I’m still learning how to do more professional research about game with interdisciplinary knowledge. But here are some my critical analysis as beginner :)
Original Article PDF Link here! (with bibliography)
Critical Analysis 1:
What Remains of Edith Finch
There are three levels in the game that increase the difficulty of the player's controllability, namely Molly, Gregory, and Gus. I wanted to explore whether this inconvenient setting helped to express Edith Finch's story, what was its significance, and what effect was achieved in the end? I watched lead designer Lan Dallas' 2018 presentation at GDC, and it was interesting to note that the most important story creation in a narrative game is the last thing in the game's development process. Although it is known that the prototype precedes the creation of the story, since the two need to be "compatible", it means that we can still study the relationship between the two to pursue this degree of fit and effect in our own creative methods.
1、 A brief description of the abnormal mode of operation
（1） Molly
Molly's narrative unfolds through the perspectives of four different species, with the last three—owl, shark, and monster—being characterized by increasingly unconventional controls. While the anomaly coefficient of the operations sees a gradual rise, it sharply decreases in the final segment.
As the owl, player’s mouse is to control the direction and press the left button to dive downward. The difficulty lies in the fact that the controls of the mouse are similar to that of an aircraft. If the mouse moves downward, the owl flies upwards instead (Chart 1); In addition, even if the angle of view is downward, the forward velocity during the dive is still present, which is very different from human motion (Chart 2).
chart 1 The mouse moves in the opposite direction to the picture
chart 2 The actual course of the dive is versus the intended course
Controlling the shark involves using the WASD keys, and it accelerates with the left mouse button. The difficulty is due to the animation of the shark head2, the increased sensitivity of the mouse, and the short time duration of the rush. The control mode of the monster consists of two stages, with only the initial stage involving relatively unconventional operations, afterward movement is governed conventionally using the WASD keys. In the initial stage the camera will not follow the monster's head movement. You need to click the left mouse button to follow the perspective (Chart 3). In the second stage, the monster begins to enter Molly's bedroom, and the camera automatically follows the head.
chart 3 Left mouse button to follow up the view
（2） Gregory
In this segment, the player employs the WASD buttons to navigate the frog doll within the bathtub. Charging is executed by holding the left button, and the doll jumps upon releasing the button. The anomaly in the operation is characterized by the absence of visual cues during these actions until the outcomes are revealed. Players must rely on experimentation, compounded by the scene's cluttered environment and spatial constraints, making navigation challenging.
（3） Dus
The control mechanism involves using WASD to maneuver the kite, directing it to touch all the text appearing in the scene. The anomaly of the operation lies in the inertia of the manipulated kite is significantly enhanced, causing it to move in a trajectory that looks like it is out of control (Chart 4).
chart 4 Schematic of the difficulty of handling the kite
2、 The meaning and effect of abnormal operation
（1） Intentional anomalous operations Through Dallas' presentation at DGC, we can know that they want to and understand how to make the game comfortable. For example, he highlighted the use of Springs which make the movement of the screen more visually natural, and the arbitrariness of subsidiary interactions, such as if the player is close enough to the ladder, no matter what direction they move the stick, the program will regard that you want to use the ladder and make the character move in the right direction. So it's clear that the anomaly we see in the operation is intentional. But this difficulty setting in WRoEF is clearly different from the purpose of other games. Generally speaking, most game difficulties are designed to be overcome, and "players are usually encouraged to accomplish certain things", which is contrary to the emphasis on experience in WRoEF.
（2） Causes of abnormal operation
The reason for this design may be traced back to their own design philosophy. Their emphasis on "create a space to evoke that feeling and kind of encourages them to approach it differently than they would a more traditional game" – a kind of experience design thinking. As far as the experience itself is concerned, the same experience can be obtained in different ways. For example, we are happy about different things, whether it's good weather or you have a great weekend with your friends.
