I can't believe this. I really can't believe this. There is no gameplay. Its NOT a game. The graphics are pretty, yes... but who cares? There is a story... but why bother with games like Mass Effect and Bioshock? If you like wandering an island for 1 hour then here is what you want to spend your 10 dollars on this week. Otherwise, you can find something better to do with your 10$.

This is NOT a GAME in the 'normal' sense of the word. The Hebridean island you walk (extremely slowly) around isn't that graphically beautiful either (old source engine). The voice narrative is consumed with its (his) self importance, and I don't really need to hear the word "...listless..." twice in the space of 4 minutes! Music is moody but nothing great.

Yes I 'get' the storyline but for $10 this so called game is very short and if you could actually walk at a normal pace the game would end in around half an hour! People love the graphics, come on, the dungeons in SKYRIM are far more immersive and graphically far better.

Don't waste your money on this one, strictly below average and FAR too short for a whopping $10. Only worth a buck in my opinion...… Expand

They will, with pretension, tell you to forget the normal rules of play. They'll tell you it is 'an uncompromisingly inventive game held to the highest AAA standards' and that it is a ground breaking and breathtaking experience. It's a lie.

A game requires, REQUIRES, a certain amount of interaction whereby the player in some manner effects game. To be absolutely fair and to go back to the earliest games possible, this could be something as slight as overcoming some challenge in order to win (think bouncing the ball back to the other paddle in Pong). Dear Esther has no interaction. None. There is no challenge to overcome, no puzzle to solve in order to proceed. The 'breathtaking visual world' they give to you can in no way be effected, you can touch nothing, do nothing to it. All you do is walk through it. At points, you will be given a story as you walk and look around. A mute camera.

A good, solid story is one of the most important aspects of a game. This can never be denied. Is Dear Esther's good? That's solely a matter of opinion, and all I can share there is I found it mildly intriguing. It was severely dampened by it being placed into something that was NOT a game yet pretentiously sold itself into the medium; doing what plenty of college art projects and 'interactive movies' have done before it, but deceitfully put into the game medium so it can feel more special. Sure, the graphics are pretty, but that would only matter if something could be done with them. If it were a GAME. Anyone can draw a pretty picture in a computer these days. They LOOK great, but how many games has the market decried for being terrible in their graphics because the grass doesn't part right as you walk through it? Dear Esther's no different there. The backdrop is gorgeous- for a still picture.

Many people will tell you to forget standard gaming convention and to enjoy it for the art and poetry. In my opinion, they're merely sold on the hype the game passed itself off as. If you want art and poetry, go get actual art and poetry. At the end, it's the exact same experience. If you're so desperate for it that you have to buy Dear Esther and spend an hour virtually 'walking' from one place to another (you do nothing else in the game. NOTHING. You just walk through the path- FF13 had more gameplay than this) then I suggest proper college courses.

It's not art. It's not poetry. It's not special. It's not a game. They took no risks, offered you nothing different. You can watch a story unfold in any game, and plenty of them are mysteries to boot, AND you can do it while walking around. The only difference with Dear Esther? They removed all the other elements a game offers you. You just bought yourself a very, very short ten dollar movie. Good? Bad? I can't say. But as a GAME, which they sell it as? The lowest score possible, because it's simply not a game.… Expand

i got this game the day it was released on steam, and about an hour after i was left more puzzled than anything the game had offered. it wasn't due to the story, or not being capable of deep thought. some of my favorite films are from the likes of tarkovsky (where the stalker game came from), jodorowski, and have a love of art, literature and all things strange, minimal etc. as my user name would imply i've played games of every genre since DOS. point and click adventures and so on. something like dark seed, or the path is really more reminiscent of what i had hoped for. dear esther just kind of tells you a story for an hour. at the end, i had no desire to replay it, and was left wondering if the money invested went to licensing fee's to pay for the music and narration. a few things change places, and a bit of the dialog is mixed up in replays. there's absolutely no puzzles, or interactivity other than listening watching and holding forward. upon sharing these thoughts on a forum like steam, you're immediately clawed at by a relentless army of fanboys who must have skipped over the last 20 years of PC gaming. to some this game is probably a great breakthrough, but alas i felt like it would have been great only if it were the prologue to an actual game. overall the experience was very negative to me, i felt like this should have been half price at the MOST, if not free. to top it off i was in disbelief that news dropped saying they made back all their investment, in a matter of hours after release. i guess this is why we are getting video games that could have been so much more these days. because most of them are just cash in's. they see a marketable area and go for it, inevitably enough people will buy any game that didn't cost a million bucks to produce and make it profitable.… Expand

Horrible, absolutely horrid.

Completely misleading in every way. I was expecting an interactive story, filled with different pathways to choose from and interesting mysteries to discover and maybe even a few scares after I find out the answer to those mysteries.

