This is a game from 2012, and it’s clear that the genre has grown past it. This soundtrack shapes the moodiness of the jaunt, and transforms all the locations into far grander places than they’d be without it.īut, it’s not enough to be Dear Esther‘s saving grace. This is the unequivocal high-point of Dear Esther. While Dear Esther never quite figures out how to affix its story to its setting, the atmosphere is helped tremendously by Jessica Curry’s score. Compounding matters is the enigmatic tone that these lines are written in, usually making them exceptionally hard to parse. These come along relatively infrequently when compared to the amount of walking in between, just enough so that you’ll find yourself wondering what that last message was. Dear Esther makes a point to grant short snippets of dialogue every so often along the journey. Most damning is the pace at which the narrative unfurls. But, the plodding movement speed combined with a number of dead-end paths mean that any sort of exploration is more of a chore than an incentive. Some places are stunningly gorgeous (the luminescent caves, particularly) and those locations can be a visual treat to traverse. It’s set in an empty world that’s often devoid of any significant indication that it’s lived-in. It may be easier to list what Dear Esther is missing rather than what it has. Released: Febru(PC), Septem(PS4, Xbox One) Dear Esther never ties these two necessary halves together in any meaningful way.ĭear Esther (PC, PS4, Xbox One ) It’s a series of locales that are shrouded in mystery, but that’s the extent of the connection. Dear Esther is more a loose narrative strung along in a setting that doesn’t feel thematically consistent with much else. This is problematic because the purpose of this type of game is to tell a story and to evoke emotion. I wasn’t moved in the least, which is ironic given all that walking. There was no sense of revelation or tinge of intrigue. This has been Kernook of The Demented Ferrets, where stupidity is at it’s finest, and level grinds are par for the course.As I finished Dear Esther, I felt nothing. When 2017 came around, an updated version known as the Dear Esther: Landmark Edition was released, based on the Unity engine. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it horror, but if you are the imaginative sort, it can be a bit unsettling. It is noteworthy to state that despite the minimalist style and gameplay, the game was critically acclaimed for the story it tells. That’s about it… no really… that’s the basics of the game. Details of her death are slowly revealed as you explore around the island. While you explore around and get your bearings, a troubled man explains his turmoil and reads a series of letters to his beloved, yet deceased, wife. Really, you only have one main objective here explore the island the narrator stands upon. Personally, I think games like these have their own value, particularly if well written prose is the goal ambition of the design from the start. Later on, the game was entirely redeveloped for a commercial release in 2012.Īs I said above, the game features very minimal gameplay at best, which is why it is often called a “walking simulator” a phrase you generally either love or hate as a gamer. The game was first released in 2008 as a free to play model. Dear Esther was developed by The Chinese Room for the PC, PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.
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