I chafed at the painfully slow pace of the game, and I wished the narration would come together and finally start to make some sense. When I first began playing, it kind of was. I suppose it all sounds rather miserable. And did I mention that movement is locked at the speed of molasses in January? There are no controls besides “move” and “look.” No jumping, no sprinting, no interacting. It’s clear that story, sights and sound are the focus of “Dear Esther,” and you’ll be able to figure that out just by playing the game for one minute. Part of that is a result of the rather flowery writing, but, given how artsy the rest of the game is, it seems like a natural fit. Between the narrator jumping around in perspective and the odd biblical references, the plot of “Dear Esther” might almost be too enigmatic for its own good. The story, or at least the fragments of it that are presented, is constantly engaging, if not always easy to follow. Oftentimes the narration will tie into whatever landmark you might be looking at, giving you the unique sense of retracing the narrator’s descent into madness. When you reach the right points, you’ll trigger more cryptic narration, which becomes increasingly deranged as you head deeper into the island. The levels were crafted by Robert Briscoe, who worked on the stunning cityscapes in “Mirror’s Edge.” Much like his previous work, “Dear Esther” is pure visual splendor. It begins, as expected, with the words “Dear Esther.” As you wander around, you’ll be treated to some of the most beautiful environments in any game. The game opens with the player waking up on an empty island with no context or explanation besides a short voice-over from the narrator. If you ask me, I’ll pause, stroke my chin, and then tell you that I think it’s worth experiencing. It seems destined to join the crowd of art games that are inevitably labeled as either pretentious or experimental, depending on who you ask.

It’s lavish, polished and beautiful, but for all of its prettiness, there is no traditional gameplay to speak of: The sole purpose of the game is to wander around on a desolate island and listen to the occasional bits of narration that flesh out the story.

Dear esther cave