What I actually got was a bore fest, just simply holding W for an hour until I get hit in the head by an unsatisfying ending. I won't spoil it for you, but it is unrewarding in every way.

Avoid this game, if you are serious about playing it even after reading this, just get the mod. The original version was a mod for HL2, it's free and its just the same but it's graphics are dated.

The only reason why this is rated high is because some stupid hipsters think it's cool to like something "unique" even when it's not actually a game, more like a walking simulator with many limitations.

And by all means, it is not a game. And to any who disagree, go back to your stupid artsy fartsy "art" college.… Expand

This is not a game. It is a story, that's it. Nothing more than a story, where you can walk around. It doesn't have anything else but the walking and the story. I don't think that this should be marked as a game, since this simply isn't a game.

This is not even a game, its really just another supposedly creative use of the extremely outdated looking source engine. Kind of a virtual tour of a place that never existed (but feels like northern Maine). Just a very boring waste of time... I wish people would stop making filth like this and focus on making games great again. Technique is a failed attempt at style, and this is a failed attempt at a game. I would rather read a book than sit through this stupid boring digital deuce. Incase you missed it THIS "GAME" IS BORING! The fact that some of these morons are giving it a 10 tells me the reason games like this exist is that gamers are not what they used to be. On what grounds is this a 10? it IS NOT even a game so how can it be a fkn perfect one?! HOW can you play this turd and say "yep, 10 for gameplay"? It isnt even a 10 for graphics or story or anything at all, no single part of this trite P.O.S. is deserving of a 10 much less the entire ball of crap! Did you fuq'tards even play myst (who am i kidding 90% of these reviews are probably by 20 something weeaboos)? because this format has been used before and atleast THAT had puzzles you could interact with. This "game" can best be described by saying "stare at a pile of crap for 40 min, there you win".… Expand

To each their own I guess. Dear Ester is not a game. At best it is an interactive movie. In reality it is one of the 1990 Multimedia scenery viewers. This "game" has been horribly mislabeled and advertised.

Horribly boring. I based my decision only because the reviews were ravingly good. Even the ratings were in the upper 80s. I will never base my choices on that again. I will from now on, download demos and see for myself.

A lot of people tend to try and justify the purchase of something that they cannot return. It's quite sad that people, held hostage by their own denial, have mistaken holding forward for gameplay and 'listless' narrative for a storyline. Sure, it has graphics, but every game has graphics. In fact, lots of films have graphics and some books have pictures in them too. And I think a film or graphic novel would be an infinitely more rewarding experience than this 45 minute "game", for the same price. Don't buy this.… Expand

this is really not a game. there is not gameplay to be had. no exploring to do. in fact you really dont do anything. you just walk in a straight line from point a to point b. then its over. took me about 10 minutes to beat the "game". there is no content. no story. nothing.

really poor.

Dear Esther, What a complete and total waste of time and money you were. You thieving bastard give me back my money and 60 minutes of my life. I recommend staying away from this boring, slow moving, poor graphic motion picture.

I picked this game up in the Steam Summer Sale on July 16th. People complain about video games becoming movies, then talk about this game as if it is something unique or game changing. This game is an interactive island walking simulator that tells you bits of story every now. The people telling you that it is an "interactive fiction narrative" or "interactive story" are misleading you. It is no more an interactive story than a book is an interactive story. The story is partially randomized at the very start of the game and it is set in stone at that point. You must then walk through the island, discovering fragments of the story, and have the game tell the story to you. There is nothing intellectual, artsy, or deep about this game. The game is stunningly lackluster in everything that makes it a game. This game comes across as being made by a company that wanted to do a 1 hour cinematic, but knew that moviegoers wouldn't care for this narcissistic, pretentious drivel.… Expand

Wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a waste of ten good dollars. You roam around this island with basically the same type of background replicated repeatedly.. There seems to be no point to any of it. The cave is an endless maze of similar background where the most exciting thing are mushrooms that turn toward you as you move. I want my money back, this game was disappointing..

This so called game is nothing more than a story with pretty graphics. As many have stated, it isn't a game at all. It's hard for me to believe there are so many 10 ratings for something you just walk and let the game tell a story; a very weak story at that. The biggest problem is the dialogue doesn't match up with where you are in the game, which makes the whole thing feel pointless. Also, there is no interaction of any sort. The best part was the scenery and the music score, but one can only stare at the weeds and flowers blow in the wind for so long. Sad to say, holding down mouse1 to zoom in 3 inches is about as interactive as it gets. Do yourself a favor and put your money toward another game. You will be happy you did. It took 75 minutes to complete, and at the end could not believe what I had just played. Two thumbs way down.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This "game" is pathetic and horribly disappointing. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel to Amnesia by thechineseroom, so I decided to play this first. Sadly, it was terrible.

