“A deserted island…a lost man…memories of a fatal crash…a book written by a dying explorer.” Two years in the making, the highly anticipated Indie remake of the cult mod Dear Esther arrives on PC. Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: "Dear Esther..." - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years. Abandoning traditional gameplay for a pure story-driven experience, Dear Esther fuses it’s beautiful environments with a breathtaking soundtrack to tell a powerful story of love, loss, guilt and redemption. Winner of 2012 IGF Excellence in Visual Art. Supported by Indie Fund.
Dear Esther surprised me. When I first heard news of it and what it was about, I partialy knew what to expect. Looking at some of the screenshots I could see that it had amazing visuals and a very somber atmosphere, which is what I like. To some people, Dear Esther isn't a normal game, but more like an experience. Rather than having an objective or some kind of enemy to defeat, Dear Esther tells a story as you walk through the game, and that's it.
Dear Esther has a deep feeling of sorrow and regret. The melancholy story and gloomy atmosphere go along perfectly with each other. It starts off with the character looking for answers, looking for way to be with what he once lost. As the story progresses, he talks of people from his past, jumping from one story to the others. There's a great amount of abiguity, forcing you to try and piece together the story yourself, but that's part of what gives this game it's charm.
For me, Dear Esther truely is a unique game, a real masterpiece. Dear Esther surprised me because I didn't expect such an amazing and beautiful experience to come with it. Definitely one of, and maybe even my favorite game of all time.