Gone Home from The Fullbright Company

[darthbator]

I played this game and enjoyed it. I think this one if going to be extremely polarizing. I've showed it to a few people and gotten responses all over the map.I figured this would be very popular with basically anyone who was into 30 flights. I was apparently incorrect. 

[Twig]

It's a video game, not a movie. I'm not an external observer to a character's narrative, I am inhabiting the role myself. I should know whether I am in the present time or remembering something in the past. If they really wanted to push the framing device further they could have, for example starting the game with where it ends (just like the movie Steve referenced in one of his interviews, Sunset Boulevard), but I think I would prefer the way it is now where there is some uncertainty to the ending.

It doesn't matter if it's not a movie. Every form of fiction has its own quirks of narrative conceit. Flashbacks, foreshadowing (subtle or blatant), narrators explaining every beat of the plot. Whatever. Why can't video games have the same thing? Just because you are the one controlling a specific character doesn't mean it has to follow the rules of reality. If a storyteller chooses to do tell a story in a fashion that involves revealing knowledge your character would have no immediate knowledge of, why is that a bad thing?

 

I just feel like everyone who makes this complaint takes issue with a lack of some unpromised character-centric realism.

[Argobot]

It didn't even occur to me to question what the in-world explanation of the diaries were until I got to the end of the game and realized that

 

Katie wasn't getting the information at the same time I was

 

Structuring the game that way is much more emotionally strong than if they had gone the Sunset Blvd route and revealed everything in the beginning. I had such a one-to-one relationship with Katie during the whole game and the ending was a forceful reminder that the player and Katie are actually separate people. The game is obviously Sam's story, but the ending reveal with the diaries really made me wonder about Katie and what she'd been feeling the whole time she'd been walking through this abandoned house.

[Latrine]

It doesn't matter if it's not a movie. Every form of fiction has its own quirks of narrative conceit. Flashbacks, foreshadowing (subtle or blatant), narrators explaining every beat of the plot. Whatever. Why can't video games have the same thing? Just because you are the one controlling a specific character doesn't mean it has to follow the rules of reality. If a storyteller chooses to do tell a story in a fashion that involves revealing knowledge your character would have no immediate knowledge of, why is that a bad thing?

 

I just feel like everyone who makes this complaint takes issue with a lack of some unpromised character-centric realism.

 

First, I think you're reading too much into what I'm saying as hardline criticism. That is certainly not what I'm trying to say here. I'm just talking about the feeling of playing the game versus after the fact explanations of what happened.

 

I'm not saying that video games can't use this narrative tool, just that it's a little harder to buy into it when you inhabit the narrative yourself. I don't think that Gone Home pushes the concept enough to make the distinction between flashback and just disembodied audio logs an important distinction to make. I'll admit that the first diary entry does address this by saying that all the entries are written for Katie and presumably at some point Katie is reading them. But other than that (and the ending as Argobot mentioned) the act of picking up a new object I haven't seen before and then having a piece of audio that explains the significance of that object doesn't really evoke the feeling of being in a flashback to me. Basically the audio logs can already be more strongly read as flashbacks in Sam's narrative and I don't think there's much point to having multiple layers of flashbacks.

 

I think an example of a game that does more with this kind of framed narrative is Bastion.

 

The game is entirely narrated from Rucks' point of view as he is retelling the events of the game to Zia while the Kid is going off on the final mission of the game. It's not obvious on an initial playthrough but if you replay the game then every line of narration is consistent with this framing in tense and context. Because the narration is the central storytelling mechanism of the game, even found objects have narration, the reveal of the framework has a big impact on what you've experienced. Also since the reveal happens before the end of the game, there's a noticeable difference in the knowledge that the narrator has and how he interprets the player's choices that works really well in the video game form.