There is no option to run, so you have to maintain a very slow walking pace. If you try to swim around and 'explore' (as the game was advertised to be about) then you will drown, and a man will say "Come back." (which I'll get to in a minute.) Tiny rocks are impossible to traverse, and there is no jump button. This game is about exploration, but exploring is hardly rewarded at all--you may get a slight hint about the extremely obvious 'twist' in the storyline, such as finding a picture of Esther, or some medical bags, or seeing ghosts in the distance wandering the island, however very rarely do you actually get to hear extra dialogue as a result, and when you do it is usually extremely limited, and then you have to make the long, arduous walk back.

Before this seems like a complete rant, I'd like to point out that the music and graphics are fantastic. The graphics are probably the best I've ever seen in a Source title, and the caves in particularl looked beautiful (plenty looked like they would make perfect backgrounds, and some of the outdoors environments looked great too...) but... you're better off just googling "pretty landscapes," and then playing some beethoven on youtube while you look at them than playing this "game."

This game lasted me a total of forty five minutes, and I never see myself going back to it. It cost me 10 bucks... 2 dollars is the most this should reasonably cost. I don't understand how this game took other people 2 hours.. I looked all around the island, found many hidden things, read the paper boats in the water, and read all the text on the walls... but it still lasted me forty five minutes and felt like an eternity. That being said, after the ending, I thought it was the end of chapter one (especially without the credits playing... or anything happening, it just stayed on a black screen.)

People seem to ignorantly praise this game for the fact that it tried somethign new, which, I disagree with. This isn't new. There are many games that favor exploration and storyline over gameplay (look at Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, or Penumbra.) The ideal is to have excellent gameplay, but also to have excellent exploration and storyline, like my all time favorite game Zelda: Majora's Mask. They also praise it for its storyline... oh, my, no.

The storyline is undeniably poor. I'm going to spoil it in this paragraph, so if you still want to play this game for some reason, don't read this. Over and over, incessently the narrator keeps talking about the car crash, the drunk driver, and the road to Damascus. It never ends. There are medical bags laying on the floor. There is a point where you're on the road where the car crash happened, and instead of the car crash there's a medical bed. Everytime you almost die from drowning or falling, a heartbeat rises, and the narrator says "Come back." And the game ends with him saying "Esther, come back, come back.." Do I even need to say it? Its so painfully obvious and not at all clever.. the narrator is a man next to Esther, and he is talking to her in her dreams/coma after the car crash. She's coming to terms with what happened to her, and eventually dying (the ending.) Its not exactly difficult to piece together, and calling it clever is just silly.

This game was a horrible disappointment, and I wish I had a refund.
+ Graphics
+ Sound
- 'Gameplay'
- Story
- Absolutely no fun at all.

This 'game' probably deserves a one or two out of 10, or, understandably, an aggregate of about 4 to 4.5... but seeing how inexplicably people like this and the aggregate is 6.5, I'm going to try to do my part to pull it down so other people won't waste their money like I did.

Thanks for reading! Don't make the same mistake I did!… Expand

Since we are reviewing games here i give this 3d show reel a 0/10. And to kids the only piece of art they've seen is located in a bathroom saying this is art, replicating reality with photo-realism and nothing else in mind is not ART, it's just mere artisan's work, and not even the best attempt at. The narration is even worse than the visuals, enough said.

10 dollars for one hour of a game with absolutely no replay value may be worth it, if you really like the story, what you can't tell before you actually finish the game. Still, the game centers itself in two aspects: 1 - Story, 2 - Graphics. The story is nice, sometimes you wish you could just press shift so the character would go a bit faster... The graphical part is really good, if you ignore completely all the plants on the ground. They are all camera-aligned billboards and, as you pass near them, makes the game look synthetic, killing part of the immersion (and immersion is really important to it, more than to most games). In fact, it's not really a game, it's an interactive narrative that is not really interactive at all (sometimes you'll wish you had an auto-walk button or something to keep the W button down). Have to say that the title is pretentious, that's a fact.… Expand

Why are all the reviewers and many user reviews calling this an interactive experience?...let me sate one simple thing about Dear Esther....there is NO interaction whatsoever......the only influence the user has on this so called game is on the scripted Diary being read out in some dreamy often confusing and quite frankly boring story/narration....walking past a certain point along the island and the next stage of the diary is read out...do this as you walk about admiring the scenery until you reach the end of the very short and somewhat pointless experience....an experience which left me feeling somewhat cheated of my money...

Like many i feel i fell for the hype of this so called game....but i quickly learned its nothing more than very restricted scripted story..you find your self channelled into the next chapter by the numerous barb wired paths which prevent any REAL exploration...you can only travel along pre-ordained paths....along these paths are the odd building but nothing more...yes at first its a haunting intriguing experience...but it quickly fades into disillusionment, disappointment and frustration....

