Gone Home - PC (7.5 out of 10)

I played this game because IGN went bananabread crazy and gave it the PC game of the year and I think overall game of the year, but I'm not sure and I'm not checking again because that'll take all my bandwidth.

After I anti-aliased it and put the quality down to medium (then low) I was able to walk around and pick up things without losing my mind.

The overall atmosphere is pretty good. A rainy night in a purple world apparently, a college aged girl coming back home to find an empty house and a note on the door from her sister.

It would seem pretty open ended as though you can travel anywhere in the house you'd like but since doors are locked you are forced into making decisions (and nobody should be forced to do anything (especially that).).

Since the story is the whole reason for playing the game I won't get into it. There is the main story then the rest of the family's troubles and trials and tribulations all come to the surface as you rummage through the house and apparently through the note-writingest family in history.

It's set in 1995 and the thing I liked most about the gameplay is that in about 5 or 6 rooms you can pop on a cassette tape and put it into the player and listen to some pretty badass girl punk music: Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile and some others.

You find keys and unlock doors and you find combinations and unlock locked things. Nothing ever pops out at you and nobody dies but it's still a good game. And the story is told through notes, field reports, calendars, and the voice over of Sam (your older sister in the game, obviously. Unless your sister's name is Sam. Then I don't know.)

I beat it start to finish (and I'm a gamer who checks all the nooks and crannies) in about a flat 2 hours.

Well worth the play. I wouldn't say the game was innovative in any way. Bioshock started the whole finding tapes and catching up on the story sort of thing (which was awesome, play Bioshock if you haven't, the first one. Infinite was alright.)

The game did manage to dredge up some feelings inside my carapace that I didn't plan on dredging up. So, if you're looking for a good dredge, this is your game. Plus it's only 2 hours.

As far as how it got to be the game of the year over at IGN, I don't know. My guess is the head picker had some similar 90's punk relationship and it really spoke to him/her. I imagine the conversation was something like:

Head Picker: I'm picking Gone Home for game of the year.

2nd in command Picker: Oh. Yea it was a good game and all but there isn't really any replay value and it wasn't especially innovative.

Head Picker: I'm the picker and you don't know true love like I know it. I am Sam and Lonnie and they are me and it's Gone Home. Give it all the awards.

2nd in command Picker: All the PC awards?

Head Picker: And all the xbox and nintendo and atari. It wins games. *wipes tears* I have to write several letters chronicling my failed relationships and include several short stories I wrote in the ninth grade for reasons I'm not sure of yet.

The End.

P.S. There is also an erotic letter that Sam's sister doesn't want to read all of. So, when you sense that something erotic is in front of your eyes read really fast and let me know. I've heard how that sort of thing happens but I have no scientific proof. Yet.