I played through Dear Esther and this is what I have to say.

[Tyguy]

I spent the better part of an hour trying to get the gaming community's opinion of this obscure game and, coincidentally, that's about how long Dear Esther takes to finish. Most reviewers refused to even label this a "game" since there's really no objective besides holding the "W" key and looking forward. Despite the muddled reviews I bought it and I now have opinions that I want to force upon you.

First, what I like about it:

There's no tension. I know that seems a bit unintuitive but it's actually refreshing to be able to explore and not fear some crazy axe-wielding maniac determined to kill you. Then there's obviously the visuals which are exceptional, especially in the caves. There was a lot of work put into resolving environmental conditions that made the game unusually immersive, despite the limited mobility.

What I didn't like:

The price. It seems they felt that since this is the first of it's kind (for the most part) that it's automatically worth more money. Sorry, not for an hour's worth. Obviously my next complaint is length. Unless you get lost easily it's a fairly linear experience. The developers count on it and hope you explore, which is fun, but you're too restricted to crave any replayability. The story is nothing but an assortment of haikus with run-on sentences; purposelly vague in order to appear poignant. I found it hard to even pay attention to the narrator's voice as I was too involved in the scenery.

All said and done I actually like the game, however small and unsatisfying it might be. I feel like this would make a terrific horror game, similar in nature to Amnesia but in an outdoor setting. I'm aware that I just said that the lack of tension was a plus but if the game was shifted into the horror realm it would be a decent mechanic. The sound of the wind combined with the landscape visual has this inherent eerie feeling that's constantly overshadowed by this bestowed cloak of safety. Maybe just include this guy and have him stalk you, that might do it.

If any of you have played this, what are your thoughts? Complete waste of money? I may attempt another review with an actual game if there's any interest. If not I will literally go **** myself.

If you haven't seen them, here are some screencaps.

 

[morgs]

I didn't get a whole lot out of it to be honest, it looks really nice but the story and narration did nothing for me really.

 

[Tyguy]

I agree, the story just plain sucks. Didn't it seem like the dialogue was purposely put in just be confusing? Even if there is an actual story to be had, the process of trying to figure it out would kill any interest in playing it again. I just found out that the company that made this is also making the Amnesia sequel so I'm pretty excited now.

 

[Edeslash]

Have you replayed it yet?

 

[morgs]

I hear the dialogue is random each play through and that you hear some only when you replay it, but like I said that did nothing for me and it wouldn't be worth the drudgery.

 

[Evo]

Not played it, but I do enjoy these types of games which provoke the whole 'game or art' debate. I do like the sound of the Dear Esther devs working with the Amnesia people, that will make a very interesting game.

Something similar was The Path, anyone else play that? I loved it even though many said that one wasn't a game either.

 

[Tyguy]

As much as I like killing stuff in video games I think I've finally reached my breaking point. I don't know if that's what makes Amnesia so appealing but it's a relief to employ game mechanics that don't revolve around shoot-shoot-reload. I'm going to check out The Path, looks interesting.

 

[BakonGuy]

I just want to throw this out there, this wasn't actually made by a "company", it was originally a mod (link refers to comments) developed by one guy, Robert Briscoe, the same guy who mapped for mirror's edge. It was supposed to be free but it went commercial at the last second. Which was a huge disappointment IMO. It moved from ModDB to IndieDB later since that's technically what it is now.

 

[Barnz]

I think video game is the wrong term to describe products like Dear Esther. What people pay for is an interactive entertainment. You can either enjoy it, or complain about it on the internet. It's your money, and your time.

 

[Maestro]

If you didn't find the story very engaging then you weren't paying much attention. It's an "interactive ghost story" in the terms of the developer; the deliberately vague and mysterious feel is what makes it fascinating. I spent a long time discussing with friends what a single symbol's meaning might be in the context of the greater story, and despite having played it twice (five if you count the original mod and the time I watched a friend play it through) and spent hours contemplating/discussing it with friends I still am not entirely sure of the details. That is why Dear Esther is fun. It's not vague in some shallow attempt to appear poignant, it is poignant when you have an understanding of the story. The reason it's vague is to allow the player to decipher and analyze for himself, which I enjoyed thoroughly.

