2/20/2023 0 Comments Dear esther analysis![]() There is no run button, and once the pretty but fairly uniform environment has been carefully observed on the first trip down the road, there is nothing interesting to experience on the way back. There will be some environment piece to see off the beaten path, and new dialog may play, but after reaching the end of the road, the player has to slowly walk all the way back to the origin of the split. In these areas where the roads split, one of the roads will eventually lead to a dead end. There will be few times when the player has to choose between two roads, but this is usually an exercise in frustration. The sense of place gained from the beautiful environment is partly lost from the lack of interaction with it. This detracts from the experience of exploring the island. However, outside of walking, there are no additional mechanics to help engage the player in navigating the environment interestingly, so the player's mind and reflexes are minimally engaged (there are a couple of short, minor swim portions, but they are almost indiscernible from walking). The player only has to be concerned with traversing the environment to get to the next unexplored location. The player is solving a problem, albeit a very simple problem, that of navigation. While there is very little to do here, the player is still interacting with the world. As I've pointed out, the player just walks as he soaks in the environment and listens to a character speak about his background and hike on the island. Let's address the concern that this isn't a game. And it is in this utter simplicity that many are confused about what this game is, while some other players are actually overwhelmed with a feeling akin to what an eleven-year-old boy feels like when opening an issue of Playboy Magazine for the first time. ![]() Indeed, all the player does in Dear Esther is walk and look, nothing more. ![]() ![]() I could almost forget to mention what the player actually does, and my description above would still provide a comprehensive summary of the player experience. When there is no music the aural experience is supplanted by a wealth of sound effects, from waves clashing against beach rocks to wind gusts brushing against tall grass as they find refuge inside the peaceful embrace of a cave's comforting womb. The music, which presents itself with the same frequency as the narrator's dialog, is expectedly effective at adding to the feeling of desolation, somberness and the infrequent discomfort. As already stated, the island is desolate, with subtle hints of land once occupied. Additionally, the environment is gorgeous and serves the purpose of giving the player a sense of place. As the player progresses in the game, the audio reveals details about the narrator's past and/or experiences on the island, which are intriguing at best and efficient at worst. The writing, while often indulging in prolix speech that lessens the plausibility of the narrator's feelings of sorrow, is pleasant to listen to. The player won't run into other characters during his journey across a desolate island as his only companion are pieces of occasional dialog often directed at "Esther," left behind by a well-voiced character that has traversed the environment earlier, which trigger as the player arrives at different points of interest. ![]() The game succeeds at setting a mood of loneliness and gloom. By far, the strength of Dear Esther.įirstly, there is validity to some of the praise Dear Esther has received. ![]()
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