Dear Esther

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 16 expert reviews

Excellent:

5
Good:

7
Average:

2
Bad:

2

Pros:

Detailed story that begs to be interpreted.
Gorgeous scenery.
Randomized narration leads to replayability.

Cons:

Two hours long.
Cave area eclipses rest of the game.

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Last revision on January 24, 2016

Reviewers Liked

Detailed story that begs to be interpreted
Gorgeous scenery
Randomized narration leads to replayability
Great writing weaves a complex story
Narration is excellent
Somber, beautiful setting

Reviewers Didn't Like

Two hours long
Cave area eclipses rest of the game
Level design awkwardly dead-ends occasionally
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Expert reviews and ratings

It won't be to everyone's tastes, but Dear Esther is a highly original and evocative experience...

By Computeractive on March 29, 2012

Dear Esther was originally conceived as a mod for Half-Life 2, but with backing from the Indie Fund, UK indie developer Thechineseroom has fleshed it out into a compelling and unusual game.If you can call it a game.Dear Esther is, in some ways, more...

By PCWorld New Zealand on March 28, 2012

100

Originally released as mod for Half-life 2 in 2008, Dear Esther has been redesigned with completely new level design and visuals, extended voice work, and re-orchestration of the soundtrack. Funding for the project's redesign was provided by an...

By Gaming Nexus on March 09, 2012

“I’ve begun my voyage in a paper boat without a bottom. I will fly to the moon in it. I’ve been folded along a crease in time, a weakness in the sheet of life. Now you’ve settled on the opposite side of the paper to me.” These are the opening words in...

By New Game Network on March 02, 2012

Published February 25th 2012.Written by Jorge S Fernandez. Usually, when a videogame is referred to as an “interactive movie”, the reference comes with negativity due to inclusions like voice-over cutscenes and an emphasis on story-telling rather than...

By DarkZero on February 25, 2012

A journey of mood and sightseeing rather than action, Dear Esther is one of the most remarkable games of this or any other year. Very much not for the impatient or the proudly lowbrow, however....

By PC Advisor on February 18, 2012

As a darling of the indie scene since Dr Dan Pinchbeck’s original project to explore alternative methods of videogame storytelling back in 2008, it’s surprising that four years have passed before Dear Esther has managed a proper release. In the...

By Strategy Informer on February 17, 2012

I don't know what happened in Dear Esther. I mean, I have theories. I beat the whole thing, after all. Or rather, I finished it. See, "beat" implies that I overcame some sort of struggle. Dear Esther, however, involves no such thing. It's...

By GameSpy on February 16, 2012

Dear Esther sticks out like a sore, haunted and slightly morose thumb amidst the blood and thunder bombast prevalent in the industry. Look past the short length and slow pacing and you’ll find a touching little title.More Articles >>>...

By NowGamer on February 14, 2012

A trip through a brilliantly conceived landscape that rewards attentive engagement with a moving...

By PC Gamer on February 14, 2012

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