It's not at all 'my type' of game but is supposed to be completrly original - we'll see !

The very beginning (as far as I've got) reminds me of Myst all those years ago - but I read that there are NO puzzles !!

 Any impressions ?  Pros and cons ?

I've hardly got into the "game" but enough for me to know that it's not my cuppa - exactly the opposite actually - and from all points of view.

By my likes & dislikes are quit probably the opposite from those of many others - so don't take MY word for it !!

Well, I've only looked at the demo, not sure that's it's my sort of thing either. I see reading the Steam forums that some people love it and others insist that it's not an adventure game at all. Not at all sure whether it's worth getting, very Myst like perhaps and that's never been a favourite of mine.  Probably a case of "horses for courses".

You guys do know it's based on a mod you can download for free? According to my friend, this new version is the exact same thing, only with prettier graphics.

That said, I enjoyed the original mod. It is not a puzzle game, it is quite simply a story you uncover as you explore. You might get new pieces of information upon each reload or new play-through, but nothing huge. Just don't expect engaging gameplay (all you can do is walk and look around), puzzles or anything of that sort. It's a visual novel, not a game. The original was around 30 minutes long and that is the main reason I haven't gotten the new one (although I plan to) - it's too short for the price they're asking for it.

boring as hell, running around a grey washed out island hoping to find the next voice-over is not my cup of tea.

I was hoping for a thriller/horror story à la The Dark Eye, but no, the atmosphere is very different.

 I totally agree with all the above and particularly markonikov - a total unmitigated disappointment !. I've hardly ever run down an adventure game since in almost every one, however bad, a lot of work has gone into it and there are nearly always SOME mitigating aspects. But IMHO - not in "Dear Esther". - except for the voice of the male commentator which is excellent - the poor chap has to read a load of pretentious rubbish.

It is NOT a game under any definition of the word and IMO should only be released as experimental FREEWARE.

Sorry to be so vehement - but I advise most people not to waste their good money - SAD !!

There's a review here that seems to say it all http://kotaku.com/5884520/dear-esther-the-kotaku-review  Having said that, quite a few people of Gameboomers seem to love it and have already played it more than once - most complaints seem to be about the price of such a short "game" that isn't actually a game at all and why promote it as a game if it isn't?

"Diff'rent strokes for ----------".

"One man's meat is ----------"  etc.

I am quite sure that some folk have "played' & enjoyed 'Dear Esther'. I haveand could only express my OPINION. There is absolutely no interaction whatsoever in the "game" unless one considers moving your mouse aroumd (you can't even click it !)I have

I have played a very large number of freeware games, and MANY were far far better than 'Dear Ester' - and of course did not cost US$10 !!

I am almost tempted to get this game because it is so polarizing. Some people seem to love it, other absolutely hate it, with very few in between. It makes me curious to see what it is all about. 

If you have US$9/99 to spare, why not ??   hehehe !

Hmmm....I'm curious about it. But that kind of pricing for so short a game, or whatever it may be, is one of my biggest peeves. If the only difference between the original mod and this release are some improved graphics, the mod should be more than good enough for me.

Hi Fnord & Andromus (and any others),

The following is a suggestion which of course you can take up or leave.  Google "Dear Esther walkthrough" and see the so-called walkthru's.  'WALKthrough' is a very appropriate word in this case since AFAIK there is absolutely nothing else that you can do in this "game".

As mentioned above, there are no actions whatsoever that you can perform and no interactions you can make other than walking i.e. moving your mouse right & left and up & down. There is of course no inventory, no hot spots, no saves or loads - zilch !

These "walkthru's" neither help nor explain anything - indeed there is nothing at all to help or save in this "game".  They are simply Utubed ramblings through the four areas (with the commentary).  I stopped the game very early on out of sheer boredom so I don't know whether there are any more than 4 chapters in all.  But if not, you have seen the whole "game" and 'played' everything except physically moving your mouse.  One of these "walkthru's" lasts six minutes and another one eight minutes - I haven't timed the other 2 but I guess they last about the same average times.  If each is the full chapter, then the whole "game" times out at somewhere between a half and one hour only !!!

