Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 63
  3. Negative: 15 out of 63
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  1. Alvokun
    Jan 21, 2017
    6
    I can perceive all the work behind the game, especially after listening to the director's commentaries, which I found quite interesting and -necessarily- enlightening. However, I cannot avoid feeling... indifferent to the game, but in a few exceptional occasions.

    I think I understood what must be understood in the game -which is not much, indeed-, but still, I just believe it does not    I can perceive all the work behind the game, especially after listening to the director's commentaries, which I found quite interesting and -necessarily- enlightening. However, I cannot avoid feeling... indifferent to the game, but in a few exceptional occasions.

    I think I understood what must be understood in the game -which is not much, indeed-, but still, I just believe it does not transmit enough. It has some powerful symbols, good musical moments... but it never ends up shining completely.

    I guess it is worth trying, in any case. It may simply be a bit whimsical: depending on your mood the day you play it, you will love the slow pace and the symbolism or you will simply walk across the island almost for the sake of walking.    … Expand
  2. Letiste-Gaming
    Sep 21, 2016
    6
    Si bien es cierto que hay un determinado tipo de público al cual le encanta este subgénero, si sois primerizos creo que Dear Esther no es la mejor opción para iniciarse en el. Si la historia de base fuera mas memorable quizás esto sería distinto, pero estamos hablando de un título de una hora de duración en el que solo caminamos y cuya historia es tan ambigua que no resultara del gusto deSi bien es cierto que hay un determinado tipo de público al cual le encanta este subgénero, si sois primerizos creo que Dear Esther no es la mejor opción para iniciarse en el. Si la historia de base fuera mas memorable quizás esto sería distinto, pero estamos hablando de un título de una hora de duración en el que solo caminamos y cuya historia es tan ambigua que no resultara del gusto de todos.… Expand
  3. Dragonfly44
    Feb 24, 2021
    6
    If you want a good walking simulator, play What Remains of Edith Finch. This is just a pretty (the caves especially great) looking game with the illusion of a story or any meaning at all. 57/100
  4. ragethorn
    Sep 26, 2016
    2
    I'm a huge fan of Gone Home, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Slenderman, and a bunch of these so-called "walking simulators".

    Gone Home was great. It was filled with mystery, atmosphere and dread. Every clue you find puts another bad thought in your head. I was hoping Dear Esther, would be the same. It wasn't. Gone Home is a different breed. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is    I'm a huge fan of Gone Home, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Slenderman, and a bunch of these so-called "walking simulators".

    Gone Home was great. It was filled with mystery, atmosphere and dread. Every clue you find puts another bad thought in your head.

    I was hoping Dear Esther, would be the same. It wasn't. Gone Home is a different breed. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is developed by the same guys who made Dear Esther. It wasn't my favorite game but it was creepy and huge. The town looked like it was filled with secrets. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't replay it. Dear Esther isn't even that.

    I love shorts games but only if it does its job. The Park did its job. It's an interactive, hour long horror movie where you play the protagonist.

    Dear Esther is about an hour long, maybe 90 mins. You walk around an island triggering talking points to let you know you're going into the right direction. The graphics are sub-par but that's expected since it's an indie game.

    Controls are simple. There's only walk and zoom. Zoom doesn't seem to do anything. You don't bump into anyone or anything. It's just dull.

    The best moments of the game come when you enter a broken down cabin and your flashlight comes on. It reminded me of 11th Hour, an old PC CD-ROM game from the 90's.

