tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post7056384448734351610..comments2023-04-06T05:09:09.918-07:00Comments on The Ponderous Pixel: Dear EstherSolomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807160366853341640noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post-37095669797158431282012-07-19T09:36:30.682-07:002012-07-19T09:36:30.682-07:00@Ian - well, if all you can say is "HNNNNNNGG...@Ian - well, if all you can say is "HNNNNNNGG GREAT GAME HERDERP" then at least you've found a more succinct way to say it than I did in my post :) I have some theories, but I found that I didn't really need to know to enjoy the game; I liked just letting it wash over me.<br /><br />@Eli - I think those are good points about Myst; the fact that it's experiential and exploratory helps make it one of my favorite video games of all time. And maybe we are seeing a renaissance of that kind of game now, where people say "You can interact with this, but you don't need to do it in the way the industry's conventions suggest." I hope, certainly, that we see more experimental/experiential games, and that we learn a little more about what makes a compelling experience out of an interactive medium. I think Dear Esther shows us, though, that it's not all about challenge and accomplishment.Solomonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03807160366853341640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post-9104447283173112012-07-19T07:11:41.361-07:002012-07-19T07:11:41.361-07:00Wow, so that was awesome. I'd be very intrigue...Wow, so that was awesome. I'd be very intrigued to find out what the developers think the story is. So far I've been convinced of two different theories neither of which were my first impression of the game. They don't even agree on who the player is controlling.<br /><br />Great game, and one of the few artistic games that manages to land solidly in the realm of art without feeling like it's trying too hard. It'd be like if Braid had had the good sense to simply end after the final level and trusted the player to come to their own conclusions. The entire time I found myself trying to fit together the bits of information I was being given. <br /><br />I wish I could write a more educated comments, but honestly it's so affected my mind that I think I need to step back from it for a while before I can say anything more than "HNNNNNNGG GREAT GAME HERDERP" Also, I might play it through a few more times if I can get over the walking speed @_@<br /><br />(this is Ian btw)Blackfedorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16743796032042719556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post-80282944427648740542012-07-18T22:02:44.838-07:002012-07-18T22:02:44.838-07:00I hadn't looked into Dear Esther before seeing...I hadn't looked into Dear Esther before seeing your review, but I have to say: I'm very intrigued. I think you're spot on to bring up the early Myst games -- and not just because of the island thing. <br /><br />I remember playing those games way back before PC game genres had really crystallized into what they are today. It was a whole other generation. Myst came out in 1993, the same year as Doom. More than any of the games that were growing up at that time, though, what I remember most was that Myst didn't demand anything of the player, and it didn't really follow conventions either. One of the most interesting things about the game, I think, was just how much it wasn't goal oriented. Most people I knew that played the game never even made it to the end! <br /><br />I wonder if a game like Dear Esther indicate that a similar kind of "exploratory" or "experiential" genre space is opening up in games today. Obviously, these experiences have always been with us in some form (adventure games never died, after all), but they've lived at the margins of gaming for some time now. I hope this game keeps getting attention. It would be nice to see things shake up.<br /><br />P.S. Here's a great article talking about similar themes re: anti-indie bias and "what counts as a game." <br /><br />http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/173353/Life_after_Dyad_Are_indie_games_all_grown_up_now.phpEli Blood-Pattersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17788766961308272848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post-14734958739903511572012-07-13T18:09:50.157-07:002012-07-13T18:09:50.157-07:00Good catch, thanks Rachel! :)
I think it's so...Good catch, thanks Rachel! :)<br /><br />I think it's something that people who aren't usually into games could find deep and worthwhile on its own merits, yes. I guess I'm so overwhelmed by what it does differently, and how it affects my gamer-brain, that I forget what it might do for non-gamers. But yeah - even if you don't like video games, give it a try! It might show you a different side of the medium.Solomonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03807160366853341640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2802729663053057372.post-30628947640286810322012-07-13T16:15:59.249-07:002012-07-13T16:15:59.249-07:00It also sounds like something that someone like me...It also sounds like something that someone like me (who does not really enjoy games) would like.<br /><br />I'd recommend linking to the game's site at the bottom of your entry. So, you know, someone like me could check it out and buy it. :)Rachel Cholsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14665114448164807491noreply@blogger.com