Comments on: Touched By The Hand Of Mod: Dear Esther http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:57:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: tomz http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-632248 tomz Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:27:17 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-632248 This is a truly exciting prospect, and makes me very astounded than any other upcoming release you might care to mention. __________________ <a href="http://gouttreatment.com" rel="nofollow">gout treatment</a> . This is a truly exciting prospect, and makes me very astounded than any other upcoming release you might care to mention.
__________________
gout treatment

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]]> By: SteveZombie http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-486919 SteveZombie Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:31:00 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-486919 I'm sick of people new to good storytelling overreacting to this. "Oh this is the future of videogaming", "This changed my outlook on what videogames are capable of forever", shut the hell up. This is nothing more than a shallow, mediocre backstory restricted to the form of utter nonsense by the author's inherent lack of literacy skills, wrought in the horrendous form of a half-baked HL2 modification, and prettier maps aren't going to save the upcoming remake if this 'unique new narrative' remains as it is. I’m sick of people new to good storytelling overreacting to this. “Oh this is the future of videogaming”, “This changed my outlook on what videogames are capable of forever”, shut the hell up. This is nothing more than a shallow, mediocre backstory restricted to the form of utter nonsense by the author’s inherent lack of literacy skills, wrought in the horrendous form of a half-baked HL2 modification, and prettier maps aren’t going to save the upcoming remake if this ‘unique new narrative’ remains as it is.

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]]> By: Sam http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-465156 Sam Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:43:50 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-465156 What about Thief 3? Shalebridge cradly was pretty messed up, I won't deny being completely unnerved and terrified for the whole level. It was a masterpiece really. What about Thief 3? Shalebridge cradly was pretty messed up, I won’t deny being completely unnerved and terrified for the whole level. It was a masterpiece really.

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]]> By: Xander http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-321168 Xander Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:25:20 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-321168 I think I might be an unusual case because I played The Path before this, and The Path fucking floored me. It got to me on a deep, emotional-gut-punch level. I engaged with the game, and I let it ask very uncomfortable questions about myself, and it stuck around in my head for weeks afterwards. I just played Dear Esther and I feel absolutely nothing. It felt like a Half-life 2 mod with some triggered narration. I felt as though I was reading somebody's short story -- and by 'reading' I'm referring not just to the narration but to the piecing together of clues from the environment. And it wasn't a very good story, because I knew exactly where it was going. Sure, it tried to do the whole 'unreliable narrator' thing, but then it basically jumped up and down and shouted 'I'm an unreliable narrator! Don't trust me!'. Some of it is definitely comes down to The Path having an unfair advantage because it's NOT a mod -- it's a fully grown, from-the-ground-up experience. From the menus to the graphical style to the controls, it's all working towards the same design goal. Poor old Dear Esther had to make do with the Half-life 2 framework that was already in place, so we get chunky footsteps, a flashlight, bunny-hopping and horrible electronic noises when you press the 'Use' key. It was mood-breaking, but I could have ignored it for the sake of a brilliant story. This wasn't a brilliant story. It comes down to this: I can't remember a single line of carefully-scripted dialogue from Dear Esther 2 hours after playing, but the images from the inside of Grandma's house are permanently burned into my mind. I think the two games are more different than people acknowledge, and they're both trying to accomplish different things, but The Path is just a more powerful and significant work of art. I think I might be an unusual case because I played The Path before this, and The Path fucking floored me. It got to me on a deep, emotional-gut-punch level. I engaged with the game, and I let it ask very uncomfortable questions about myself, and it stuck around in my head for weeks afterwards.

I just played Dear Esther and I feel absolutely nothing.

It felt like a Half-life 2 mod with some triggered narration. I felt as though I was reading somebody’s short story — and by ‘reading’ I’m referring not just to the narration but to the piecing together of clues from the environment. And it wasn’t a very good story, because I knew exactly where it was going. Sure, it tried to do the whole ‘unreliable narrator’ thing, but then it basically jumped up and down and shouted ‘I’m an unreliable narrator! Don’t trust me!’.

Some of it is definitely comes down to The Path having an unfair advantage because it’s NOT a mod — it’s a fully grown, from-the-ground-up experience. From the menus to the graphical style to the controls, it’s all working towards the same design goal. Poor old Dear Esther had to make do with the Half-life 2 framework that was already in place, so we get chunky footsteps, a flashlight, bunny-hopping and horrible electronic noises when you press the ‘Use’ key. It was mood-breaking, but I could have ignored it for the sake of a brilliant story. This wasn’t a brilliant story.

It comes down to this: I can’t remember a single line of carefully-scripted dialogue from Dear Esther 2 hours after playing, but the images from the inside of Grandma’s house are permanently burned into my mind. I think the two games are more different than people acknowledge, and they’re both trying to accomplish different things, but The Path is just a more powerful and significant work of art.

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]]> By: Igor Hardy http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-317507 Igor Hardy Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:53:51 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-317507 I found the experience atmospheric, but other than that there was almost nothing to it. The way the story was presented made me rather quickly lose hope that it can actually be put together into something coherent. It was clear that solving a riddle wasn't the narration's point, the point was creating a notion of an unsolvable mystery - the oldest and most annoying trick in the book. At least it all ended in a rather uplifting manner. I found the experience atmospheric, but other than that there was almost nothing to it. The way the story was presented made me rather quickly lose hope that it can actually be put together into something coherent. It was clear that solving a riddle wasn’t the narration’s point, the point was creating a notion of an unsolvable mystery – the oldest and most annoying trick in the book.

At least it all ended in a rather uplifting manner.