 

Also I have to disagree with the assumption that all forms of media have identical expressive power. If this were the case then what would be the point of making a video game instead of a movie? While the essential toolbox of fiction can be applied everywhere, as you said, it may not have the same impact unless specifically tuned for how the audience will receive that fiction. My issue was not with realism but with believably of the fiction. Generally if you're going to present some new information to the audience in a piece of fiction then it should impact the audience in some way while still maintaining the audience's investment in that fiction. The audience is willing to suspend disbelief to a certain point but that willingness has to be earned. The problem of introducing new information about a player character is similar to the problem of doing the same for non-player characters, however on top of dealing with expectations of what is "in-character" for the fictional entity there is also an expectation for what is in-character for the player. This is why amnesia is a common trope for player characters in video games since it reduces the player's expectation of knowledge about themselves. In other media, especially TV soap operas, the amnesia trope is used more for dramatic tension than character development.

[darthbator]

It didn't even occur to me to question what the in-world explanation of the diaries were until I got to the end of the game and realized that

 

Katie wasn't getting the information at the same time I was

 

Structuring the game that way is much more emotionally strong than if they had gone the Sunset Blvd route and revealed everything in the beginning. I had such a one-to-one relationship with Katie during the whole game and the ending was a forceful reminder that the player and Katie are actually separate people. The game is obviously Sam's story, but the ending reveal with the diaries really made me wonder about Katie and what she'd been feeling the whole time she'd been walking through this abandoned house.

 

I actually find that works perfectly. You come into the game and "merge" with Katie. As the game ends you get that "startling" revelation that you where not experiencing the story exact;y as she was. At that point you "diverge" from Katie and the game ends. That moment when you realize what you experienced was different then what the character Katie experienced is your catalyst to disassociate from the character and start to objectively analyze the plot

[Twig]

Also I have to disagree with the assumption that all forms of media have identical expressive power.

Well I never said they did, so that's fine!

 

Also, I never said the "audio logs" were "flashbacks", just that they are a narrative conceit LIKE flashbacks or etc. used to express parts of the story to the player. I don't understand how they break the narrative. They're just another piece of the puzzle. AND: What is "believable" if not "adheres to reality"? These diary entries are there as part of the story, deliberately placed to reveal information as the player progresses through the story. Why does it have to be "believable" that Katie the character would receive this information? It's a method of storytelling, not a strictly linear traversal of time.

 

I'm sorry, I'm probably coming off as trying to be difficult, but I really don't get why it's a problem. The things you're saying don't really make sense to me. D:

[Patrick R]

I don't know if this "merging" and "diverging" really adds anything to the story, though. What about the plot reads differently once you start to "objectively analyze" it? Katie is such a cypher, I never felt like I had a different feeling about any of what happened. It feels much more like a corner they had to cut to keep the pace up.

 

And I think it matters because Katie's actions are your actions, and you as a player are primarily motivated by things Katie can't even hear. It doesn't ruin the game by any means, but it is a level of dissonance that kept me at arms length from the emotions of the story.

[Twig]

That's what I mean, though. If that sort of "dissonance" really bothered me, I'd never be able to enjoy any form of fiction unless it was incredibly straightforward description of a linear series of events.

[Latrine]

Well I never said they did, so that's fine!

 

And I never said that anything "breaks the narrative", so we're even. Just so we're clear, I really enjoyed the game. I wouldn't still be posting about it if I didn't. It just does a lot of interesting narrative things that it's worth talking about what works and what doesn't.

 

My initial post was responding to the explanation that the audio logs were flashbacks from Katie's point of view where she is reading the diary and remembering the object that is related to that diary entry. I don't feel like this explanation adds anything to the game versus the simpler explanation that you see an object and narration plays. Personally I also didn't feel any dissonance from the way the audio diaries were presented either, but maybe that's because I was already invested in the story.

 

Thinking back on it, most of the tension at the end of the game where you learn about Sam drifting to sleep in the attic is due to the audio diary that Katie can't hear and is not related to the objects that Katie actually finds. So I've heard some players say they rush to the attic or are nervous about going into the attic after that because they think Sam might have committed suicide. But such a cue doesn't really exist for Katie in that time frame.

 

Believability is different from realism because you can have unrealistic elements that are believable in fiction, like disembodied narration, ghosts, or larger-than-life characters. I only made that point to explain that what's believable for a player character in a game is different from other characters because they're loaded with the player's own expectations for themselves. Especially in a first-person game with a mostly silent player character designed for the player to inhabit rather than role-play as.

