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| Dear Esther: a shivering submersion in the mind of another. |
As I write this I have just finished Dear Esther and am busy listening through Jessica Curry's soundtrack. Although I have nothing planned to say, nothing substantial to offer, I want to get my impressions out while they are fresh. From here on out this post is not about information; if you want that, have a look at the
Wikipedia page. No, I am going to write about how the game and the music made me feel - a completely subjective painting of the way this game affected me.
The whole experience moved me in ways most games do not. It has left me feeling damp... hollowed out; not quite sad - something more at peace than that, more subtle. The music of that island is as natural as the shingles scraping up and down the beach. It seems to waft in and out with the breeze, fitting amazingly well with the dry rustling of sparse and tired grasses artistically peppered here and there with wild flowers; the
piano floats above the player in its element and mingles with the cries of seagulls circling far off in the distance, luring you deeper into the game and out of your comfort zone.
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| Dear Esther is more of a short film than a game. |
Most games are not built on unhappiness; most games sacrifice artistic aesthetics for gameplay; most games are escape mechanisms where the player can enter into a fantasy world and forget their own. Dear Esther broke this mold. The
music took me by the hand and led me into a place where realism and make believe converge like rain on parched soil. Something grew there... contorted and melancholic, but very much alive. A heaving landscape of the human mind - a sensation of pain numbed by time and tablets.
I did not know where to go. Nothing gave me direction. But, at the same time, I knew exactly what must be done - a stuttering red light shone off in the distance and I headed towards it. The
music told me I was getting closer; it was reassuring in a hopeless way. I heard the off hand remarks of one no longer enjoying himself as he spoke of the lives of others... a shepherd who was spent on the slopes of the island, a cartographer tattered and lost in memory, his wife. He speaks of his own past as if it were just another of these characters - not truly him. A shadow of his identity fading with the setting sun.
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| Head towards the red light. |
As you trudge slowly through the vivid scenery, wading through the
music, you come across strange shapes painted on the rocks. These are unsettling. If you are so determined to push on through the pain towards the end, towards transcendence, then why are there memories and fragments of character plastered across the island? Are they anchors in the same way books and artworks are anchors? In your heart of hearts are you not scared of effacement at the hands of time? I think you are. I am. This fear, so often pushed to the back of my mind, is harshly splayed across the jagged granite - pieces of earth being dashed, again and again, by the waves of a tireless ocean. Strange how personal the cold white paint of a fictional man can be... especially when coupled with Curry's harrowing music. This auditory frame, although cracked and dusty, is absolutely beautiful in it's own dark way.
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| The moon and the strange markings. |
The game and the soundtrack are works of art but it definitely has its flaws. Overused car metaphors and some pretty dull voice acting bottleneck the experience a bit. Yet these, however annoying, are not game breaking issues. Still, not everyone will enjoy the experience - though I'm not actually sure you're supposed to. The island offers something else entirely; I can't quite place it. But one thing I do know is that I am extremely grateful this game never slipped under my radar. If you enjoy scenery porn and are not too put off by a bit of pretentiousness (and if you, like me, enjoy music which walks a fine line between ambiance and melody) then Dear Esther will have its way with you and you will be grateful for it.
The soundtrack can be bought from Curry's
bandcamp page for ₤4.99. I would honestly rate this one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard and definitely worth a buy if you have some spare cash. It is always great to support such amazing musicians and Jessica has really earned it. In fact I would really like to see some awards thrown at this but that might be wishful thinking. At any rate, it is a breathtaking game accompanied by a luscious soundtrack. A real gem of 2012.
Personal rating: 8.5/10
