems like a really weird concept, and I’m curious how it started.” Whilst returning, Edith Finch learns of each member’s death and documents it in her journal. What Remains of Edith Finch is so unique in its gameplay, due to how it shows players each death.

Instead of straight up telling people how each person dies, they are thwarted into the experience themselves. For example, when learning of Edith’s brother, Lewis Finch’s death, players are put in his shoes. Lewis Finch worked at a canary, and often daydreamed. When playing through his story, players experience how Lewis’ imagination clouds reality as they slowly transition from working at the canary to becoming a king in a fantastical world. His imagination eventually leads to his demise, which just so happens to take place at his job. What makes the game even more intriguing is each character’s death is handled differently. So, while Lewis’ story is told through his mind and his imagination, Sam Finch’s story is told through a camera, as players take photos of the events leading up to his death. Brekken Erickson, a college student, has a favorite story. “My favorite story was of the boy on a swing (Calvin Finch). It was creepy but also really memorable to me.” All of these deaths have a purpose though. What Remains of Edith Finch perfectly aligns its story with a fascinating moral.

Finches, as birds, symbolize many things. For many, they represent freedom. That’s all that What Remains of Edith Finch is about. Freedom. All of these deaths aren’t to make people feel melancholic or bad for these fated characters. The point of the game is to show players a family who thought they were stuck, feeling trapped in a curse. However, the family isn’t really trapped. They can still live their life to the fullest. For example, before Barbara Finch died, she was a child actor for the movie Bigfoot. The game is trying to point out that a short, eventful life is better than a long, dull one. Going back to Walter Finch, he managed to live for fifty-three years. But was it worth it? Instead of making the most with his family or having kids himself, he hid in a bunker, trying to avert the wrath of death. What Remains of Edith Finch isn’t trying to make players upset or sad for characters. It’s trying to make players understand how most of them found freedom in life. So when their time came, these characters didn’t regret it one bit. It may not be a moral many expect when playing, but it makes sense.

Death is inevitable. Even for Walter Finch, who tried to avoid it but, in the end, failed. Every single day was the same for him. Eat, sleep, repeat. For many players, that’s probably not how they would want to spend their lives doing. Many people in real life are afraid of death. They’re afraid of dying before making the most of life. Regardless, they still end up doing the same repetitive thing, hoping they have more time to do different things later. Truth is, no one knows when they’ll die, but they should still try and have fun. What Remains of Edith Finch is a heartbreaking and compelling video game that points this out. Through its story, it points out that finding freedom in life is by enjoying it and living it to its fullest. The game does a beautiful job of incorporating a narrative story into a video game, with how it displays each death. The whole point of What Remains of Edith Finch is that life is repetitive unless one frees oneself and makes the most of it. Either with friends or family, they can make lasting memories.