The scenery is stunning, but that is because it is in and of itself a storytelling tool. The details involved have huge impact on the meaning of the narration, and add greatly to the depth and complexity of the story told. Those diagrams start showing up in the lighthouse where you start, and they only become more significant as time progresses. The narration and the visuals are supposed to work together, and if you finished the game in an hour you didn't see half what it had to offer.

The argument of game value is bullshit, it has no bearing on the inherent value of the experience. You took a gamble on enjoying it and lost. It's the same as someone buying Modern Warfare 3 and hating it. 60 dollars down the drain. The difference is that MW3 adheres to a strict, bland rule set by which it can be evaluated with no effort whatsoever, and predictably is easy to find out about. Indie games are always a gamble, so I'm tired of hearing people bitch about how they overpaid for this that and the other when the money is going to support an independent academic institution dedicated to exploring the limitations of interactive media instead of some profit-machine megacorporation like EA or Ubisoft. If you feel you got gypped, then think of it as a donation.

Oh, and at the mention of Amnesia, thechineseroom will be collaborating on Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

 

[morgs]

I was paying full attention, and the story wasn't all that engaging for me honestly. The 'game' came across as pretentious more than anything. I've got a pretty good understanding of the story, I think it was just delivered badly in an attempt to make the game seem edgy and deep, when really it's just incredibly vague.

 

[dfc05]

I just want to throw this out there, this wasn't actually made by a "company", it was originally a mod (link refers to comments) developed by one guy, Robert Briscoe, the same guy who mapped for mirror's edge. It was supposed to be free but it went commercial at the last second. Which was a huge disappointment IMO. It moved from ModDB to IndieDB later since that's technically what it is now.

I think the original was by another guy at a university in the UK? And it was and still is free. My impression is that the creator asked if there was interest in buying it, and there was, hence the big overhaul and the fact that you can now buy a version that is upgraded from the free original. I've read that some people were disappointed by this, but I don't quite understand why. As far as I can tell, there was no duplicity involved. They just had an opportunity to invest some more time and effort into improving their game knowing that people would be interested in buying it, so they took that opportunity. Seems fair to me.

Anyways, I still need to buy this. At the top of my wishlist, just having budgeting problems. I find it curious that the OP didn't feel any tension though? Maybe something changed between versions, but I went into the original knowing it was an "interactive ghost story" where you can't die, but I still found it very creepy/unsettling the first time around -- especially in some of the locales off the direct path and with the music/sound effects.

 

[Sheepo]

I just found out that the company that made this is also making the Amnesia sequel so I'm pretty excited now.

Why? Your one experience of them was almost entirely negative.

I think video game is the wrong term to describe products like Dear Esther. What people pay for is an interactive entertainment. You can either enjoy it, or complain about it on the internet.

I think this is a really good and mature outlook. It applies for all games, Max Payne 3, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, you name it.

Something similar was The Path, anyone else play that? I loved it even though many said that one wasn't a game either.

I love The Path, but I've never really understood the 'not a game' perspective of it. Especially since 'Dear Esther' is considered borderline, and it appears to have all the gameplay mechanics of just the sole interactive cutscene portion of Path which makes up about 5% of it. I mean, you go around collecting things, uncovering story, exploring, you have full access to a 3D world. I'm not sure what sets it apart as an inbetween "interactive experience" honestly.

 

[BakonGuy]

--Long Post--

The new one is in fact a remake of the still free version. I believe I worded it wrong. The remake was being developed as a mod on ModDB throughout the entire development cycle, then went commercial at the last second. The amount of work put into it as is actually was intended to be free, that's why people were disappointed. I only know this because I am a regular on ModDB and Dear Esther was one of the mods I was keeping my eye on.