Dear Esther: An interview

[Sexbad]

I never said that gameplay was the only thing that mattered, just that without gameplay, a product is not a game and should not be marketed as one. Story is not required. Some of my favorite games have very little or no thought put into their narrative and storytelling. Some of my favorite games have lots of thought put into these aspects. The one thing they definitely all have in common, though, is the fact that they contain gameplay. I play them.

Games don't have to be about story, but I do think there's something magical about it. But they definitely need interactivity and some sort of action taking place (and I don't necessarily mean violence). Dear Esther focuses on the unnecessary, basically blowing off the necessary, making it something completely different. It may be the best piece of interactive fiction ever, but as a game, it's unsubstantial, and it tells a story in a very backwards manner.

Also, I'd like to correct your description of The End of Us. Instead of gameplay, you're talking about its controls. Of course the only thing that you can physically do is move up, down, left and right. But the gameplay dynamics involve interacting with a mysterious object that provides feedback. How you move influences its movements, and sometimes it even influences you. As you play with it, you begin to develop a relationship (either one of friendship or one of why-the-fuck-is-it-hitting-me-ship).

It tells its story completely by using interactivity to its advantage. Films, books, music, and other forms of art cannot do this. Dear Esther tells its story by triggering a voice whenever you pass through certain parts of the map. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo. It's like listening to an audiobook, but slightly different.

Also, blops is shit, but it is a game. I don't want it to be the best selling game of all time, but I'd want Dear Esther to be in that position even less so, because it's not a game. I wouldn't want to go to the movies and have the feature presentation be an incredibly well-written text scroll. I wouldn't want to buy a novel that consists entirely of creatively, cryptically arranged words. These are all different from what I expect, and I can see myself liking them, but they have no place pretending to be things that they are not.

[Tanshaydar]

Wow, easy. I can't understand why you are so strict about it.
The Worry of Newport, a Crysis mod, has nearly same theme, where it lets you to read notes, carry objects, or even die. However, it triggers audio logs while you walk around, and it's mostly based on this. It's just a mod, Dear Esther was just a mod.
Marketing thing is due to its highly acclaimed difference.

[hollowleviathan]

It's not just a mod anymore, it's a full game with access to the engine and a commercial release. I'm reserving judgment of it until it is actually released, since the entire thing has been completely redone.

[Tanshaydar]

Well, I'm looking forward for it too.

[C-zom]

Great interview. Thought I'd put in my two cents to say that Worry of Newport, my mod, is nothing like Dear Esther. Both of our projects involve an island, a mystery, a sad and interesting vibe and a lot of walking, exploring, reading, and even maybe dying. But similarities end there--both of us is not ripping off the other in any way, and both of us are never in touch.

Two original projects from two different teams for two different kinds of stories. You can compare them, but neither underhands the other. Thought I should just point that out as people are starting to wonder if they're related or even tied together in mythos. Take my word for it, we're not.

[Tanshaydar]

Well, as the one who caused the confusion I have to admit that they're very different, where Dear Esther completely removes any mechanic; Newport is including reading notes, carrying things, and even using guns in Part 2

Though, these are technical differences. I'm not qualified to compare any game in any aspects.