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Dear Esther |OT|

V

VVIS

Neo Member
Will buy, for following reasons

  • Source Engine
  • Robert Briscoe
  • Future Portal3 viral marketing content
 
S

sam27368

Banned
Eurogamer review - 8/10 - http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-14-dear-esther-review

Is it a game? I can't say I know the answer, but I do know that unless you're an IGF judge or a prissy dogmatist who sets out to pedantically define the boundaries of an extremely fluid medium, then you shouldn't really care. All that matters is that Dear Esther is worth your time - and that its two-hour long chill will remain in your bones for a long while after.
Click to expand...

Bit Tech review - 90% - http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2012/02/14/dear-esther-review/2

Instead, what gives Dear Esther's visuals such a poignant edge is how masterfully it extends the sense of loneliness and isolation that's conveyed in the script. The middle portion of Your Man's stroll across the island sees him wander through caverns which feel alien and Lovecraftian for their tricks of half-light and maw-like rock formations; the sensation is that of being digested by a great monster and that you'd be too far gone to help even if rescue was possible.

Jessica Curry's delicate and understated musical score achieves a similar level of excellence by weaving in a soundtrack so subtle that you often hardly notice it's there. It's the ultimate achievement of composition to have the music form such an excellent accompaniment, though this quiet success is mostly invisible until Dear Esther's crescendo at the island's highest point.
Click to expand...

Gamesparked review - 4/5 - http://gamesparked.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-dear-esther.html

Why would someone want to play this game? Well, I would say that the answer to that question is up to you, the player. If you want to explore a beautiful world and have an almost Zen-like experience, go right ahead. If you want to puzzle out the events of the story and its abstract themes, that’s fine too. If you want to challenge yourself on your definition of interactive entertainment and the elements that constitute a videogame, then you’re at the same place I am.
Click to expand...

With some shiny new screens -

esther0039.jpg.jpg

esther0030.jpg.jpg

esther_caption2.jpg.jpg

5.jpg
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
I can play Portal 2 on my laptop really well, but I'm scared if I can play this game well. The graphics look stunning and it looks way bigger.

Can anyone confirm on the graphics requirements? My HP Envy 14 has a ATI Mobility Radeon 5650.
 
S

SparkTR

Member
Messofanego said:
I can play Portal 2 on my laptop really well, but I'm scared if I can play this game well. The graphics look stunning and it looks way bigger.

Can anyone confirm on the graphics requirements? My HP Envy 14 has a ATI Mobility Radeon 5650.
Click to expand...

The system requirements are actually less than Portal 2's according to the Steam page, so you should be fine.
 
S

sam27368

Banned
SparkTR said:
The system requirements are actually less than Portal 2's according to the Steam page, so you should be fine.
Click to expand...

On the coders blog he said the majority of his work was getting the game streamlined for the open spaces. As such it now runs really well on some modest laptops and computers
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
So did they include 360 pad support then? I'd like to experience this in a relaxed position with a gamepad.
 
G

GoldandBlue

Member
Needs more TF2 pre-order hat.

A minute to go, been waiting very long for this. Enjoyed the original mod, can't wait to see what they added and the redone OST.
 
M

metsallica

Member
I don't want to live in a world where people price-bitch about a game like this. Every member of this forum should be celebrating the fact that we can experience this story through a medium we supposedly love. Bought.
 
Sanic

Sanic

Member
I've played the original mod and enjoyed it, but is this commercial release the same thing, content wise, as the mod? I would probably wait for a sale if i'm paying $10 just for nicer graphics.
 
S

SparkTR

Member
Pandoracell said:
I've played the original mod and enjoyed it, but is this commercial release the same thing, content wise, as the mod? I would probably wait for a sale if i'm paying $10 just for nicer graphics.
Click to expand...

They've expanded the content and basically redesigned everything. The premise is the same but it's a completely new experience.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
metsallica said:
I don't want to live in a world where people price-bitch about a game like this. Every member of this forum should be celebrating the fact that we can experience this story through a medium we supposedly love. Bought.
Click to expand...
I think some people might suggest that videogame stories are often bad, and/or some people might suggest that they prefer games with a low story-to-gameplay ratio.

This may be an absolutely amazing interactive story, but I think it would be silly to suggest that everyone should celebrate it. :p
 
I

Inkwell

Banned
I was a little underwhelmed until I made it to the caverns. I think that's where it really shines. It's really quite beautiful. I wish I hadn't played the original mod. The game would have had much more of an impact.
 
S

SmZA

Member
First game I've purchased day one on Steam without a sale and knowing nothing about it. The screenshots and description were that good.

