Dear Esther

[kibblesticks]

Dear Esther is a new indie game, available on Steam, which is a re-make of a half-life 2 mod. It's one of the most bleak and beautiful games I've played in a while. The setting is what initially attracted me to this game. It is set in the outer hebredes, a small collection of islands off the north coast of Scotland. The visuals really invoke a nostalgic reponse in me personally because as a child I used to go on walking holidays in Scotland with my family.

 

Another thing I like about the game is the fact that you can't shoot, jump or die. There are no enemies to kill or puzzles to solve, it's purely exploration. More like an interactive video than a "game. Soundtrack is very haunting and voiceovers are intruiging and allow you to piece together a narrative.

 

Ending is bleak and beautiful, just like the rest of the game.

 

I just wondered if anyone else has played this and if so, what did you think of it?

[DubstepKid]

I think it was a cool story-game. Great graphics. You can die, but you just respawn on the beach

[Povuholo]

I played the mod several years ago, I'll be playing the commercial remake soon.