At best Dear Esther serves as a graphical platform to delight the eyes and evoke your senses of being alone and isolated on this island....but like i said...when you realise your ability to travel is limited to pre-ordained and restricted paths it soon becomes a chore to quickly get the whole experience over with....in the end i didn't care about the rushed and poor ending, i stopped looking for clues that weren't there...i got bored of all the writing on the rocks and caves...it all seemed so pretentious and shallow.....

No doubt the indy style devs will be happy with the surprising sales and be working on their next instalment...well once bitten twice shy....never again...its got to be the most over rated 'game' 'experience' out there......its not until you finish the very short scripted walk around a VERY small part of this island you realise how boring it all was...even the night time scenes are scripted...there are no options to choose or prefer to walk around this island in the day/night...EVERYTHING is done for you...the odd path that wanders from the scripted direction you must take soon end with dead ends and no other option but to turn back and follow the one direction that the story wants you to walk....its all very frustrating and shallow...not very rewarding...no sense of freedom to do as you wish...in fact this game has nothing..no interaction nothing...you may as watch the many you tube videos out there to see it for free...the experience is the same...

I would of given this a 3 or 4 but seeing as some idiots have given this piece of junk a 10..then am afraid someone needs to re-address the balance so i give it a 0!..no way does it deserve 10!!!....some people will always be fools and rate a game before they fully realise its shortcomings...am not one of them!..


Dear Esther...do me a big favour and go away!..leave me alone!....please dont return in another sequel,.....emigrate.....get married to someone else..sell your cheap body elsewhere ...hell i dont care what you do, jump of a bridge for all i care...just stay away from me you shallow, pretentious boring ****… Expand

How the hell do they get away with charging money for this piece of trash? This is not a game, there are no gameplay elements WHATSOEVER. You literally can't interact with ANYTHING in this game. There's hardly anything in the game, I beat it it under an hour (or finished it I should say, like I said there are no gameplay elements whatsoever). Apparently there is supposed to be a story here but it's so unintelligible that by the end you'll be left scratching your head as to why you wasted all this time thinking the story would tie together somehow.

The creator of this game must think he's a real Stanley Kubrick, but in the end it just reaks of Uwe Bol. Trash trash trash... just utter trash, don't waste your money on this. It's not even a good looking game, the island is bland as hell and aside from a grant total of 3 or 4 structures and some meaningless paintings on the walls every now and then - the level design is literally just bland rock. The only reason I even give it a 1 and not a 0 is because I guess at least they spent a long time building their boring bland island, and I suppose there were 1 or 2 views that looked decent. In the end though avoid this game like the plague, it isn't even a game, nor is it art. It's utter **** seriously **** this bull**** I expected more from a game receiving such good ratings, you all make me sick.… Expand

This is not really a game when you remove the traditional gameplay style. Besides the boring storytelling, decent music and good graphics of the Source Engine, this HL2 mod turning into an Indie as a remake should have been a computer-graphic movie instead on YouTube rather than playing through it. Therefore it's not worth the money and the playing time.

This isn't really a game. The only upside of this title are the graphics (great use of a old engine), and supposedly it's history, which I didn't bother to hear because the "game" itself is sooooo boring.

This is a poor excuse for a game. It simply isn't interesting to play and is just simply boring. This is not my type of game. The idea of listening to some boring English guy drone on about crap could put my in a coma. I do not like this game. I simply hate it.

Confusing and boring story. No interactivity AT ALL. The beautiful was not enough to keep me playing till the end. I dropped the game after about 20 minutes. I later read in wikipedia the rest of the story and I still insist that it is boring and the end would probably annoy me even more.

I wouldn't call this a game at all. And people giving this a 10 are probably out of their minds. If this is a 10, then what would you put on Amnesia? 310?… Expand

Here is my detailed guide to Dear Esther. Hold W and guide your character with the mouse. That is the limit of interaction Dear Esther offers. Along the way there are segments of a story which reveals itself as you progress through the island. This is in no way a game and I would not recommend it at even 10 notes.

I'm all for great story telling in a game, but this is no game at all. You explore a landscape while being told a story. No puzzles, no combat, no inventory, no jumping. You can't interact with anything. None of the buttons do anything except zoom in (they all zoom in). Occasionally you find a fork in the path you are on and think "Oh man, some semblance of risk/reward" only to find out it's either a dead end or it winds back around to the other path. This is as linear,l and as boring, as a "game" can get.