    This game isn't for me. I need purpose in my short indie video games. Gone Home hit me hard. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture got emotional towards the end. Slender-Man terrified me, even with it's technical issues. Dear Esther isn't even interactive. I paid $11 to walk around a generic island for an hour and that's not fair.    … Expand
  5. SuperkenGaming
    Sep 20, 2016
    8
    Dear Esther
    A chilling Mystery
    Dear Esther is a walking simulator, or what I prefer to call a first person exploration game You play as. I’m not even sure... But its someone walking around a beautiful island that strangely feels so real… The sounds, the wind… The environment of Dear Esther is near perfect and so easily draws you in… As you explore the world you’ll Hear a narrator    Dear Esther
    A chilling Mystery
    Dear Esther is a walking simulator, or what I prefer to call a first person exploration game
    You play as. I’m not even sure...
    But its someone walking around a beautiful island that strangely feels so real…
    The sounds, the wind…
    The environment of Dear Esther is near perfect and so easily draws you in…
    As you explore the world you’ll Hear a narrator talking To Esther…
    There’s speculation of who Esther is, who this Narrator is and all of this is up for you to decide.. To draw your own conclusions of…
    And to prevent spoilers I will leave my speculation out of this review, as speculation I believe is where the most enjoyment of this experience is at…
    There are no puzzles here, hardly any hazards other than drowning or falling…
    you’re simply placed into a world to explore and feel…
    My only complaint of this experience is that the environment is not fully interactive…
    You’ll hear footsteps on the ground as you walk, but when you walk in water its feels like you are floating on top of it.. there is no sound which is all too noticeable and broke the immersion for me multiple times…
    I’m not sure how this was overlooked… but it definitely hurts the overall experience…
    Dear Esther is an enjoyable 1 and a half hours, you can even replay with directors commentary or fresh to see if you’ve noticed any subtle changes, which I definitely did as the game was designed to be slightly different each time you play…
    Will Dear Esther blow you away with its story, design, and visuals?
    Probably not. But if you’re a fan of mystery, or just want a calming environment to visit you owe it to yourself to pick this one up…
    I give Dear Esther an
    8.0/10    … Expand
  6. bloodman900
    Jul 18, 2020
    0
    As a passive fan of The Chinese Room's other works, this "experience" was a waste of my time. Many will defend the game by calling it and experience rather than a game, but trust me. This is the most boring, unplayable, meaningless mess that you will ever play. If you somehow found enjoyment from this, I envy your ability to enjoy terrible games. I realize that this game has someAs a passive fan of The Chinese Room's other works, this "experience" was a waste of my time. Many will defend the game by calling it and experience rather than a game, but trust me. This is the most boring, unplayable, meaningless mess that you will ever play. If you somehow found enjoyment from this, I envy your ability to enjoy terrible games. I realize that this game has some significance in that it was first a source mod, but that's no excuse for the slow, dull mess you find here. Do not buy this. If you get it for free, do not play this. I am now more bored than when I started.… Expand
  7. gygessgygess
    Oct 2, 2016
    10
    Yes, in this game you will only have the controls of walking. However, it is much more about the experience. Controls should not dictate whether a game has an amazing story or not. Dear Esther's poetic story had me in tears by the end, because it gave me a better story than any other game has ever produced for me, ever. I played Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, Gone Home, and you can evenYes, in this game you will only have the controls of walking. However, it is much more about the experience. Controls should not dictate whether a game has an amazing story or not. Dear Esther's poetic story had me in tears by the end, because it gave me a better story than any other game has ever produced for me, ever. I played Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, Gone Home, and you can even include more popular AAA games like The Last of Us, the Half-Life series, whatever you want to name: no game has produced the emotions this game did. And it's not all very clear, a lot of that emotion isn't necessarily about the game, but it's also just thinking about your life, and the people around you.

    So yes, the input you have is where to walk. But the power you have is to look, see, hear, and experience what you do in this game. If you want something concise but powerful, only a few movies carry the emotional impact of Dear Esther.    … Expand
  8. thedaarkbatty
    Sep 21, 2016
    10
    I wished this game wasn't so long and too hard. I played for 30 minutes and could not put it down. The game does suck though but it's still very good.
  9. Nevergoalone
    Aug 10, 2017
    10
    Uma agradável surpresa. O texto e a música são simplesmente fantásticos. "Dear Esther" não é um jogo. É uma experiência emocional. É arte no seu mais puro estado.
  10. HSuke
    Mar 8, 2022
    4
    This 1-hour hiking-simulator was mostly visually-pretty. I actually enjoy walking simulators, but Dear Esther was utterly uneventful, boring, and meaningless. In terms of art, it kind of reminded me of the Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition, but the Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition is 100x more artistic and more interesting.

    The worst part is the utter-nonsense narration. If you put a infinite number of    This 1-hour hiking-simulator was mostly visually-pretty. I actually enjoy walking simulators, but Dear Esther was utterly uneventful, boring, and meaningless. In terms of art, it kind of reminded me of the Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition, but the Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition is 100x more artistic and more interesting.

