Just finished playing Dear Esther

[Nyarlathotep]

I'm defending the writing because I don't consider it a flaw. I think they achieved what they set out to do. You may not personally enjoy it, and that's fine. To each their own.

The core of the game's story is the car crash. And that's an element that is pretty constant within the game. The dialogue and imagery revolve around that aspect. I found the narrations regarding the crash to have plenty of emotional impact, and was amazed when I saw the underwater motorway scene.

The details surrounding the crash and regarding who you are, are entirely puzzling. But again, it was written to be that way. I find it enjoyable to find new details each time I play the game and come up with new ideas regarding the story. Regardless of confusion, the emotions surrounding the narrator and the car crash are consistent and effective.

It's just not cool to delegate such a huge part of the writing process onto the audience. Have you ever heard of a mystery novel where the characters don't even know there is a mystery?

That's an exaggeration. There is plenty of material in the game to draw your own conclusions. It's just done in a way that there are many varieties of conclusions you could come to.

I'd compare it to how I feel about to Inland Empire. It's almost impossible to come to a single, concrete conclusion on the movie's story. But it's still well crafted and in the end I enjoyed thinking about it and discussing it with others.