I gave it 1 point for the atmosphere and writing.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a game. A waste of time and money. If you are going to have me push forward for an hour to hear a story then please just put the camera on rails and save me the boring journey. The slow trek up the rocks did feel like passing kidney stones. By the end you just want the guy to jump off the tower to end this miserable experience. The graphics looks great but that's about it. The menu says "Resume Game" What game?? there is no game. Moving a crawling camera through a level with no object interaction and listen to a block of text every now and then is NOT a game.… Expand

I like it when games dare to be different. I liked Penumbra, and I liked Amnesia even more; those games struck a nice balance with atmosphere and gameplay while being different from almost everything I had played before. This game, however, offers no such balance since it abandoned any semblance of gameplay altogether. It's been said here by other reviewers and I'll say it again, just to reinforce the notion: there is no interactivity to speak of and no real gameplay whatsoever. There are no meaningful choices to make, no consequences, no inventory to manage, no characters to interact with, no enemies to defeat or evade, no objectives to complete; you can't even control when your flashlight turns on and off (this feature is automanaged for you as you enter and leave unlit areas). It is a game that dared to be so different that it actually stopped being a game. Moving on, I don't want to obsess over what Dear Esther IS NOT this whole review, so I will talk about what it IS. As others here have pointed out, it is simply a different way of telling a story... a visual metaphor, if you will. In my opinion, it is an unsuccessful way of telling a story, and I wont be paying for any other "games" that may appear in this "genre". As a game, story, and movie respectively, it was boring and un-entertaining. Dear Esther's soundtrack is quite good, and it is visually is nice to look at, especially in the caves chapter; I will award a couple points for those qualities, even though I want to give it a flat zero. I'll award one more point to the fact that the developers had the balls think out side the box... in fact, they stepped outside the box, picked it up, folded it, put it in the recycle bin, went to the nearest Blockbuster Video and rented What Dreams May Come. So that's it, a generous 3 out of 10.… Expand

This is not a game its a CGI video of the Hibredian islands I know its £6 or so on steam but save your money go on youtube and look at the vista's on there it will have more gameplay than this

Where is the game here? Interactivity ends and begins with movement and observation. This is not the problem in itself; what is: the sum of all possibilities effected by this mode of "interaction" amount to no more than a monologue being regurgitated piecemeal. There's no problem with this not being a game - just that it is marketed (and priced) as one. Wandering around an environment with a couple of audio tracks does not constitute a game. End.… Expand

I bought this game day 1 and found myself regretting dishing out 15 dollars for it. The island is beautiful and very atmospheric, but that's about all. I would have liked to see a little bit more interactivity than holding down the W button for an hour and a half.

To score this game even 0.01 would be generous. A game that is not a game, is not a game! If I wanted to walk round listening to an old man talk about a crash on a motorway that may or may not have happened, I would go to the local old folks home. I feel totally robbed. Does the graphics designer wear a mask? What is relaxing about having a headache whilst trying to figure out what this tack is all about? £6 my left arm. Rubbish.… Expand

I'll give this game a 1, on the principle that it tries to do something different, it is visually stunning, and its got a great soundtrack. All of that, ups it to a 1. It is possibly one of the worst PC experiences I have ever had. Look at the screen shots and put on some classical over ocean sounds in the background and you've played the game. Don't waste even $1 on this game. I would not be nearly as upset if this game was touted as including "Exploration" and "Adventure" there is nothing. It is a straight line experience with zero interactivity. Art hanging on a wall is more enticing and engaging then this piece. Do NOT buy this "game".

Honestly I'm considering not buying any game that gets recommended to me if I "Liked" this game. I would not trust their content at all.… Expand

"Dear Esther, how horrid you truly are. Like a virtual tour I grew endlessly tired and helpless, evermore hopeless I was. Wanting, dreaming, and then dreading the time would come when I would then see the light~to find no answer; a shadows cast

I'm all for stretching the boundaries of what can be considered a "game," and I love games with a emphasis on story. But this game fell flat. The story was uninteresting, the music was forgettable, and the pace was unbearably slow.

First things first, this is not a game. By it's own admission, it is more an experiment of narrative in the game medium. It fails, in my estimation, a failed experiment. If you've played the free "Stanley Parable" mod for Half-Life 2, you will have at least an inkling of what kind of template Dear Esther uses (though clearly, the former is more lighthearted than the latter). Let's throw some complements about this title out there first. It does have some nice graphics and the environmental design is striking at times and...umm...well, I'm sadly out of good things to say. The next nicest thing I have to say is at least it only lasts about an hour. You start the game with no idea how or why you are there, nor any instructions. So, inevitably you begin to walk around. And I hope you enjoy walking around, because that is the only action that you, as the player, get to do. As you amble onward, every 5 or so minutes the game spits a bit narrative at you. Unlike the Stanley Parable, none of Dear Esther is particularly interesting or well written, and it most definitely isn't cohesive. I believe that lack of cohesion was done unwittingly, rather it was used as a mechanic by the game's designers to give the paper thin prose an air of mystery...being obtuse makes things hard to understand and, when done right, makes you work to follow the thread and give you a sense of accomplishment or reward once you start piecing things together. Problem being on this breadcrumb laden story's path, there is no thread. You come across bits of narrative slowly (and I do mean slowly - you walk at the pace of a geriatric snail, mash the Shift key all you'd like), and over time you realize none of them really connect. There is just random narrative, islands of text that refuse to work together in harmony to create an overarching story. Little things that do start to have any kind of meaning or interest or appear to be revealed in interesting ways end up being things that are already explained to you in the synopsis of the game. If you want a mild surprise, read as little about this game as you can - including, and especially, it's own synopsis. In the end, you might as well just fire up Skyrim, start wandering aimlessly, and play a 15 second clip from a different book-on-tape every 5 or so minutes. It'll be just as interesting. All I can say is I'm glad I was able to get the game on sale for $1.39.… Expand

