When comparing Proteus vs Dear Esther, the Slant community recommends Dear Esther for most people. In the question“What are the best Walking Simulator games on Steam?” Dear Esther is ranked 10th while Proteus is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Dear Esther is:
There are no waypoint markers, no quests, in fact nobody else in this world except the player and the narrator. Hike through the world and discover the inner workings of this person’s mind.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Simple mechanics
Proteus is more a walking simulator than a game, which makes it a great introduction to the controls of a first person view title as that is all one will really do, walk around. There are no real goals to the game other than walking to advance the seasons of the environment in order to see them. No confusing settings, no skill tress or complicated mechanics, which is great for people that find those types of things confusing or too stressful.
Pro Works well on low resource hardware
This is great for those that do not own a dedicated gaming rig and just have a low resource system such as a laptop or low priced tower since more people will be more likely to own such a device, which makes for a great introduction to gaming while not having to sink a large amount of money into a rig.
Pro Narrative driven experience
There are no waypoint markers, no quests, in fact nobody else in this world except the player and the narrator. Hike through the world and discover the inner workings of this person’s mind.
Pro Pervasive sense of isolation, loneliness, and mystery
The game takes place on an abandoned island, so in a practical sense the player is alone. Add to that that this is a bit of a ghost story and mystery becomes enwrapped within the isolation of the island making for what is as much of an experience as it is a game that makes for a feeling and sense of loneliness and despair that often is only found in real life.
Pro Can be relaxing
Just sit back, relax, and spend some time with Dear Esther. The experience isn’t long and there’s no pressure to go past the pace you want to go. While it does have a sense of loneliness and isolation the graphics are beautiful and the music is soothing which also lends a hand in the relaxedness of the title.
Pro Gorgeous, intricately detailed environments
There is no arguing that the scenery and graphics in Dear Esther is jaw dropping gorgeous. Due to how nothing can be interacted with the environment can be rendered in a much more beautiful way as not much needs to change while walking around.
Pro Outstanding soundtrack
The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful which suits the games visual atmosphere quite well.
Cons
Con Pretty short
The game can be finished in about an hour, or even less if one is rushing. So while the game is fun to experience, once completed one knows pretty much what to expect and may not make for the best option when considering the cost compared to longevity.
Con Short gameplay
Only about 90 minutes to two hours long which is pretty short for a game and can easily be finished in a single sitting.