- Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition for PC Origin As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther.
- Full game walkthrough for all 10 Achievements in Dear Esther: Landmark Edition. It should take between 2 and 3 hours to complete.
- Platforms: PC | PS4 | XBO |
- Developer: The Chinese Room
- Publisher:Curve Digital
- Release: September 20, 2016
For a variety of reasons, the genre of walking simulators has been a divisive one amongst internet communities, forming a “love it or hate it” vibe for this relatively new category of games. While some players are perfectly content with the peaceful and reflective gameplay and stories these titles have to offer, a vocal portion have decreed these experiences as “non-games,” due to their common lacking of any sort of objective-based gameplay beyond exploration and completion. Despite this alienating aspect, these types of games have still managed to form a cult following, with fans consistently singing the praises of these games to any and all who will listen. One of the earlier and more infamous examples of this genre is Dear Esther, which began its life on PC as a Half-Life mod in 2007, until it got remade into a full title five years later by The Chinese Room. With an updated version being released on consoles and PC known as the Landmark Edition, Dear Esther will once again appear in the public’s eye, as the title’s well-written but event-less plot is bolstered by an engrossing soundtrack and a handful of new features, despite unimpressive graphics for a mostly bland setting.
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition has been remade with the Unity engine, featuring a full audio remaster, and the addition of a brand-new Directors' Commentary mode, allowing players to explore the island and learn what inspired the game and how it was crafted by The Chinese Room and Rob Briscoe. Buy Dear Esther: Landmark Edition. PROMOTIONAL PRICE! Offer ends December 16-80%. About This Game. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition v1.0 All No-DVD Hi2U.
Dear Esther Landmark Edition Review
Dear Esther’s core story is told through the narration of letters directed towards the titular Esther by a vague narrator, who constantly switches between the personas of a dying man and the game’s central location, an uninhabited and nameless island deep with history. The player-character’s identity and motivations are just as mysterious, and are made even less clear during the game’s powerful and dark final chapter, which represents one of the few sections of the story that are capable of investing the player. The story is exceedingly well-written, rich with creative language and descriptive imagery which benefit the game’s explanatory nature, with themes of precaution and regret being prominent throughout. But beyond those final twenty minutes, the narrative lacks any sort of consistent progression to accompany the player’s traversal through the island, instead offering hints and non-sequitur soliloquies about the inhabitants of the island that do little to encourage the player to continue towards the completion of its two hour runtime.
For the most part, the experience of playing Dear Esther is pretty much what one would come to expect of the genre, aside from a few minor grievances. The player’s journey throughout the island features very few items with which to interact with, as all of the available buttons merely zoom in the camera to provide the player a closer look. Many of these objects are set aside as rewards for players who take the extra step while exploring, which makes the small task’s compelling nature a more personal judgement for the player, which is accompanied by the consideration of a slower than necessary walking speed for both the trip there and the more tedious backtracking back to the main path. Plenty of painted graffiti also litters the walls of the island, some of which is, apparently intentionally, difficult to read even with the proper perspective. But with so little going on on a consistent basis, the empty nature of the island starts to feel less like a feature and more like an obstacle as the game progresses.
As with any port, presentation and extra features are always intriguing aspects of the more recent version of a title, and the Landmark Edition has mixed results in those two categories. While there were no bugs or frame drops throughout the playthrough, the consistently grey and blue nature of the island leaves little for the player to be visually awed by, particularly when some of the setpieces and objects within them are a little rough around the edges. The soundtrack remains as enchantingly beautiful as it first was in 2012, often doing more to stimulate emotions within the player than either the narrative or central setting. As for new features, the added crosshair offers little usage considering the aforementioned lack of interactivity, while the commentary provided by several key members of The Chinese Room development team offers plenty of intriguing insight for players eager to learn more about the title, representing the game’s sole reason for a second playthrough since it removes the original Dear Esther narration.
Closing Comments:
At its core, Dear Esther represents an exploration (or walking simulator, if that’s one’s preferred assessment) title for exploration fans. While it lacks the same emotional presentation of games like Journey, or the same consistently compelling narrative of games like Gone Home or The Stanley Parable, Dear Esther’s exceptional writing and soundtrack help the title overcome these flaws, providing a worthwhile journey for those willing to take it. Those that are will be rewarded with a dark tale that proves that, much like the game itself, sometimes loneliness can be a powerful asset.
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition Cracked
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Dear Esther is a first-person game about love, loss, guilt and redemption. Driven by story and immersion rather than traditional mechanics, it's an uncompromisingly emotional experience.
Most
I didn't get it. Everyone was like OHHH THE VISUALS THE GOO CAVE WOW! It was just kinda ok.
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El paisaje melancólico, las notas dulces y la voz suave del narrador no sirven para elevar lo suficiente una propuesta que es demasiado grandilocuente para lo que quiere contar y en otro orden de cosas la navegación por la isla no despierta ningún interés. Al menos es honesto y mantiene su estilo lento y sin florituras hasta sus últimas consecuencias.
I want some renegade indie developers to mod this game so that you shoot a bunch of monsters in it, just to make a statement.
BACKER
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Dear Esther with the developer commentary on is a more enjoyable experience than Dear Esther with the plot narration.
Is that because the commentary nodes give you more of an objective and incentive to explore than environmental details? Because the developer commentary is more engaging audio than the flowery narrative? Because the description of the game the developers think they made is better than the game they actually did?
... All of the above?