WARNING! THIS "GAME" IS 20 MINUTES LONG!

I'd give the score lower were it not for the beautiful graphics. There are SO MANY DAMN BAD THINGS about this game that it's hard to decide where to begin. FIrst of it ISN'T A GAME, there is 0 INTERACTION with everything! No, really! THIS IS A HOLD W (forward) SIMULATOR! The story is really really uninteresting, this game is the equivelent of watching a **** film major's indie film that he couldn't get funded so he put it onto a game instead, easy to understand but arrogant and pretentious enough to believe it self to be otherwise, you will simply rather early begin to wonder when will the narrator shut up since you already got the idea of what occur a while back.

So yeah, if you wanna spend 10 bucks like I did to see nice graphics go ahead or just you know....buy a GAME with good graphics rather than this......thing.… Expand

I'm writing this as a warning for people not to waste their money thinking this is a game. It shouldn't be marketed or sold as a game. Steam don't give refunds (which is outrageous in my opinion. They wouldn't get away with it in any other industry) so don't waste your money. All you do is just wander around. There's nothing to do or any way to interact. Yes the graphics are fantastic and the music atmospheric but what's the point? I can't give this any score at all because it's just a graphic showcase. I can't think I've ever been so bored. Watch tv if you want something that you can only look at at and not interact with at all. Avoid at all costs because charging money for this is an outrageous rip off.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is visually beautiful, audibly intriguing yet because of the content of the story I find it actually let me down like a falling stone. This contains spoilers so stop reading NOW! Due to the fact that I have actually experienced a "suicide" personally pretty recently in my "own" family, I see absolutely no value on the subject of death for "entertainment's" sake. But rather it's a harsh reality that we all have to succumb to one day, in our own lives. Because life is already very difficult at times, it sincerely pissed me off to see me investing 3-5 hours of my own life's time, to see the outcome of some unfortunate soul commit such a tragedy at the end of this short story. I will share a pure truth with anyone that's just curious enough to ponder suicide. I personally feel that if you are "brave" enough to end your own life? Then you are "brave" enough to face any problem that comes your way. And in closing, this game really made me furious when they tried to "incorporate" Christianity within the madness of this story. Trying to fuse the logic of ending one's life, to make it just ok with God that's I "offed" myself? Doubtful...very doubtful...It had a lot more promise, yet miserably failed with such a bad ending.… Expand

Bad game, not because it doesn't have guns or monsters, in fact I thought it would be GOOD for those reasons. I stand corrected. I didn't pay for a two hour game that is just a guy talking in riddles. I payed for a great story that I could really get into, because that's what it was meant to be. At the end all I was saying was "Huh? What? Is it over? What happened?" and to be honest, the graphics are horrible, Sure, it's great for the source engine, but source came out 2004, we're living in 2013 people! If you want to walk around a countryside with good graphics, then get Skyrim. Also it only has two hours of gameplay. And even if it was longer, it wouldn't be any better because there isn't even any gameplay to speak of!
Gameplay: N/A
Next gen graphics: N/A
Anyone who gives this game a score of 7/10 is lying. Anyone who gives this game a score of 10/10 IS LYING. I cannot recommend this game to anyone.… Expand

Dear Esther is not a game.

If it is anything, it is an art piece. However, the developers have billed it as a game, and this is a title it fails utterly to live up to. Artistic as it may be, and Dear Esther is certainly beautiful, only by the most loose of definitions can it ever be called a game. Simply put, it is missing any element that would qualify it as one.

In games, there is a challenge. In games, your choices and actions have an effect on the outcome. In games, there is the possibility of success or failure. However, in Dear Esther, there is only observation. You walk through a world that you have no influence over, an audience rather than a player. Nothing you do will have any influence on the story. In fact, there is nothing you can do. You walk. You observe. You listen. The story is spoon-fed to you, but without context and requiring your own interpretation.

