When comparing Year Walk vs Dear Esther, the Slant community recommends Year Walk for most people. In the question“What are the best Walking Simulator games on Steam?” Year Walk is ranked 8th while Dear Esther is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Year Walk is:
The game really pushes this aspect of isolation well thanks to the graphics in the game and showing a featureless landscape. This creates immersion into the story and setting of the game.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Eary isolated landscape
The game really pushes this aspect of isolation well thanks to the graphics in the game and showing a featureless landscape. This creates immersion into the story and setting of the game.
Pro Simple mechanics
Focus more on aesthetics and atmosphere than any complex controls, which makes the games mechanics easy to understand and control.
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 Hints make the game too easy
While the included hint system may be nice for those that get stuck in the game it does destroy the wandering aspect of the title if used too often, which makes the game a lot easier and destroys some of the atmosphere.
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.