Also grabbed Dinner Date since it's on sale.
 
A

AEREC

Member
Fired it up for a bit to see how it runs. It's very atmospheric right off the bat...will save the rest for one night this week.
 
B

Betta Lines

Member
Well that was... terrible. Pretty, but terrible. It doesn't justify itself as an experience - there was nothing in this that needed to be realtime rendering.

So what I'm saying is, it would have delivered the same experience if it was just narration over video.

And it wouldn't even have been a good video.

0/10.
 
L

Lily

Member
eh its ok. It looks amazing and the cave section was so so pretty. But the narrative didnt make any sense to me. I thought when i was buying it that i was getting an "Interactive Story" not a walkabout on a pretty island and some bloke chimes in with a few lines every now and then.

Also took me about an hour to complete, even with exploring so..

Edit: All these reviews are confusing me. Maybe i need another playthrough to "get it"
 
K

kanugo

Member
I'm loving the game. Walking on the beach, exploring the abandoned houses. It's an experience.

Oh, did anyone tried to drawn on the sea?
 
R

RyanReedyMusic

Banned
Seriously one of my fave games this generation. Such a beautiful and immersive experience. I think its so amazing for Source Engine 2. I honestly cant wait to play it again. Played all the way through it.
 
I

Inkwell

Banned
Lily said:
eh its ok. It looks amazing and the cave section was so so pretty. But the narrative didnt make any sense to me. I thought when i was buying it that i was getting an "Interactive Story" not a walkabout on a pretty island and some bloke chimes in with a few lines every now and then.

Also took me about an hour to complete, even with exploring so..

Edit: All these reviews are confusing me. Maybe i need another playthrough to "get it"
Click to expand...

Breaking the game down to its basic parts, that's essentially what it is. There's more to it though. The narrator is supposed to be a bit cryptic. There's a functional reason for this by design, and a few possible reasons I can derive from the story itself. It's kind of strange that there's very little interaction here within the game. The story itself is kind of like a puzzle, but you piece that all together outside of the game. There's no right answer, but there are definitely threads of story you can follow on any given play-through that will always be the same.
 
W

whyman

Member
Pazuzu9 said:
Well that was... terrible. Pretty, but terrible. It doesn't justify itself as an experience - there was nothing in this that needed to be realtime rendering.

So what I'm saying is, it would have delivered the same experience if it was just narration over video.

And it wouldn't even have been a good video.

0/10.
Click to expand...

I agree. It does look really good and thats cool and all but... Its like paying for a tech demo with a narrated story that is a 4/10 at best. So i would say if you really like holding down W then buy this game. If not just go on youtube and watch an emotional video and you just saved some money.

I guess there might be something about this "game" that i just dont get and if so please inform me. :)
 
Tesseract

Tesseract

Banned
Inkwell said:
Breaking the game down to its basic parts, that's essentially what it is. There's more to it though. The narrator is supposed to be a bit cryptic. There's a functional reason for this by design, and a few possible reasons I can derive from the story itself. It's kind of strange that there's very little interaction here within the game. The story itself is kind of like a puzzle, but you piece that all together outside of the game. There's no right answer, but there are definitely threads of story you can follow on any given play-through that will always be the same.
Click to expand...

how can the story be like a puzzle if there's no right answer? puzzles have determined, desirable answers.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
They should have made it so that at the end of the new Dear Esther version, a shadowy figure appears, and raises

A CROWBAR

There's a desirable end for your puzzle!
 
I

Inkwell

Banned
Tesseract said:
how can the story be like a puzzle if there's no right answer? puzzles have determined, desirable answers.
Click to expand...

What? Why is this an issue? You fit pieces together from the dialogue as well as the physical world within the game. Putting these pieces together is "like" solving a "puzzle". People may have interpretations of the story. I don't understand what's so difficult to understand.

Plus I've played Trine. There's multiple answers to puzzles there.

Blizzard said:
They should have made it so that at the end of the new Dear Esther version, a shadowy figure appears, and raises

A CROWBAR

There's a desirable end for your puzzle!
Click to expand...

Oh, so you found the secret ending too?
 
Tesseract

Tesseract

Banned
Inkwell said:
What? Why is this an issue? You fit pieces together from the dialogue as well as the physical world within the game. Putting these pieces together is "like" solving a "puzzle". People may have interpretations of the story. I don't understand what's so difficult to understand.

Plus I've played Trine. There's multiple answers to puzzles there.



Oh, so you found the secret ending too?
Click to expand...

fair enough.
 
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