    The worst part is the utter-nonsense narration. If you put a infinite number of monkeys with typewriters in a room and give them an infinite amount of time, they'll eventually write Shakespeare-quality material. Dear Esther's dialogue was written by 10 monkeys given 1 hour (and then auto-corrected by AI for grammar). It made zero sense at all.    … Expand
  11. DrFriendless
    May 18, 2018
    7
    I want to give this game a high rating because I can appreciate that it's quality art, but on the other hand I just spent an hour or so pushing myself around an island and did not receive illumination or even have to tap any buttons. So I am unable to assess the quality of the experience. This game is worthy of playing for the experience, as long as it's cheap. I think my time might haveI want to give this game a high rating because I can appreciate that it's quality art, but on the other hand I just spent an hour or so pushing myself around an island and did not receive illumination or even have to tap any buttons. So I am unable to assess the quality of the experience. This game is worthy of playing for the experience, as long as it's cheap. I think my time might have been better spent rereading "Jonathan Livingstone Seagull".… Expand
  12. miczat
    Jun 5, 2021
    8
    Haunting. It's a story, a puzzling story, told as you traverse the island. I still listen to the soundtrack by Jessica Curry years later.
  13. pfear83
    Mar 13, 2020
    1
    Most boring Walking Sim i've ever played through. Much prefer Everybody's Gone to the Rapture or Firewatch. Total waste of time and money.
  14. painava
    Jan 15, 2020
    5
    Rather boring "walking simulator". You can't do anything but walk around (not even run or jump) and listen to the character's inner monologue. There were parts I enjoyed, but overall Dear Esther was forgettable.
  15. Kesagake
    Jul 15, 2020
    8
    An interesting and unconventional game with a unique approach to storytelling. Not for everyone, but very well-crafted and worth it for those willing to slow down for a few hours.
  16. YoRHa_
    Feb 15, 2022
    10
    Эта игра - точнее даже сказать не игра, а визуальная аудио книга, очень любопытное произведение. Литературная проза в сочетании с визуальным артхаусом, так как это воспринял я. Эмоции она вызывает не детские, так что готовьтесь к душевным страданиям. В сочетании с визуальной составляющей и музыкальным сопровождением вызывает мурашки по коже. А загадочность повествования, погружает вас вЭта игра - точнее даже сказать не игра, а визуальная аудио книга, очень любопытное произведение. Литературная проза в сочетании с визуальным артхаусом, так как это воспринял я. Эмоции она вызывает не детские, так что готовьтесь к душевным страданиям. В сочетании с визуальной составляющей и музыкальным сопровождением вызывает мурашки по коже. А загадочность повествования, погружает вас в мысли самого автора данного произведения. Так что, это очень и очень игра на любителя. Но я доволен данным опытом и могу внести её в список искусно сделанных и запоминающихся работ нашего поколения.… Expand
  17. Shenandoah
    May 15, 2021
    9
    Unfortunately that game is too short. Anyway it was a great experience. Awesome visuals which remembers on a poetry. Very emotional story. There are just too less games out there which have such a background. Well done, thanks.
  18. bergcamp101
    Aug 24, 2020
    2
    Maybe, the worst game, I've purchased on PS4. The plot is interesting, but not mysterious and gameplay is very boring. I truly believe, we can't compare walking simulators with other games.
  19. nexus151196
    Sep 10, 2020
    7
    Красивая аудиокнига на час. Саундтрек забрал в плейлист.
  20. greyestfox
    Nov 24, 2020
    2
    I only paid $2.50 for this on PSN. At that price, I'd say this game is worth it because the "story" and setting is pretty interesting. I say "story" but the directors commentary at points makes it clear at one point that there is no one correct interpretation of the game's story and they purposely obfuscate the story using conflicting voice over lines. At another point in the director'sI only paid $2.50 for this on PSN. At that price, I'd say this game is worth it because the "story" and setting is pretty interesting. I say "story" but the directors commentary at points makes it clear at one point that there is no one correct interpretation of the game's story and they purposely obfuscate the story using conflicting voice over lines. At another point in the director's commentary, the writer said the main crux of the story DID actually happen. Any game like this relies VERY heavily on the story so to have it so up in the air and leave you wondering if there's a story at all definitely detracts from the narrative.