As for stunning graphics:- Chapter 3 is almost totally in black formless darkness with hardly objects or locations visible.  One part actually is even in pitch blackness.

In addition, the music is of absolutely mediocre quality.

As somebody above mentioned:- To promote and sell this "game" as an adventure game is IMHO as complete travesty.

I recommend you take a look-see before buying and if you still want to, then by all means purchase it !

Originally Posted By Len Green (19 FEB 2012 3:39am)

 

In addition, the music is of absolutely mediocre quality.

 

I liked the game but I agree with this. It was too sappy and imposed a weepy tone over the game which didn't fit its abstract structure.

Originally Posted By Len Green (18 FEB 2012 6:10pm)

If you have US$9/99 to spare, why not ??   hehehe !

Or I might just get the mod and see what I think of it.

Why not just try one or more of the four "walkthroughs" ?

They can be regarded as a demo - although I;m not certain but if you view all four you have "played" the WHOLE apology for a game

If you enjoy it, biy it and "play" it 'proper' !

 am completely flabbergasted !!

One of the posts above mentioned that some folk on the GameBoomers forum think the "game" is excellent, so I've just had a peek:-

Indeed some there (not all) have purchased & played and write that it;s wonderful, marvellous, etc.

How peoples opimioms can differ.

I imagine that were they asked to grade it they would award it an A or even an A+ whereas I would give it a C- or a D.

Take your pick !!

Len Green, you are honestly the most obnoxious person I have ever come accross on the Internet.

If you don't like the game, don't play it. The mod has existed for three years, if you feel you wasted your money you only have yourself to blame for, I don't know, not checking the numerous reviews, forum posts and so on written about Dear Esther. Nobody ever tried to coneal it as something that it is not.

Also, double posts are bad ethics. Use the Edit button.

Dona (and new JA MODS) :-

"Dona  **** Len Green, you are honestly the most OBNOXIOUS person I have ever come across on the Internet". 

Extracts from the JUST ADVENTURE RULES :-

***** "NO TROLLING ----------  trolling encourages personal attacks and as such will not be tolerated.  ---------- This includes to members and Just Adventure staff.  We will not tolerate members that will harass or insult others in hurtful or in a trolling fashion.

Dona:-

If you have been associated with JA for over a decade as I have, you will know that some (proper) commercial games have been torn to  shreds by Reviewers and Forum members, sometimes with extreme sarcasm and bitter denunciations. 

I have not used ANY sarcasm or personal invective - I have simply stated my opinions. If you think that anything I have written is factually incorrect, please just inform me and if you are right I shall correct it and apologize for the error.  If you simply have a contrary opinion, then state it as I have done.  BUT do not write an invidious ad hominem hostile personal sentence trying to start  up a flame on this new forum, and do not attempt to muzzle an opinion which you merely don't like by flinging dirt and mud.

Thank you in advance. and an apology would not be averse !

***** Len Green  *****    

You should look at those rules yourself, don't think I've forgotten the Blue Madonna/ohdannyboy11 incident.

Straight from the game description:

"Abandoning traditional gameplay for a pure story-driven experience, Dear Esther fuses it’s beautiful environments with a breathtaking soundtrack to tell a powerful story of love, loss, guilt and redemption."

Nobody ever claimed it was a game in a traditional sense. It is an audio-visual novel, an explorable painting with audio cues, if you will. It is adventure game in a sense that you are out to have an adventure to explore an island and uncover a certain story. Video games are a medium that combines 3D environments with music and interaction. It doesn't necessarily have to include all three. This person chose to tell a story through visuals and audio, interaction is limited to what Source engine allows you to do by default (pick things up, jump and swim - and drown, which is more or less an important mechanic in the game). There are no active puzzles to solve, so...? Do you pick up a book and complain there are no logical puzzles in it? Because that's what Dear Esther is, a book, a story told through digital media. If some of the reviewers got it wrong and adveritsed it as an interactive game, it is their fault, the makers have always been honest about what it is. And why wouldn't they be, since it's been available for years - FOR FREE. You just sound like someone who's bitter about spending $10 on something they don't like, when you could have simply tried the mod... again, for free. And as much as I loved the mod, I repeat my first post - it is not worth the $10 mark, there is too little content to justify the price. But it is not a bad game either.

