I'd always heard really great things about this one, but no trailer I watched ever made a lick of sense to me. It was irresistibly reduced in a sale recently, so I dove in to it. I had no idea what to expect, but what I got was wholly original and brave storytelling that was both emotionally affecting and laughably absurd (in good and bad ways). My girlfriend never plays games, but she agreed to check it out with me and we were both absorbed and invested over the two days we spent with it.

The game itself is the introduction of the Finch family that has been under a tragic curse for generations. Every family member has a fascinating tale to tell. Some of which made me howl darkly with laughter and some put tears in my eyes. Every one was interesting and worthwhile. I don't want to get into it much because, if you decide to play, it's better to be swept up in it.

It isn't much of a game, however. It's a point-and-click, interactive picture book, figuratively speaking. None of the gameplay is that compelling. It's even downright boring at times. There's also going to be little to no replay value, unless your memory is dogshit like mine. If it's on Game Pass or Playstation Plus, by all means, this is worth the 2-3 hours it takes to complete it. I definitely wouldn't pay full price though.

Unpopular opinion: I prefer the mission style of objectives over the timed goals. It's free skate with the option to complete a goal without changing mode in the menu. It allows more playing time and adds an exploration aspect to the goals. The big downside is that they can now create some really annoying objectives. With that being said, the levels here are brilliant and I actually prefer this to THPS3

Levels Ranked:
Alcatraz
Zoo
College
San Francisco
London
Carnival
Shipyard
Kona
Chicago