In essence, Dear Esther bares more in common to a painting than a videogame. Look at it from any angle you like. Take as long as you want to study it, or see it all quickly. These are the kinds of choices that Dear Esther offers. It invites you to admire its beauty...to look but not touch. The result is a very moving experience, but not a very entertaining one. It feels very much like seeing an exhibit in a museum. Indeed, artistically it is excellent. However, as I said at the beginning, Dear Esther is presented as being a game, and it is nothing of the kind. It must be scored as a game, and not as art.

Dear Esther is not a game.… Expand

Very pretty graphics, the sea looks excellent and the mountains are great, if you like graphics then buy this program. The story is weird and interesting but this is NOT a game. It is a walk though a dark and wonderful 3D island, you can't win or lose so no game.

The zero was for the sole purpose to bring down Dear Esther's score. I knew it was not a game and that it has no gameplay. But I thought I should give a try 'cause there are plenty of positive review.
Somebody said it is a piece of work. A pile of crap would be the most accurate definition.
You wander two hours on a very beautiful island, guided by an high quality atmosphere blending soundtrack. The purpose of Dear Esther is telling a good story in a different way. Unluckily, the story is crap. Random monologues, representing character letter to a dead girl are heard from time to time. The fact is, they don't make sense. And the story, if there's one behind this letters, is a crappy pile of cliches.
As many suggested, a short film would have made more sense. If I knew, I would have refused Dear Esther even if it was for free. There are tons of things you could enjoy more, including being raped by a gorilla.… Expand

When I pay money for a VIDEOGAME, I expect it to be something I can play. And walking around on an island is not my idea of playing a videogame. The game is visually amazing. Yes. I can agree with that. Paying 10$ to walk around and just watch the environment while a story develops might be appealing for some. It's just not what I expect when I pay money for a game. Yes, Dear Esther is very artistic, but it's not what I call a videogame.… Expand

There is possibly a good game in there but it is covered by walking, walking, and more walking. The walking kind of kills the game because if you take a wrong turn then it takes 5 minutes to walk back on the trail. The story is very hard to follow and understand. The only thing that kept me from giving this game a 1 is the amazing visuals.

Regardless of how good the storytelling is, or isn't, 10 USD is way too expensive for an hour of gameplay, let alone non-gameplay. If this is art, I'd rather stick to being an ignorant and uncultured hick.

Went into this expecting some kind of Myst ripoff and I got an "interactive" movie instead. The narrator speaks cryptically about everything making what little story there is here very convoluted (randomization doesn't help the situation either). Dear Esther functions on intricate set pieces and music to keep your attention away from all the other problems with the game, like the fact it isn't a game. I'd be OK "playing" this if I got it in some Humble Indie Bundle but $10 for a remake of a 1 hour mod using the Source engine is ridiculous. The only reason this game isn't being slammed as being pretentious hipster garbage is because of the subject matter at hand. Otherwise this game would be totally overlooked and reveiled for being what it is: another overpriced, misleading, pretentious "indie" game.… Expand

It's already been noted that Dear Esther isn't really a game as such. That's fine, and I'm actually a bit of a fan of interactive fiction (give Shade or Anchorhead a go sometime) and other 'games' that bend the definition a bit. However, despite the lovely visuals and the neat caving section I can't really recommend it. The prose is florid and purple, and thinks it's a lot more meaningful than it actually is. Despite the ill-considered random allocation of voice clips to each playthrough, the plot is pretty much given away at the start by chemical formulae on walls and overly obvious hints. Interactive fiction is fine, but this is bad fiction.… Expand

Oh dear. I "played" (read that as walked) though this game and was left wanting. Although the story itself was compelling enough I felt no connection to it's world as you can't interact with anything at all. It is essentially a walk though some admittedly scenic areas but that's really all there is to this "game". If your in the market for an art game there a lot better titles out there; but if you like waliking about (without leaving home) and listening to an audio book this is you thing.… Expand

This game was quite simply boring and not an "experience" as many call it. Its story isn't bad and the graphics look nice, but aside from those two features the game is no fun. All you are doing is walking around at a slow pace throughout the duration of the game and it is being acclaimed likely because people are attempting to look for something in the game that isn't there. Don't waste your time with this game, it would better be spent playing games that are guaranteed to be fun.… Expand

I wouldn't even really call this a game. Its just wandering around in some nice graphics with a not so good story line that doesn't really go anywhere.

Its kinda like a book with a great cover and blurb....but was never finished, and somehow is being sold in stores...

I play most of the games I have at least twice. But this one I wont go near again as its just a waste of my time.

As a mod for a game, this is cute. As it's own game, it's nothing worthwhile. The story could easily have been packed into 20 minutes instead of 60-90 minutes of walking through beautiful, but generally uninteresting terrain.