We can also get the emotion of anger just by listening to a story. However, in Gus's game, I believe that most players will not be angry or irritated if they merely listen to the behavior of a rebellious teenager Gus on the day of his father's and stepmother's wedding, becuase they are still just "watching" as a third party. But in the game, because of the abnormal gameplay, the player's inner irritability and slight anger, although whose source is different from that of Gus in the game, the experience is the same. This unique way of resonating with reading—the experience of interaction resonates with the experience of the characters—and thus gives the player a new overall experience (i.e., the experience that is different from the interaction or the story alone, but the experience that the game as a whole brings to the player).
Another example is Molly's story, where the operation is becoming more abnormal, giving players a sense of detachment. In the last part, the way the monster operates will feel very unfamiliar to the player, but there is a shift in the operation of the monster stage, which not only distinguishes between the complete fantasy world and the real world (Molly's room), but also helps the player to further immerse himself. An important part of the weirdness of Molly's ending is that she turns into a monster and eats herself "by herself". The player's operation has changed from an abnormal feeling to an ordinary wasd, and the automatic following perspective can strengthen the "sense of identity" between the player and the monster, reduce the psychological distance between the player and the monster, and thus make the player closer to the situation where Molly and the monster have established the same self.
Some of Gregory's player experience is heavily influenced by the music and visual environment, and thanks to them, this part of the experience is more relaxed and casual. Finally, Gregory dives into the water, and the player's hand is green from the first point of view, a visual effect that retains a "weird" feel. But the prototype itself isn't particularly funny, weird, or motivating. Trying is just the only solution in gameplay. Dallas also mentioned that it wasn't until the background music of the ballet music was added that the feeling of this part became right. And the reason for the anomaly here, he claims to be to give the player a baby's experience - everything is new and interesting, we don't have the constraints of empiricism, we just keep trying to grow.
The experience of the game is the most important concern of the game designer, and the production of WRoEF causes the player to have the same experience as the game character by using prototypes instead of telling the story, which undoubtedly makes the overall game experience more realistic and straightforward. This directness is not the directness of the way of conveying (the designer may have conveyed this thing through various foreshadowing, the rendering of the environment, and the setting of the atmosphere), but the directness of the way of receiving. This also makes WRoEF stand out from the crowd.
（3） Overall effect
The author changed the keyword "sublime" to "overwhelmed" at the beginning of the game, and while it was correct to do so, I think it was precisely because of this conversion of the target word that the sublime did not disappear in WRoEF, instead made the player a part of the sublime. We first need to clarify, "As a performance activity, the game is not complete until the player participates in it, and therefore the player is also part of the content of the game." This makes player’s performances and reactions significant if we consider the sublime of game. These anomalous operating settings, in terms of the overall game effect, make the player not passively experience the sublime, but participate in it.
The sense of sublime always carries with it a mood and state in people's consciousness that is not entirely positive. For example, Bock argues that "fear is always the sublime dominant principle in all situations, whether overt or covert." And Kant said that "and the latter (the sublime emotion) is a pleasure that can only be produced indirectly... Experiencing a momentary blockage of the life force, which is immediately followed by a more intense jet of the life force... It seems to be the seriousness in the activity of the imagination.”
In short, the sense of sublime needs to have a negative premise. Thus, WRoEF’s sublime benefits from those abnormal operation setting. In the game's story, the blockage of characters’ life echoes with the blockage of real operation during the game, and the similar emotional experience more closely unites the player with the game, constituting the premise of the game's sublime sense.
The experience of the sublime is only truly realized when the game concludes, as it necessitates a perspective outside the gaming environment. Because the sublime requires one to look at it out of that environment. Hence, this sublime sensation becomes apparent when the player, now in a more detached state, reflects on the entirety of the gaming experience.
3、 Summary
The intentional inclusion of anomalies in WRoEF undeniably plays a crucial role in elevating the expression of Edith Finch's story. By crafting gameplay experiences that mirror the emotions of the characters, the designers forge a strong connection between the player and the narrative. The emotional experience that the player is invested in the game makes the game feel sublime when the game is finished, when the player's play has become a part of the game. The seamless integration of player emotions with the game's narrative contributes to the high praise garnered by WRoEF, showcasing its distinction in the realm of interactive experiences.