Reviews - Dear Esther Game

Feb 14th, 2012 10 people agree 2 people don't

A word of warning, this is definitely not for everyone, I can imagine someone downloading it thinking there would be a lot of action, but there is not.

The game contains breathtaking vistas and other sights, the visuals is absolutely astonishing. I first thought that this game would only run with 30 fps on my computer, but the game ran surprisingly well, I don't think I had a single (visible) framedrop.

If I had to give some criticism to the game, it would be the story and the way it is presented. It requires quite the English vocabulary, but not only that, the story is cut down to bits, and the game will read the bits as you go along, but they aren't directly connected to each other, so sometimes it just seems random. This may or may not be deliberate, so it is hardly a real criticism.

The question I have had was: "Is it worth the money?"
It takes around 75 minutes to complete for me. (note: I did not try to complete it as fast as i could, but I didn't see everything either). Dear Esther has some replayabilty as it is almost impossible to see everything first time around, there are some paths I have yet to follow.
The game is 8 €, so it's cheaper than the usual indie however it is also shorter than the usual indie game, but this gets balanced out by the fact that Dear Esther is 100 % all the time, it does not have it's bad moments.

All in all, I think it has been worth it, but I doubt that everyone will love it as much as I have. (and am having)

(Another note: I have played the mod, so I knew what I was going into, and I would recommend to people who are in doubt to go play the mod.)

Feb 19th, 2012 5 people agree 3 people don't

I've already enjoyed the mod and so I had to buy the game. It took me 1-2 hours to play through and I guess it was the money worth. The visual is breath taking and that was the only negativ point about the mod. Now the project "Dear Esther" is quite perfect.

If you support these guys with buying their game, you'll put an example that quality should stand at the top of every video game. Maybe some big will recognize...

Nov 5th, 2012 1 person agrees 0 people don't

Amazing story,
Amazing graphics,
Amazing atmosphere,
And amazing sounds.
"Dear Esther" stands as one of my all-time favorite game, (along with LBA2 ;)). Apart from the aesthetically pleasing side of "DE", with hindsight it became an enigma, that encounters an urge to decipher...

Feb 24th, 2012 4 people agree 3 people don't

Невероятное по своему эмоциональному эффекту грустное путешествие по острову, сотканному из обрывков воспоминаний и чувств.

От компьютерной игры в привычном ее понимании проект взял только технологическую форму. Разработчики не просто сместили фокус с игровых ситуаций, что можно встретить в похожих проектах, они полностью от них отказались, как от ненужных (вероятно, даже мешающих) в рамках заданной концепции. И в итоге взаимодействие с виртуальной средой, повествование, визуальный и звуковой ряд находятся в идеальной гармоничной взаимосвязи, акцент с которой ничего не сбивает и которая прекрасно выполняет поставленные задачи.
Я очень надеюсь, что инструменты разработки компьютерных игр все чаще будет использоваться для создания подобных произведений.

May 13th, 2013 0 people agree 0 people don't

Beautiful graphics
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Apr 8th, 2013 0 people agree 1 person doesn't

Good level design and sound!

Feb 27th, 2013 0 people agree 1 person doesn't

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.

Jan 18th, 2013 0 people agree 1 person doesn't
This review may contain spoilers

This game surprised me.
Amazing graphics, almost like real life...
A nice storyline, with a unexpected ending.

Jan 11th, 2013 1 person agrees 1 person doesn't

Work of art. What else could I say?

Dec 2nd, 2012 1 person agrees 1 person doesn't

Astonishing visuals, immersive soundtrack and a great, interesting story with a great ending twist. Dear Esther.