Is adventure gaming in decline? Sadly, yes.

Are independent developers allowed to push the gaming genre to its limits and create something new? YES. But this is like talking to walls all over again, trying to explain them why The Graveyard is a game, and a good one at that.

tl;dr

You could have tried it for free.

Nobody advertised it as puzzle adventure.

It's a story, not an interactive game.

Take it for what it is; don't complain how a fish can't climb a tree when it was made to swim the waters.

Might I suggest a free half life mod that does have excellent storytelling and a truly original gameplay:

The Stanley Parable

http://justadventure.com/article/45/reviews-the-stanley-parable-(half-life-2-mod)

This is also a game where gameplay is limited to moving around to the next voice-over, but in this case they show how they should have done it with dear esther

As somebody here suggested , due to my very bad vision I'm wring this in WORDPAD

 with copy & paste and hope I don't get the mess ups of MS-Word we'll see !h t

Dona ***** Under no circumstances do I intend to let this behaviour go in this new Site withot official clarification - it is a nasty precedent !

(1) Do not bring up ancient history and discriminations in the 'old' JA - they have nothing whatever to do with the new present JA.

(2) "Len Green is the most OBNOXIOUS person on the Internet". Tf this is personal trolling and  in the new JA rules. I respectfully request you to retract and apologize for that deliberately offensive insult.

(3) I hereby request that a stop be made immediately to those purely personal flaming and I hereby ask the Mods to censure such diatribes now and in the future.

If I were to call one of the Mods, or yourself, or any other member of the Form "OBNOXIOUS" I would doubtless be banned - but I have never done so!

If necessary I shall appeal to the owner of the new site to put an end once and for all to this sort of personal discrimination.

With regard to the subject of this thread - Dear Esther:-

*****  Your viewpoint is diametrically opposite to mine. I have stated my opinions and have no need to repeat any of them

I disagree with your opinions but you have every right to them and I respect them even though I I differ from them.

I do NOT call them, or you, obnoxious.

@marko

Thanks, I'll check it out!

@Len

I don't think "trolling" means what you think it does. I wasn't trolling, I was stating my opinion based on your previous antics. Mods can contact me for clarification. Or were you reborn with new JA so that we can all forget what happened?

TOTALLY unacceptable  - Dona.

We are talking about a new Site, a new Forum, and new RULES - not history which has pros and cons and nothing whatsoever to do with the present Forum */or the preaent case.

If I insult you or anybody else PERSONALY on this new Forum you are entitled to have me ripped over the knuckkes.

Until then I request your apology for your present trolling unsults.

If not I shall request the Mods &/or administrator &/or the new owner to to take steps - as you very well know, your reprehensible statement is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN on this renewed Forum and plese do not  continue to confuse and jud fudge matters.

To call apresent member accepted by the owner of the site as "obnoxious" is forbidden trolling and that is all there is to  the matter = if you do not accept the new rules then I suggest you leave and find a Forum where they accept your rules.it.accept the rules of this Forum i suggest that you lean - or retact your invidious and insulting statemernt and that is the end of the subject.

I've reached chapter 3 of the mod, and I can really not see why people have such a strong opinion against this semi-interactive story. It is not a game, it is more likely experimental art, and if viewed from that perspective, it is not bad. 8€ is a bit more than I would be willing to pay for the stand alone game, but I might buy it once it is on sale, to support the developers. 

So Len, you are quick to remind us that you "have been associated with JA for over a decade" to argue for your right to rip Dear Esther to shreds, but it is a "new site, new forum and new rules" when someone reminds you that the association has not always been frictionless.

Just saying.... I'm glad you're back. This place had as much excitement as the Jack Daniels distillery the last few months.