[Twig]

And I never said that anything "breaks the narrative", so we're even.

Maybe you didn't, but other people did. (Dissonance, etc.)

 

Your spoiler: actually that's a good point. I similarly rushed for similar fears.

 

Believability in this game almost entirely lies within either the realm of realism or within the realm of narrative conceit. There's nothing unrealistic to the story - only to the storytelling. Which is why my original post brought up realism. You might not think that way, but I bet a lot of people do.

 

Also, in regards to "a mostly silent player character"... The fact that Katie is almost entirely not a character is exactly why I think they're better able to get away with having random audio tracks from Sam's diary. If Katie was a real character, it'd feel inherently weirder (though I, personally, think it'd still be okay), but since she's just a cipher, what difference does it make if you, as the player, learn something that she otherwise wouldn't?

[Latrine]

Also, in regards to "a mostly silent player character"... The fact that Katie is almost entirely not a character is exactly why I think they're better able to get away with having random audio tracks from Sam's diary. If Katie was a real character, it'd feel inherently weirder (though I, personally, think it'd still be okay), but since she's just a cipher, what difference does it make if you, as the player, learn something that she otherwise wouldn't?

 

Yeah, I agree. Actually the problem I have with the flashback explanation might also have to do with the fact that Katie is such a cipher and I don't care that much about her point of view being consistent.

[Patrick R]

For me it's what I already said earlier in the thread: Katie/the player acts completely differently because they're hearing the journal as audio logs. It makes the entire premise of uncovering story by exploring an environment feel that much more false and contrived because a normal person wouldn't assume that if they scour enough notes and letters and pieces of paper scattered throughout the house, it would all come together like a puzzle, slowly opening up different areas. It's still a compelling premise, but it rings false. I'd have the same complaint if any character's actions in any fiction felt like completely false contrivances that only existed to keep the story going.

 

Luckily, the innovative gameplay, attention to detail, and really really great writing (not just in narration, but in the notes and letters you find) are all more than enough to redeem the game as being something really special and worth playing and supporting. But if this kind of gameplay is to be further explored and iterated on, that'd be something to address.

[tberton]

What makes you think Katie assumes that she'll find all the answers to Sam's disappearance? Isn't the fact that she's home alone with nothing better to do explanation enough for why she goes rooting around?

[Patrick R]

Nothing better to do except sleep. She took the red-eye home, and is probably jet-lagged as hell.

[UltimateHurl]

Jetlag hits bad going from the US to Europe, the other way around (assuming she could sleep on the plane) would have Katie feeling like it was the middle of the day while it was the middle of the night. Hadn't thought about this, but it holds up

[tberton]

Nothing better to do except sleep. She took the red-eye home, and is probably jet-lagged as hell.

 

Maybe she can't sleep knowing that her sister has run any and might be in danger.

[Timeless Appeal]

For me it's what I already said earlier in the thread: Katie/the player acts completely differently because they're hearing the journal as audio logs. It makes the entire premise of uncovering story by exploring an environment feel that much more false and contrived because a normal person wouldn't assume that if they scour enough notes and letters and pieces of paper scattered throughout the house, it would all come together like a puzzle, slowly opening up different areas. It's still a compelling premise, but it rings false. I'd have the same complaint if any character's actions in any fiction felt like completely false contrivances that only existed to keep the story going.

 

Luckily, the innovative gameplay, attention to detail, and really really great writing (not just in narration, but in the notes and letters you find) are all more than enough to redeem the game as being something really special and worth playing and supporting. But if this kind of gameplay is to be further explored and iterated on, that'd be something to address.

I think that the journals do tend to line up with the artifacts that Katie is finding. No, Katie doesn't get the specifics that the player is getting, but she is getting a lot from the artifacts. There is evidence of the romance, Lonnie going away, the ghost hunting, her parents' lack of acceptance of the homosexuality, and her sister's general problems fitting in. More than anything, the first note that Katie receives puts her in the mindset that something is wrong. I think the game is making an assumption about two things. The first and big assumption is that Katie is able to put the pieces together and understand the basic narrative of her sister's romance even if she doesn't have all the pieces. The second assumption is that the player is picking up at least enough of the artifacts that Katie could come to these conclusions. That might be problematic, but considering the nature of the game, it's not an unfair thing to assume. 

