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Ledgem · 2013-05-30, 18:51

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Dear Esther, currently offered with the Humble Indie Bundle 8, is arguably not a "game" so much as a visual novel experience. It takes about one hour to play through, although it might take more if you're trying to explore everything.

Aside from having an incredibly beautiful, somewhat immersive environment (although people who expect the latest and greatest graphics might be disappointed - this is only slightly better than Half-Life 2, as it's based on the Source engine), the replay value comes from the way that the story is presented. Even though it didn't seem like it when I played through, the lines from the narrator are randomized as you move about the island. This would require playing through multiple times to hear everything and to put it all together.

I found the visuals to be incredible. If and when the Oculus Rift is released and if and when I buy one, this is certainly a game that I will play through again with the headset. The environment is beautifully detailed, immersive, and calming. Depending on your disposition you may find some segments to be frightening (and apparently ghosts can be seen every now and then, although I didn't encounter any during my play-through), but I found the generated atmosphere to be one of beauty, solitude, contemplation, and sorrow.

It's not something that everyone will be able to appreciate or enjoy, but I found it to be an incredibly beautiful experience. I would be delighted if more people and groups chose to tell stories in this manner.

2013-05-30, 18:51	Link #1
Ledgem Love Yourself Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northeast USA Age: 38	[PC/OSX/Linux] Dear Esther YouTube https://youtu.be/D7VJ4lP-05A Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload? Dear Esther, currently offered with the Humble Indie Bundle 8, is arguably not a "game" so much as a visual novel experience. It takes about one hour to play through, although it might take more if you're trying to explore everything. Aside from having an incredibly beautiful, somewhat immersive environment (although people who expect the latest and greatest graphics might be disappointed - this is only slightly better than Half-Life 2, as it's based on the Source engine), the replay value comes from the way that the story is presented. Even though it didn't seem like it when I played through, the lines from the narrator are randomized as you move about the island. This would require playing through multiple times to hear everything and to put it all together. I found the visuals to be incredible. If and when the Oculus Rift is released and if and when I buy one, this is certainly a game that I will play through again with the headset. The environment is beautifully detailed, immersive, and calming. Depending on your disposition you may find some segments to be frightening (and apparently ghosts can be seen every now and then, although I didn't encounter any during my play-through), but I found the generated atmosphere to be one of beauty, solitude, contemplation, and sorrow. It's not something that everyone will be able to appreciate or enjoy, but I found it to be an incredibly beautiful experience. I would be delighted if more people and groups chose to tell stories in this manner. __________________ Last edited by Ledgem; 2013-05-31 at 09:19.