This review has been modified from the original, which can be found here[transmutetheblankpage.wordpress.com]

The Fullbright team went above and beyond making the house and its occupants come alive even though no one is at home. It’s like the house takes on the personality of each of its inhabitants, weaving an immersive, intricate story that is also interactive. I almost felt bad rummaging through belongings because the developers do such a great job of conveying the intimacy of a person’s living space. Like a real home, everyone has their own private living space. The library, office, and bar belong to the father while the mom has her greenhouse and kitchen. Oscar, the deceased uncle, still haunts the basement with his possessions, while Sam inhabits the upper rooms. Surprisingly, while the parents stay within their respective areas, Sam overtakes the whole house, laying claim to rooms that aren’t even hers. This in of itself speaks volumes about Sam.

There are an array of items that delve into each family member’s personalities, relationships, and struggles while adding layers of complexity to their decisions and coping mechanisms, particularly for the dad and Sam.

As far as game mechanics go, Gone Home is not a puzzle exploration game. It is still a game, nonetheless. It’s a simple point-and-click interaction with the surrounding environment in order to better understand the people in the house and where they have gone. I don’t believe Fullbright’s intention for the game was for people to focus on solving a puzzle. It’s designed to be an artistic, interactive platform for exploring young love and the human condition of one family, and in that, they excelled. This requires patience and a personal investment on the part of the gamer with Kate’s family.

Understandably, this type of game is not for everyone. If you go into it perceiving it to be a horror/puzzle themed game (or have certain disdain for love stories) then it will fall short of your expectations. If you’re a person who doesn’t have the patience to thoroughly search a house for clues, and desire more of an action-packed rush, then this game is probably not for you. Likewise, if you are a person that needs resolution at the end of your games, then you may want to skip on buying this one because you’ll be left disappointed.

Personally, I think the game is incredible. I was floored by all the rich detail and love that the Fullbright team poured into it. While the mechanics of Gone Home are not meant to be difficult or complex, the game itself challenges you to identify and empathize with the family – perhaps even relate to them.

The only significant drawback to the game is that it is insanely short. It took me two hours to complete it, and once the story concludes, there isn’t any replay value to it. It is still worth playing through once, however, because it is an amazing rendering of a family trying to find its identity. If the price of the game versus the amount of total playing hours concerns you, wait for it to go on sale in order to justify the cost.