![]() Maybe I’m victim of a car accident, I died, I’m a spirit, and what I see are symbols of the tragedy and of my past life! Maybe the Esther of the title is my beloved! Is she dead too in the accident? I begin to perceive some connection between what I see and the strange talks of the narrator. Suddenly I notice in the distance a diaphanous and invisible presence that runs away from me a doubt assails me: am I also a restless spirit and is this island just a limbo? Nice settings and music, nicespeeches, but that’s all? The Fibonacci gold spiral drawn on the shore is intriguing, but what does it mean? And all those tires and car doors stuck in the rocks? And the torn pages of a book floating like paper boats, which I cannot read in any way? And the chemical formulas and the strange graffiti painted on the wall with phosphorescent colors?ĭespite the disappointment, the curiosity to explore the island keeps me going. And if you replay the game, you don’t listen to the same speeches in the same places! Well, to say the truth I’m interacting with the environment, poetic speeches are triggered by specific location and environmental elements. ![]() I ask myself: is there anything to interact with in this game? I’m just walking and listening to words, poetic but apparently with no meaning. I begin to explore the island and begin to perceive a hint of melancholy, of that decadent and romantic taste typical of certain literature, but it is just the beginning, just a vague impression.įor about half an hour confusion prevails! I feel a sort of incredulous disappointment because of the scarce gaming experience. The experience is in first person view and I cannot even see my limbs… weird… The narrator, who coincides with the character I impersonate, utters meaningless speeches in a polished, ancient and poetic language. I enjoy the beautiful seascape, but there is nothing of extraordinary in aesthetics. My adventure begins in front of a lighthouse, abandoned like the rest of the island. Graphic power is an important factor in maximizing aesthetic expressiveness of scenarios and settings. Since it is a game from 2012, I can safely select the highest quality graphics options. The lapping of waves cradles me in harmony with piano and strings of the soundtrack by Jessica Curry. On the starting screen I can admire the sea at sunset and the suggestive cliffs of a desert island. I suggest to read the following review after completing the game. The best way to review Dear Esther is to make a sort of chronicle of the gaming experience. ![]() Dear Esther is born as a total conversion of an Half Life 2 mod based on the Source Engine by Valve. Hats off! They are the same developers of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture (2015) and Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs (2013). The title was conceived and developed from 2009 to 2012 by The Chinese Room, an academic group of developers led by university teachers at Brighton with the purpose of purely artistic and expressive research in the field of video games.
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