Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
#773461
12/11/11 04:19 AM
12/11/11 04:19 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 162 California
BaldBob
OP
Settled Boomer
|
OP
Settled Boomer
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 162
California
|
I rarely post in here any more, and have relegated myself to lurking, mostly. But when I saw this, I just knew that this forum needed to know about it. If it has already been covered, I apologize. But this "game" has the makings of a classic. See if you don't think so too. http://dear-esther.com/
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: BaldBob]
#773493
12/11/11 10:19 AM
12/11/11 10:19 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,373 In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
|
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
Sonic Boomer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,373
In the Naughty Corner
|
The video left cold, wet, sad and lonely. :lol: Thanks BaldBob! Ana
Don't feed the Trolls
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: BaldBob]
#773526
12/11/11 12:49 PM
12/11/11 12:49 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293 Rivellon
traveler
Addicted Boomer
|
Addicted Boomer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293
Rivellon
|
It doesn't look like a game at all if you read what's said about it.
From Rock, Paper, Shotgun: "In a sense, Dear Esther is pretty much non-interactive: nothing you do changes the course of the fiction, and there’s no element of challenge to speak of.."
Going by that, it's not even an interactive story. I'm not sure what it is. Another 'art' experience, maybe.
Gil.
"Best not to think about it. I don't want to fall to bits 'cos of excess existential thought."
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: BaldBob]
#773993
12/13/11 04:00 PM
12/13/11 04:00 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293 Rivellon
traveler
Addicted Boomer
|
Addicted Boomer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293
Rivellon
|
Why what? I don't know what you're asking. Not nice? That quote from Rock, Paper, Shotgun was from a guy who actually liked Dear Esther. A lot. Here's a quote from Dan Pinchbeck , the guy who's making Dear Esther: "For me, writing in general – and I think there’s a lot more scope for this in games – I don’t think things have to make sense. We don’t require logical, causal sequences in many other art forms. With Dear Esther, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand anything so long as it creates the right mood." Logical, causal sequences, as he calls them, are an integral part of point and click adventure games. Without them, you have no story just a...a what? An emotional experience? This creation of his (in his own words games are an "art form") may have beautiful graphics and leave you ready to cry (he talks about 'negative' emotions at one point) but that sure doesn't make it a game in my view. So, searching for something to describe it, I tentatively reached for 'art experience'. I've played games that made next to no sense to me (TLJ comes to mind) and left me plenty emotional - highly irritated that I'd wasted my time and money on it. This one is taking TLJ a few steps further, from what I gather, taking control away from the gamer and tossing any pretense of a narrative out the window. What's left? Pretty pictures that induce a mood? It may be an earthshaking advance in something and people may like it, but I wouldn't call it a game. Gil.
"Best not to think about it. I don't want to fall to bits 'cos of excess existential thought."
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: traveler]
#774178
12/14/11 01:05 PM
12/14/11 01:05 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,717 london uk
chrissie
Addicted Boomer
|
Addicted Boomer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,717
london uk
|
The screenshots are gorgeous & the scenery in the clip I played was breathtaking. From what I've gleaned, answers as to who you are, where you are & who Esther is etc are all discovered (or maybe not!) from narrated? story fragments as you explore the Island to unlock the plot. It seems to be mainly a collaboration between Dan Pinchbeck who's a writer & a game 'environmental' designer so it could be interesting. I do agree traveler that 'logical, causal sequences' are an integral part of P & C AGs but I think it depends on what DP means by that & what he means by things not having to make sense. At the moment it's coming across as an interactive story but also something between an interactive 'art experience' & a 'relaxation' DVD. DP, in one of his blogs said that he liked to have fun with the players, so I do hope there's a demo as I'm not paying anyone to have fun with me unless I'm going to have fun too! NB I'm not buying it either if it doesn't make sense!
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: BaldBob]
#774181
12/14/11 01:09 PM
12/14/11 01:09 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,853 United Kingdom
Carla
Addicted Boomer
|
Addicted Boomer
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,853
United Kingdom
|
I have to agree with Traveler, I think he found a little gem. Just looking at the video made me feel to go exploring. I will try to know a bit more about Dear Esther and report back to you
Carla “Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.”
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: BaldBob]
#780646
01/13/12 09:32 AM
01/13/12 09:32 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,249 Delaware
Tracy
Addicted Boomer
|
Addicted Boomer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,249
Delaware
|
HI everyone. I just wanted to say thanks for posting the link to this. I'm not sure what it will be like either, but it's certainly beautiful and I'm intrigued. Now if I could just learn how to enter my monitor and live in these pretty worlds---I'd never come back! sigh... Tracy
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” ― George Eliot
|
|
|
Re: Dear Esther, This Could Be Epic
[Re: Lone Wire]
#780653
01/13/12 10:01 AM
01/13/12 10:01 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,373 In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
|
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
Sonic Boomer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,373
In the Naughty Corner
|
Dear Esther has now got a release date for Feb 14, it has also been nominated for the IGF awards. Its going to be the closest thing to Myst that we have seen for a long long time. It has no puzzles so I do not see how it can be in line with Myst. Ana
Don't feed the Trolls
|
|
|
|
|