Dear Esther Critic Reviews

Dear Esther completely changes the language in which we communicate with a videogame; it is an interactive experience whose notion of interactivity demands much more from the players than they are used to.

Dear Esther is an auditory and visual experience that interweaves a consuming narrative and array of emotions. The game's actual value must not be solely based upon its gameplay length, but rather on the random elements and new secrets discovered through multiple playthroughs. Those that brave the journey into the narrative and world of Dear Esther will discover an experience that few games have been available to accomplish in years. Highly recommended.

The beauty of Dear Esther is that it raises questions about content rather than mechanics.

Dear Esther definitely isn't a product which everyone will appreciate - the walking-talking pace tends to polarise audiences quickly - but those who are tempted to try it out would be much advised to do so. You won't be disappointed.

Mysterious, poetical and full of atmosphere – Dear Esther is as magical as a short story from Ray Bradbury. The creative way of storytelling fascinated me from the very first moment.

Dear Esther changes a simple hike into an emotional journey. Not just a (short) game, but truly an experience.

Dear Esther. I will take flight.

One of the most haunting and well-executed titles of this or any other generation.

Dear Esther is a peculiar game. With its beautiful landscapes and script, some people could find it a great experience, others could hate the lack of interaction and the plain gameplay.

The catharsis that sweeps us in the ending can not be explained, nor foreseen. The game's immersion is not only intense, it's unprecedented. Surely it's not a title for everyone, especially for people that are used to "living" their games through interaction with other characters or objects. But it's groundbreaking and succeeds in its goal for the user to live a story, as in a well-written book.

A trip through a brilliantly conceived landscape that rewards attentive engagement with a moving story.

An experimental adventure that succeeds at being a genuinely touching gaming experience, even though it doesn't quite live up to all of its potential. The island you explore is absolutely beautiful and the story is interesting, if not exceedingly original.

Thanks to this astonishing overhaul, it's now quite impossible to ignore.

Dear Esther is that rarest of things: a truly interesting game. It left me feeling pensive, mildly saddened, and confident that games have plenty of directions left to explore. If you're interested in what can be achieved when you abandon the conventions of games and explore the fringes of the form instead, it's a must-play.

Dear Esther spins an intriguing narrative, leaving you to decipher not only the outcome, but if this is even a game.

The game is recommended for anyone who likes taking a close look at a piece of art that goes against the grain of the medium. You should consider checking out Dear Esther the same way you'd appraise a film. If you're interested in absorbing an intellectual story and gorgeous visuals without having to exert a drop of effort, take a chance on this curious experiment.

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.

Dear Esther offers many strengths; a non-conventional premise - at least compared to traditional games - a genuinely interesting tale, and a lavishly crafted world to tell it in. It's overall linearity is disappointing, especially in such a captivating place, but it otherwise delivers a refreshing experience that will stay with you long after it's over.

Dear Esther, however, presents something truly different. It's an experiment to be sure -- and one that's not entirely successful -- but it hits far more often than it misses. It's a strong start to a new breed of adventure that asks players to think instead of clicking on items until something arbitrarily happens.

If you're into the idea of experimental "games" pushing the boundaries of the medium, you might like Dear Esther, but if you're looking for a detailed story of Event A causing Event B which then naturally led to Event C, then this is not for you.