Game Review: Home

This is a brief review of Home written for a class & does contain spoilers Game Name: Home Developer: Benjamin Rivers Platform Used to Play: PC Description (from Steam store): "Home is a unique horror adventure set in a beautifully-realized pixel world. It’s a murder mystery with a twist—because you decide what ultimately happens. Awakened by an oncoming storm, you open your eyes to discover yourself in a strange, dark room—tucked away in a house that’s not yours."

-- Home, Steam Description

What did this game do that was different from its predecessors?

This game took the player and gave him/her choices that, at the time, seemed to be almost irrelevant. Should I let this mouse out of the trap or not? Do I pick up this old photograph of the dead man upstairs and his wife or not? All of the options were simple yes or no questions, nothing like Bioware’s games that give the player (at times) several options. The choices the player makes shape the story in an imperceptible way, so much so that the player may not even realize that picking up the old kitchen knife would turn their character into a murderer.

Favorite Part about the Game (and why)

In my opinion, the best part of this game was unfolding the story. The game kept the player in suspense, never really explaining anything. This kept the player moving through the story but also kept the player on the edge of his/her seat. I had to play through the same section of game multiple times in order to get through one play through, and every time, it was a little different because I would change a decision or forget to make one altogether.

Least Favorite Part about the Game (and why)

The absolute worst part of this game was that you could not save in any way, shape or form. If you needed to step away for some time, you’d have to leave the game open. If the computer decided to restart in the middle of the game, you’d have to start the whole game over from the very beginning. If the computer fell asleep, the game wouldn’t respond when the computer woke up, so you’d have to restart all over again, from the very beginning. It was a pain to say the least.

How would you change the game to make it better?

I would allow the player to save a play-through. Even if it’s only one save slot per game, at least then there would be no issue with the computer shutting down or falling asleep or even if you just need to stop playing for a moment because you need to go to class. It would also be an interesting way to keep track of the different ending you have encountered since it’s unlikely that most people will remember them all.

I would also consider making the choices at the end less obvious that they shape the story. I would have preferred if they had been the same or at least similar to the choices at the beginning—not obviously shaping the story.