Dear Esther vs Kairo
When comparing Dear Esther vs Kairo, 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 Kairo is ranked 17th. 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 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.
Pro Easy controls
There is no interactive button to control all one needs to do is walk around in order to solve the games puzzles, such as walking over particular tiles or bumping into objects.
Pro Interesting mix of architecture and colors
The game feature different areas that have completely different feels to them due to the use of architecture and colors. One are may look like a temple and use the color blue a lot while another may use modern architecture of concrete blocks and use the color red a lot. This makes for areas that are not only different in looks but gives a sense of exploration as you never know what will be next.
Cons
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.
Con Story feels flat
The game really focuses on ambiance and looks more so than story, which means if one wants an entertaining story this may not be the game for them.