 

Essentially, the audio ensures that the player is in-line with Katie in terms of thought process. Yes, we're getting more info than Katie is, but it's only to accomplish two big things. One is to make sure that we understand Katie's thought process and piecing together. The second thing is to really know and care about Katie's sister. Once again, Katie would be worried the second she saw that note. Our greater understanding of her sister through those audio logs is meant to let us have something close to the understanding Katie has of her sister. It makes us as worried and as concerned as our protagonist, not more-so. 

 

For me, playing the game, everything rung very true. I actually did what Katie would do. I immediately went to the phone, couldn't use it. I then scattered around and turned on every single light in the house, seeing if anyone was there. Then I was left with this initial cryptic note, a missing family, and several locked doors. In my mindset, I was looking through things primarily because I wanted to open those doors which is the big progression of the game. 

 

The only moment when I feel that the character is distanced from Katie is the ending as Katie won't feel catharsis until she reads the journal and comes to that last entry. Still, I feel like there was almost a purposeful distance established there. I knew Katie was going to read the diary, and I knew what she was going to read. It was almost like I was drifting away from the character, no longer inhabiting her for this moment in her life and letting her move on with that life. 

[Patrick R]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to play it again with the journals turned off to really see if what I'm saying holds up. 

[SecretAsianMan]

So this is brilliant
 
https://twitter.com/chrisremo/status/376584336331403264

[Nappi]

Haha! That has to happen!

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20570/gh_ost.png

[Patrick R]

hahahahahahahah that is amazing.

[SecretAsianMan]

I still can't get over how genius that is.

[malkav11]

I was interested to discover today that apparently Gone Home was released on Steam on September 10th. I guess I must have imagined playing it to completion on Steam on August 17th.

[thestalkinghead]

well i just played it, i haven't been in the mood for games recently and when it came out i was totally broke.

 

anyway, i liked it, i thought it was a good setup for the story coming home from a abroad and moving into a new house, so it felt realistic that i didn't know where things were, and it was a familiar feeling of exploring a new house (not that i have ever had a house that big) and i liked discovering what type of people the house was owned by.

 

i felt that the discovery of the stories were well paced, even the side stories like finding out the father was an author, then finding out his second book was not selling well (he had turned to alcohol) and he had to take a job as a reviewer and even that was not going well because he wrote to much, and that his father (the dead one who gave them the house i think) was an asshole and he hated him, but later finding out that a new publisher was interested in republishing his books and he was writing another one was a nice way to end his story, also finding out that the parents were having relationship problems but were on a trip to try and fix that was nice.

 

the main story of the sister (samantha the total rebel) finding out she was a lesbian and getting her first girlfriend was sweet. i think the journal entries were actually in the book you find at the end so she was like a missing narrator in a film, sort of like the narration wasn't there for katie (the player) while she was walking around finding things but in a weird memory/time thing she heard samantha reading the book in the past in her memories over what she was doing, so we were actually playing katie's memory.

 

i liked picking up and looking at things and turning on lights, it was sort of voyeuristic at times like i was a brugler (crazy plot twist idea, i was just some person who murdered katie and took all her stuff and went to her house, but maybe not),  a lot of the things reminded me of my past like the VHS tapes recorded off the TV with hand written stickers on them like the x files and home made cassette mixtapes . it was spooky at times because it was the psycho house and there was definitely a ghost in that game like when i picked up a crucifix and the light blew and samantha had been doing ouija board seance, i wanted to find another red candle and light them and perform another one but i don't think i could.

 

i actually think this type of game (including all the family stuff) would make great horror games, i recently watched the film Sinister on netflix and that could be so easily converted into a gonehomelike game, thriller and crime etc. films/games could also be done the same way. 

[Badfinger]

I think it is a testament to the fidelity of this game that I desperately want to read a where are they now, or message these ladies on twitter and see what's going on in their lives.