Dear Esther (Indie First-Person Narrative Game)
 

Anyone tried this yet? I just bought it and it is quite interesting. There's no real gameplay, it's a narrative. But the graphics are absolutely fantastic for being the Source Engine. Better than anything I've seen Valve do yet. It's an indie game. Apparently there's a free MOD version that you can get as well, though it doesn't have all of the features as the new commercial release.

Also, apparently every time you play through the game it's a little different and more of the story unfolds. New areas open up I guess and the narrator reveals more about the story. Quite interesting. There is a lot of just walking involved, though. It's basically a scenic tour of digital landscape while triggering narrations at different points on the map. But if you're into story and atmosphere it's done very well. Check it out. $9.99 USD.

Dear Esther Website
Steam Store Page
Free MOD version

Dear Esther,

Is it normal for my wife to insist upon us having sex in separate rooms, at separate hours? She claims that this is due to a medical condition. Also, she says that the same medical condition requires her to eat 207 Mars Bars a day. Is this true?

Oh sorry, I thought this would be some sort of Agony Aunt thread. I'll be leaving now. Bye.

I loved the mod. The game is great but really short (90 minutes!) and I had to remind myself a lot that I am not playing Skyrim in Chapeter 3 and 4. There are little bits and details everywhere and it still is "only" the source engine. Fascinating.

Screenshot

Holy Hot Damn. I might pick that up.

Played it. Fell in love with the atmosphere in less than a minute.
But very very short... Even for someone who likes looking at everything.

Are you sure new areas open up? I might give it another go then.

There are 4 chapters that are the 4 main areas of the game. They can be reached on the first playthrough. My Screenshot is the end of chapter 3.;)

Oh yeah. I though you guys meant other areas within those four.

It seems interesting, I might add it to my ever expanding list of games to get. Or I might just get the mod since I doubt my crappy computer will able to handle the pretty graphics.

That's what I heard. Someone mentioned somewhere on the Steam forums I think that a couple new small areas open up and there are also some easter eggs. In my second playthrough, I saw distant figures walking along pathways, but when I get close or look right at them they fade away. CREEPY.

Sounds intriguing. Maybe on your tenth playthrough you get to see a face, but.. it's a mirror and you see your own face. (Probably not, but who knows? I'm actually kind of liking the sound of this creepy atmosphere.)

I'm waiting to hear Rather Dashing's opinion on this...

This forum really needs a way to tag specific people in posts.

HINT HINT [to the forum overlords]