Release Date: 14/02/2012
Played On: Win
Available On: Mac / PS4 / Win / XBO
Time Played: 1h 14m
Progress: Completed
Developer: The Chinese Room
Publisher: The Chinese Room / Curve Digital
When I recently loaded up Dear Esther for the first time and started playing, I couldn't contain the excitement I was feeling. There I was, finally about to experience on of the most controversial and hotly debated games released in modern times. I felt like I was meeting an old friend, while getting to know a stranger. I had questions that needed answering and I was about to find out for myself, just what the hell everyone keeps arguing about.
If you're not sure what I'm referring to, then let's have a quick recap. When Dear Esther originally released, the term "walking simulator" had yet to be coined, and purely narrative games where unheard of beyond a few key examples that were pushing the limits of what can be done in a game and how stories may be told. I remember this game coming out, because I remember the response and all the online discourse around the very thing that made it unique. It seemed like everyone was trying to answer the question: "when does a game stop being a game, and become something else entirely?"
I'd like to point out at this moment in the story that even if Dear Esther did nothing more than start that conversation, I would feel like it has been a complete success. Aside from the usual online vitriol that follows around any meaningful discussion, it must have been exciting for the developers to see their game have such a huge impact on the industry. I mean, this game was so divisive and controversial that YouTubers were making entire series of videos to try and explain what is and isn't "a game".
It's so fascinating and exciting to me that such an unassuming little narrative experience could have such large implications on the entire industry. Nobody even cared about what the game was trying to do, or the story it told, as they were all focused on debating whether it was deemed worthy enough to be considered a game at all. To make things even better, the same developers later released Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, which only fuelled the fires further and stoked even more discussion as a result.
Consider for a moment, that you create something and release it to the world, only to have it raise questions about the very nature of the thing you've released. Imagine writing a book and having the entire literary world argue over whether or not your original creation even fits the preconceptions about what a "book" actually is. That's pretty exciting if you ask me, and something that would make any creative person excited, as it means that the thing you've created has a worth beyond that of the every day. It almost doesn't matter whether Dear Esther is a well-made game or not, because it calls into question the very definition of gaming itself, and that's far more interesting on every level.
However, despite all of the controversy and all of the discourse, I never got around to actually playing Dear Esther and experiencing the game for myself. I've already discussed my own views on whether or not these kind of games are "games" when I wrote about the excellent Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, so I won't repeat myself here. Other than to say that of course I consider these games to be "games", albeit different and sitting on the boundaries of what we think of when we think of the term.
As someone who is particularly interested in story-telling and the unique ways that games are able to deliver stories, I adore these games with a passion. Not least because they are heavily focused on a narrative experience that draws you through their tale with a light touch and an elegance that can't be replicated in a skill-based action-platformer. Likewise, these games offer an experience set apart from books, music, art, and film. These are the games that show just how different and interesting a game can be when it's given the role of orator, and I'm always a sucker for diverse and interesting methods of story-telling.
Playing through Dear Esther though, is far more than just a walk through a story, as it supports its deceptively simple nature, by presenting itself as a superbly well-made game. The graphics themselves are simply breathtakingly beautiful, which may be a result of having played the Landmark Edition, but I'm not sure what the differences are between the original and this one.
The basic gist of the game is that you are left to explore an island at your own pace, in any direction you please. As you explore the hills, mountains, and caves, you find parts of a story that is read to you by a narrator, as you continue forward and try to put the pieces together. It's ultimately an open ended tale that leaves plenty of room for interpretation, but by the end you'll have learned of a few characters, as well as discovered the influence they left behind on the island itself.
The story is a mystery that maintains its stealthy nature simply by existing out of sight. There aren't any clues about where to head next, or when you'll find another passage to engage with and learn. Although, even with the game feeling so open-ended, I suspect there are plenty of subtle design choices that help nudge you in the right direction.
At times Dear Esther even enters the realm of thriller, which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up on more than one occasion. Was that movement in the distance another person on the island, or did I just imagine it as the moonlight played on the ground's foliage. The story often carried a sombre tone, leading me to believe that I was delving into something much darker than I had already been expecting. This isn't just a dance through the grass while someone reads you a fairy tale. Every step is met with questioning and study, until you finally come to a conclusion and are able to offer some understanding.
Like a lot of narrative games, Dear Esther is difficult to talk about without getting lost in abstract interpretations of story meanings and subtext. I suppose that's the nature of a game that focuses primarily on story-telling instead of game mechanics and systems, which is no doubt as infuriating to some, as it is delightful to me. Suffice to say that I thoroughly enjoyed playing through this game and I would argue that it deserves a place in gaming history as one of the truly innovative and creative works that shifted our understanding of games dramatically.
It's easy to see why a game like Dear Esther would make everyone lose their minds and sink into lengthy discussions about semantics, but I don't really care about any of that. All I know is that I had a great time experiencing the story and exploring the island, which for the record, is a uniquely interactive way to be told a story. I'd even say it's more focused and well-paced than the way that more traditional games deliver their own plots.
Sure it might not be for everyone, but who cares? This is the kind of game that holds some historical relevance simply because it was made, so it's worth a look. Who knows, you might even enjoy the experience.