December 13, 2013

Dear Esther

2013-12-14_00006Dear Esther is probably one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played. I know it’s hard to categorize it as a game because lets face it, you don’t actually DO anything except wander around desolate locations playing through partial story snippets, but it is a game none the less, and one that I really enjoy. I listened to the dialog as I walked along exploring, wondering if I could get into the little nooks and crannies I found, wondering what the story was of the island, what the sadness was about, how I would have reacted. Feeling, in other words. Yes, this is a game that is all about feeling.

Everything from the graphics, to the music, oozes out a story that you get to piece together and think about.

You can check out some screenshots from the game I’ve posted on my Steam profile (under the username Stargrace) or if you follow me on G+ I’ve posted them there for people to view as well. There were moments during the dialog that I just stood still and listened and looked around me thinking because I found the situation profound. It’s incredibly rare that a video game has that sort of effect on the player, and I’m very glad I gave this one a try.

Of course, these types of games are not for everyone (just one of the perks of us all being different types of gamers) but if you’re looking to get away from combat and the constant wars that go on in video games I would highly suggest you give it a try.