    The visuals of the game are lacking. The setting is beautiful, to be sure, but looking up at the sky you can see pixilation of the clouds which is out of place in a PS4 game this short. To compare, when I played The Vanishing of Ethan Carter I took several screen shots because I found the setting and visuals so appealing but I only have one screen shot of this game I thought was worth keeping.

    If I had stopped playing the game after my first playthrough, I probably would've given this game a 5 or 6. But I'm a completionist so I decided to try to get all the trophies and I thought the director's commentary would lend some clarity to the story. Unless you are extremely enamored by the main game to the point where you'd give it a 8-10 out of 10, don't bother with the director's commentary. To be fair, the gaming community tends to agree this was a pioneer that led to many games like "...Ethan Carter" and "...Edith Finch" so that's perhaps why they thought a commentary track was appropriate. But compared to the two aforementioned games, this is very bare bones and if the visuals weren't in HD, this easily could've been a point and click on PC in the 90's. I still would've liked the experience if the Director's Commentary reflected how meager this game is but the commentary lacks any humility (humbleness). Listening to the commentary, you get the impression that these developers think they could've written Silent Hill 2 on a napkin over breakfast. At one point, the writer literally says that this game redefined how caves were designed in video games.. Enough said- the directors commentary was absolutely miserable to sit through because the directors seem to have no concept of where their game stands. It was $2.50 on PSN and hearing them talk you'd expect they'd want it to be a full priced $60 game.

    The only gameplay consists of choosing where to walk and walking up to environments and objects which trigger voice over. There is no "press x to examine:", there is no sprint button (the director says he thought it would be weird because you don't run around in everyday life-- as if being alone on an island is everyday life). In fact, R1, R2, L1, L2, Square, Triangle, Circle, and X all do the same thing-- zoom in. And you never have to zoom in to progress the game.

    To be fair, there is one moment in the game at the end of the third chapter that I thought was very well done.

    I can appreciate that this was the first of its kind and it was a risk to make it but because the story isn't great or clear and it has the least amount of gameplay of anything I've ever booted on my PS4 or PS2-- it is worth the price I paid for it-- $2.50. If you get it for $5 or less and don't try to 100% it, it's a solid 5.    … Expand
  21. Empidonax
    Apr 3, 2022
    5
    I have heard some criticisms of this game being a walking simulator, and people saying it should not be called a game. These criticism made me want to play it more, as games like that usually have a very good story. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this game. The story was just not that interesting to me. It was just really depressing and made me feel bad.
  22. BrianDavid94
    Oct 17, 2022
    7
    Quick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rare for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find somethingQuick background on me the reviewer, I tend to like single player games that is heavy on narrative the most. I also play a lot of racing games and use to play multiplayer games in my high school days but now that it's hard for me and my friends to find a good time to link up so now it’s rare for me to get into a multiplayer game. Up to try any genre of games and sometimes I find something new that I didn't think I'd like. I own a PC (built by me), Xbox One X, Xbox Series X, PS3, PS4, PS5, and a Switch. I prefer Playstation due to their focus on narrative games. For scoring, I’ll be using the Gameinformer review scale and of course influenced by my personal opinions.

    (7) Average. The game’s feature may work, but are nothing that even causal players haven’t seen before.

    This is just a walking simulator so if that isn't your thing then stay away. If you're all right with walking around a mysterious island with a good narrator telling you a story, good graphics, sound, and pretty good music then give it a try. You're only going to lose 1-4 hours of your time. if you like it, listen to the developer commentary too. I did.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
  1. PSNStores
    May 3, 2017
    60
    Dear Esther isn’t a groundbreaking experience, but it did help pioneer more games in its genre. It will take you a little under 2 hours to complete the game’s four main areas, but it is a game that you might want to play again upon completing it to further understand its plot. The Director’s Commentary will add another playthrough for those looking for an interesting background on how the game was created and its inspirations.
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  2. The Digital Fix
    Oct 26, 2016
    80
    A hauntingly immersive experience which may not be as exciting as the average game but four years on it's still a beautiful piece of art. If you haven't played it before now is the time to pick it up.
    Read full review
  3. DarkStation
    Oct 21, 2016
    40
    The game shines most through its aesthetics with impressive environments and an atmospheric score. Its lack of agency and action may bore players, especially if the confusing story doesn’t reach them.
    Read full review
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