Dear Esther

Disclaimer: I got this game fully expecting this is not the usual kind of game, I was expecting something akin to a visual novel. This is a pure, undistilled example of what a walking simulator should be. It is moody, with a heavy emphasis on environmental storytelling, with a captivating, poetic story and a strong narrator.

This is something close to a poem told in a visual interactive format. If you are into such kind of experiences, this is one of the best!

Strongly recommended!

While stunning and beautiful in the graphical and musical department, this is the type of walking sim I am not fond of.

Dear Esther contains some amazing set pieces, especially the ending, but has nothing to really show for it in the other categories that make walking simulators "fun". I'd recommend it just for taking screenshots to put as your desktop wallpaper - the "eye" cave was my favorite sight to see, by the way.

You walk abysmally slow in this game, which would be okay if the map wasn't littered with random spots to get almost frustratingly lost in. The story is not really all there, in fact I'd argue whether or not there's a story at all besides the player's completely random interpretation of it. You are given certain bits and pieces here and there, but in the end it's not fully worth the money buying it, or the time theorizing about it.

My favorite parts about walking simulators are the creative aspects (which aren't bad, just not fully fleshed out) and the story, and the story completely misses the mark for me. I also had some freezes in some spots, such as near the ending.

I'd recommend it for free, but certainly not for the normal price.

This was an interesting experience and you can tell a lot of love and attention to detail went into it. I would say it falls into that experimental category of games like The Stanley Parable and The Beginner's Guide. There's a great deal of atmosphere and the music arrangement fits so well (playing on the newer Landmark Edition on Steam and not the HL / Source mod). The Unity visuals are surprisingly good for what started as a mod in 2007. Even though this is a fairly short game, coming in at just over an hour of playtime for me, you can tell this wasn't just some hastily made garbage and that this was meant to be a crafted experience. Even if you don't find this kind of game to be compelling, it's definitely one of those games that you'll want to look up fan theories and explanations for when you're done. I don't hate this game by any stretch, but I do think when looking at the larger scope of video games, this doesn't compare to the titles that I would rate an eight or above. It was enjoyable, but I totally understand why most people probably won't feel the same. Other than that, I just want to say how I do think it's a bit ironic that the same people that scream how video games are art are typically the ones that will shun or ignore games like Dear Esther that are clearly presented as more artful experiences.

Originally a Half-Life 2 mod, Dear Esther has been re-imagined as a stand-alone piece of software with updated visuals and audio. Dear Esther's game-play places it in the “not-a-game” genre and sees your unnamed character move around an island in solitude. There's nothing to interact with at all, and although the island seems to look quite open, it is actually very linear.

As you 'explore', a voice chimes in with dialogue, providing history between a few characters and the island itself. It's almost like you are taking in the lovely scenery whilst listening to an audio book. Strangely, you only hear a subset of the dialogue which means the already vague story is incomplete and left even more to interpretation. It's interesting reading all the theories on the game about your character being Esther/Narrator and the concepts of mental illness, self-reflection and acceptance of death. That's why people regard Dear Esther as art because it is open to interpretation.

Graphically it is impressive, especially when you jump down to the cave section. The sound is worth mentioning too, which gives the game more atmosphere with it's beautiful classical pieces or ambient sound effects.

At first the game seems very creepy and you almost expect it to turn into a horror game, but it isn't like that. Being lonely on an island, with the wind blowing hauntingly, it does keep you on edge, but nothing comes of it; apart from evoking emotions from you. It is a nice melancholic experience, and I personally enjoyed the art, visually and musically. As a story, it just seems too pretentious and is intentionally ambiguous so those artsy types will make a fuss about how awesome it is. Unless you come up with an interpretation yourself, you will just be left confused and wonder why you tried 'playing' this 'game'.

Given that it takes around an hour, you can end up feeling a bit ripped off unless you paid a small fee for it. You could also have the opinion that since it requires minimal input, you could just watch a “Let's Play” video and still get the same experience. It's definitely interesting and you do feel drawn to like it, but it isn't going to be for everyone.

Yea it isnt a game, its more like a audio visual experience. It lacks any sort of interaction, that even games like To The Moon poccess. So in a certain way its one of the worst games ever, and during the first chapter that was really my only thoughts about it.

However it does some good things as well, particularly from the second chapter onwards. Visually it offers some really stunning landscapes. The music is melancholic and provides the right mood for the game. It is mostly ambient, driven by pianos and some strings. The voice acting and poetry can be a bit too much at times, to the point of actually compromising the empathy with the main character, but it also gets the job done. It took me about 2 hours to get through, and even then i felt that it dragged in a few sections.

Basically, its still terrible as a game, but delivers in so many other qualities that it might just be worth experiencing if you are into this sort of thing.

This was also a mod one time. Play the mod.
One of the most memorable atmospheric adventure games (or walking simulators as the nay-sayers say), The visuals in the game are just gorgeous. As you journey about some island, you end up in all sorts of beautiful scenes, such as colorful caves, decayed buildings, and cliffside views. Accompanied by the smooth and somber piano soundtrack, you have the perfect mood set for a nice atmospheric experience. There's also a narrative going on the entire time. What does it say? I don't remember. You won't either. If you're not compelled to take screenshots the entire time you're playing, then you'll probably understand the plot.