Honestly, it's not a game. It could easily have been a cut scene or a short movie, but then again you wouldn't get the fan boy defence corps or all that juicy profit if it wasn't sold as a game. The game tells you the story of Esther's husband wandering through a Hebridean island (A thoroughly ugly scene to behold) coming to terms with his wife's death. You are somehow automatically expected to care about the wife or his plight and are subjected to 45 minutes of gripping.... holding down the W button. You walk painfully slowly through the island, often being encouraged to take a wrong turn to try and find additional dialogue. The problem is the dialogue just isn't interesting or rewarding. The whole piece is neither emotionally gripping nor philosophically gripping, so I honestly don't know what it is aiming for.
What Dear Esther needed was dynamic content and emotion. What it has is neither.… Expand

I played Dear Esther and Proteus back to back, and it is clear to me that this is the superior "art adventure" game. I went in to this game knowing what it was and I have to say i was somewhat pleasantly surprised. The environment you are in is actually interesting and the narration that plays throughout your experience adds to that. But, I must say, I tried so hard to make sense of the story but I just couldn't do that. If your game is all about enjoying the story, yet the gamer is having a hard time trying to understand it, then you've messed up. The graphics and sounds are decently done, I can't really complain about them. The game length, however, is very, very short. I completed it in less than 1 hour and really have no desire to return to it. With such a short length, and a price tag of $10, it's very difficult to recommend this. There is no interaction with the environment whatsoever and that is something I feel was a mistake. This game could have really benefited from being able to find hidden notes or other items relating to the story throughout the environment. This would have encouraged me to explore my environment more so than I did. This was a promising game that ultimately fell very short of expectations. Hopefully this developer tries making a true interactive experience in the future.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Possibly one of the most lamest games I have ever had the unfortunate displeasure of playing.

The only thing that is good in the entire "multi-angle" movie is the scenery.

The scenery looks amazing, however I'm quite sure you could see better with a cheap blender file rendering. Thankfully Steam had this game on offer when I bought it and I can see why, had I paid full price I'd have been taking it up with trading standards for false advertising.

The game is advertised as an "adventure game" when I think of an adventure game I think of games like maybe text adventure games Behind Closed Doors, Very Big Cave Adventure, or point and click adventures like Secret of Monkey Island, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Grim Fandango, or puzzle adventure games like Myst or Dark Fall, or finally adventure/action games like Tomb Raider, or Uncharted.

This game doesn't fit into any of these categories. This game is a very bad and very cheap effort at the games company trying to make a quick buck.

The thing that makes the game so poor is that in the game the end user has absolutely nothing to do, other than admire the scenery and move the character around the island.

Yes really that is it. It's like reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book without any turn to this page, or turn to that page.

You have absolutely nothing to do within the game other than follow the path round try and veer off the path to look at something you quickly find yourself stuck on a rock unable to go any further, at most if you get bored there is a really big chasm that you can throw yourself into or drown yourself in the sea but unfortunately that just leads to a message stating "come back" and then a regeneration on the nearest land.

There are no puzzles whatsoever in this game, there is stuff scrawled on walls like science symbols which you would have thought maybe used later in some kind of puzzle or something, but no they aren't used for anything.

The scenery is stunning, especially when your in the cave, but other than that it is nothing more than just an interactive multi-angle movie which is something DVD's did years ago and is nothing new.

As for it's definition as a game I'd actually question as to whether that is actually accurate the definition of game is as follows

"A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.".

There is no skill, strength or luck and I don't think just following a path around an island constitutes playing either, so it is more an interactive movie than a game.

In addition to this the story line is just as bad. The entire story seems to depict the lives of a number of people 2 of them ended their lives on the island, whilst another 2 managed to kill themselves on the M5 motorway the scene of which is re-built in a pool, and finally you end up being another victim of the island or do you turn into a gull at the end and fly over the island?? Very bizarre story line.

If you ever played Myst or Dark Fall and thought you might like it if they removed all the puzzles then you'd like this, but if you like the puzzles and at least some kind of a challenge then this is not the game for you.

The game took me about 30 minutes to complete this morning, but now knowing how it works I could probably whizz round that island in about 10-15 minutes.… Expand

This dosen't even deserve to be called a game. It's an hour or so long "game" where all you do is walk on some island and listen to narrator telling an very uninteresting story. If there is one thing i can say good about this game is that it had very nice graphics. But graphics don't make game good. This is something that i assume The Chinese Room didn't understand, and that is why we have this utterly boring game. I am giving it a low score because this is a game i am reviewing, but if this was made for artisic attempt, it would have better score. I am guessing that's why there are so many positive score for this game, because all this people looked at it as an art but not as a game. But i will not go there as developers are saying that this is a game, so i am giving it a low score.… Expand