When it comes to horror, nothing beats the old adage of “less is more.” That’s something that indie developer Benjamin Rivers kept in mind when creating his 2012 debut game Home. A pixel art-driven, sidescrolling horror title, the unique hook of Home was that players were able to essentially craft the narrative based on the decisions they made during each playthrough. It wasn’t as simple as plotting a route and seeing a different ending, however.
Being that we’re eight years removed from the release of the game, there isn’t too much I can add to the discourse around it. If you haven’t heard of Home before, this new Switch version is the perfect way to not only play it but get some behind-the-scenes insight into its development. It’s also just plain nice to look at on the Switch’s small screen, not to mention you can blow it up to your television for a more immersive experience.
With all of that said, this review will focus more on the new aspects of the Switch exclusive “Postmortem Edition” instead of discussing its general gameplay. I’ll briefly summarize my past experience with Home, but just know that this isn’t a comprehensive review.
Welcome Home
Announced earlier last month, Home: Postmortem Edition is exactly what it sounds like: an edition of Home that includes a postmortem look at the title from its director. The biggest new feature is that of a director’s commentary that players can toggle on and off during each playthrough. At certain points, your Joy-Con will rumble and you’ll be able to press X and hear a short clip from Benjamin Rivers as he explains the ideology behind certain design choices.
It’s not a new approach in that other games have done this, but Home goes a step further with it. Much like how the main game has an extremely varied and branching narrative, the commentary also reflects your choices as you make them. One of the earliest examples comes from deciding to jump down a well, or looking for something to lessen the impact of your fall. If you find the rope that allows you to climb down, Rivers will note how you made a wise choice.
The commentary is just as interactive as the main game, which is something I haven’t personally seen before. Since Home is all about experimenting with different options, it makes sense that the commentary would want to reflect that as you navigate through each choice. Why only have a single commentary track if it’s just going to be the same thing every time?
Apart from the commentary, the only other new feature here is that of some production stills. Rivers writes out his thoughts on how Home developed over time and you can even zoom in on his concept art to get a closer look at preliminary stages. Again, it’s not entirely new to gaming, but it should prove invaluable to anyone that is looking to enter game development. Having content like this is an excellent way to build a bond with a specific game.
Fear Of The Unknown
As for the game itself, I’m still quite fond of Home. I originally played it on PC back in 2014 and was taken with its pixel art aesthetic. I don’t scare very easily and Home isn’t explicitly about horror, so I’ve never been drawn to those specific elements. Rivers would actually later expand on that in Worse Than Death, which I reviewed last year.
Even if I find Home to be lacking in horror, that’s not to say the game has no charm. The limited view and slow pace certainly create a sense of dread in the player. Going in completely blind, you’re bound to have your mind racing at what might be ahead. That the game incorporates a lot of elements from old-school point-and-click games is also nice, since it keeps you engaged beyond just walking around.
I also really like the pacing of the game, which is nearly self-directed. If you simply go for the most obvious items and keep clicking “Yes” on everything, you can finish Home in about 30 minutes. If you take your time and immersive yourself into this environment, Home almost becomes a full-length movie. That’s not even talking about the different options, which result in at least three specific endings.
What is ultimately comes down to is whether or not you enjoy narrative-driven experiences. Home isn’t what you’d call a tactical game, having basically nothing in the way of action or other traditional gameplay elements. In 2012, that was seen as bizarre and unorthodox. In 2020, there are a significant number of gamers that prefer story to gameplay, which might be the perfect time for them to discover Home.
I fall in the middle when it comes to Home. This Postmortem Edition has given me a new respect for Rivers and his development process, but I still feel the same about Home now as I did years ago. It’s a unique little game that is worth a playthrough, but I believe Rivers went on to better things with both of his follow-ups (especially the wonderful Alone With You from 2016).
Switch It Up
If you still haven’t played Home, the Switch version is undoubtedly the best version of the title. Its added commentary track and image gallery will give you a little more to experience, even if it won’t appeal to everyone. These added features definitely justify the $8 price.
A Switch copy of Home: Postmortem Edition was provided to TheGamer for this review. Home is available now on iOS, PC, PS4, and PS Vita with the Postmortem Edition available exclusively on Switch.
NEXT: Worse Than Death Review: Do You Want To Know A Secret