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]]> By: Anonymous Poster http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-296997 Anonymous Poster Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:08:19 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-296997 <i>If you’re looking for fun, I’ve no idea why you’re playing Dear Esther in the first place.</i> That is easily the quickest I've been turned off from a mod in the last year. Good job. If you’re looking for fun, I’ve no idea why you’re playing Dear Esther in the first place.
That is easily the quickest I’ve been turned off from a mod in the last year. Good job.

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]]> By: Lewis http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-267932 Lewis Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:42:37 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-267932 Just spotted this comment. I think Handle With Care is absolutely brilliant, and have been considering scrawling a load of words on that for a while now. I wrote this long before the Radiator series was even announced, though, let alone long before I'd played those brilliant games. Just spotted this comment. I think Handle With Care is absolutely brilliant, and have been considering scrawling a load of words on that for a while now. I wrote this long before the Radiator series was even announced, though, let alone long before I’d played those brilliant games.

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]]> By: The Unbelievable Guy http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-255949 The Unbelievable Guy Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:07:56 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-255949 Honestly, I see why people would love this, and I admire the direction it's trying to take. But unlike Lewis, I don't want more games like this, or the Path, or that awful mawkfest Passage. I can't really pinpoint my own reasons for feeling like this. Possibly the indie art game crowd is right, and I'm an emotionally dead shell of a man. Perhaps I'm not quite as deep as I thought. Perhaps I just prefer the gleeful heart of a mod like Research and Development to the impenetrable cloud of pretentiousness that hangs over things like these. But I think it's because, as Noise states, there needs to be something <i> more. </i> I remember, after Dear Esther, I felt sort of melancholy. Then I played Radiator: Handle With Care. I was left feeling both sad and uplifted, knowing that I had destroyed a relationship, but also that I had set two men free from each other. And then I remember thinking; between this game and that one, the one which gets a glorifying essay, the one which changed Lewis' views on gaming forever, is Dear fucking Esther? The harsh, beautiful gauntlet of emotional truth is inferior to the depressing Scottish island simulator? What the hell is up with that? And I got lost near the start, which pretty much killed the entire experience for me as I bunny-hopped about in a vain search for the right path. Very much a game design flaw. And that may be another problem. Like the Path, this game/experience/interactive film/hatstand has been poorly designed. It shouldn't be glazed over, the design is awful. And don't say it isn't really a game, because it fucking is and even if it isn't experiences and interactive films and hatstands all need proper design. Sacrificing game design for story as an example of what games 'could be' is like shooting yourself in the left foot instead of the right and calling it an improvement. Sorry for the nerd rage, but I needed to express how this game made me, personally, feel. Honestly, I see why people would love this, and I admire the direction it’s trying to take. But unlike Lewis, I don’t want more games like this, or the Path, or that awful mawkfest Passage.

I can’t really pinpoint my own reasons for feeling like this.
Possibly the indie art game crowd is right, and I’m an emotionally dead shell of a man. Perhaps I’m not quite as deep as I thought. Perhaps I just prefer the gleeful heart of a mod like Research and Development to the impenetrable cloud of pretentiousness that hangs over things like these. But I think it’s because, as Noise states, there needs to be something more.

I remember, after Dear Esther, I felt sort of melancholy. Then I played Radiator: Handle With Care. I was left feeling both sad and uplifted, knowing that I had destroyed a relationship, but also that I had set two men free from each other. And then I remember thinking; between this game and that one, the one which gets a glorifying essay, the one which changed Lewis’ views on gaming forever, is Dear fucking Esther? The harsh, beautiful gauntlet of emotional truth is inferior to the depressing Scottish island simulator? What the hell is up with that?

And I got lost near the start, which pretty much killed the entire experience for me as I bunny-hopped about in a vain search for the right path. Very much a game design flaw. And that may be another problem. Like the Path, this game/experience/interactive film/hatstand has been poorly designed. It shouldn’t be glazed over, the design is awful. And don’t say it isn’t really a game, because it fucking is and even if it isn’t experiences and interactive films and hatstands all need proper design. Sacrificing game design for story as an example of what games ‘could be’ is like shooting yourself in the left foot instead of the right and calling it an improvement.

Sorry for the nerd rage, but I needed to express how this game made me, personally, feel.

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]]> By: T. Slothrop http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-225776 T. Slothrop Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:58:16 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-225776 Also an addendum; the writing and acting in this mod is incredible. Also an addendum; the writing and acting in this mod is incredible.

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]]> By: T. Slothrop http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-225772 T. Slothrop Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:54:34 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-225772 @futage The Malevich of games is the original pong. Irreducible suprematism. Also, everyone on this thread is <i>wrong</i>. No, nope, no reprieve for you my chap, or you. Especially not <i>you</i>. I mean that kindly and respectfully as the terms 'art' and 'game' and 'experience' have incredibly nebulous and contested definitions that can be modulated to justify one's argument. ART IS DEAD, LONG LIVE KING PENGUIN! @futage

The Malevich of games is the original pong. Irreducible suprematism.

Also, everyone on this thread is wrong. No, nope, no reprieve for you my chap, or you. Especially not you. I mean that kindly and respectfully as the terms ‘art’ and ‘game’ and ‘experience’ have incredibly nebulous and contested definitions that can be modulated to justify one’s argument.

ART IS DEAD, LONG LIVE KING PENGUIN!

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]]> By: Alex http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-214758 Alex Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:12:57 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-214758 Finally played this. Very cool, atmospheric, and I wish I'd played it earlier! Finally played this. Very cool, atmospheric, and I wish I’d played it earlier!

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]]> By: vanarbulax http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/15/touched-by-the-hand-of-mod-dear-esther/#comment-212785 vanarbulax Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:42:34 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=11592#comment-212785 Gah there's no edit button and it's to late here. Anyway Reverie is the mod on that list I was talking about. Gah there’s no edit button and it’s to late here. Anyway Reverie is the mod on that list I was talking about.

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