A Half Life 2 Mod: Dear Esther

[KedViper]

It was alright for me. I guess I either just didn't get it or didn't care for the story. It was a bit tedious having to walk all the way at least on the long open parts. Also, the source engine is really getting old, but I think they're making it on a different engine or sprucing it way up because I've seen the a video about and it looks nice. I understand it's just an experiment. I just didn't find it so appealing to walk around for half an hour while someone reads to you with piano music.

[utubeb14]

great mod but not for everyone

[Samus5164]

But I realize, the mod is supposed to be a morbid, solemn story about a dying man with no purpose, writing about his final hours, his life experiences. I won't spoil some of the stuff that happens, though.

[Samus5164]

I was expecting a Penumbra-like experience, following the clues and such with problems arising like dogs, Infected, and puzzles. I nearly peed my pants when he said "TURN BACK" once.

[Ajapam34]

Interesting piece of story telling I guess, but this is an overrated mod. I was led to believe that it would be scary, though, so that didn't help. But then what was with the creepy music that would play sometimes? Was it supposed to be scary?

The script isn't perfect, either. But by videogame standards it is pretty good, I suppose.

[DinokillerSithlord]

too bad the story was so short it was so awesome

[mercury199runner]

This mod is amazing

[usrnamedenied]

What song is this? Where can I find it.. pleaase ITS SO AWEESOMMMEEE =D

[usrnamedenied]

@usrnamedenied meh I found it...Its the song "Jakobson" from the soundtrack.....

[lhilkid]

if u go to moddb the graphics are awesome!!!!!!!!!

[Zephemus]

I'm assuming that you need half life in order to run this then?

[scorpionadiga]

@Zephemus half life 2 actually..... Man rly If u like FPS this is Definately The BEST ONE EVER

[QuickProfits]

nice slide show

[the12221]

This mod is so beautifully!

This video does not show it but still download it and check it out. you will be amazed.

[maddhattertime]

The writing is really really good. I want to know who the author/s is/are.

[DjSilver118]

you shouldve taken shader a liittle lower for better perfomance

[KittenKiller]

The narrator sounds like Liam Neeson.

[McStabYou]

Anyone notice when the cliff with the lines cut into it comes into view and you walk onto the beach. A mysterious person is walking up by the rocks. When you go up to take a look, the person is gone.

[richysolo]

People, look for the updates version of this mod, its only the graphics, but it looks really good. search dear esther on moddb dot c0m

[rayman1014]

seemsl ike some ghost story

[chriscos123]

voice acting = 10000000/1

[JeonDeLind]

someone who still reads this ??? i have downloaded some that claims to be dear esther from MOD DB site,,, But there is no EXE or anything that can make it work wtf is that ? how do i get to play this ?

[jamesfish05]

Lol n00b cant even instal a source mod.

[w1nw1nw11n]

stfu james! ok, this is what you do. when you download, it comes in a folder. got to your steam folder, then steamapps, then place the dear esther folder in the sourcemods folder. if there isnt one, make it. then, open steam and run it. gotta have hl2 on steam though

[PhaNapkin]

the narrative was so deep, i absolutely love it.

[lexmark136]

@PhaNapkin you could actualy hear it? I couldn't, the damn crappy music was WAY too loud.

[alexanderthesomewhat]

I loved this mod. I found the narrative strange at first, and I was nearly turned away after the initial 5 minutes, but I stayed and it just kept getting better. I have never played anything like this, and judging by the ways games are produced and general views of video games, I don't think I will play another any time soon.

This is a truly unique mod with great writing. It's not long, maybe an hour, but definitely worth it.

[jamesfish05]

No hes right you dont get the point.

[animakerdrag]

so...what do you do is walk arround and listen to a spooky voice with no enemys or traps?Sounds good .-.

[LarryAszune]

Clearly you don't get the point...

[animakerdrag]

@LarryAszune

you got it

explain it please?

[JustAnotherGaian]

It's all about the story. If you can't understand it by listening to the narrator in-game, then it's not worth explaining in Layman's terms to you. There's a brief summary on the moddb page for it also.

[animakerdrag]

i played it and dude...it ...was...AWESOME

it had creepy enviroment and a nice story it was great

[TRASE666]

Kids these days.

[animakerdrag]

@TRASE666

i have no coments but this mod awesome...

it had a deep story and interesting "situations"

[slowsilv3r]

Does this work with half life 2: episode one? or just thenormal Half life 2.

[awesomebonsai]

I mean that it should work because all datas from Half Life 2 are in Half Life 2 episode 1

you dont have Half Life 2 ?

[spenceriguess]

i only have css and half life death match lost coast can i run this mod with those games?

[hotdog2728]

no u need hl2 2 play this mod

[mikezenox2]

Yes you can run it, any source game works.

[spenceriguess]

really? ugh someone said i need hl2

all that time wasted thanks ima look it up to be sure lol

[mikezenox2]

Yea I saw that, kinda gay. But anyways, I don't even have hl2 installed (just tf2, l4d2 and gmod) and I can play it fine. Death match and Lost cost are pretty much the same thing as hl2 save for the actual maps in the game themselves, so anything that requires hl2 will be fine with those games.

[spenceriguess]

u are my fucking hero! ima try r&d and other crazy shite!

[mikezenox2]

Actually r&d needs ep2, but there are tons of other mods that don't :p

[spenceriguess]

yah lol im mad well a good reason to get the orange box, i had it for my 360 but tf2 looks way more fun on pc

[mikezenox2]

I was the same way, yet so glad when I got ToB on PC. TF2 is MUCH better on PC :D

[TWOC2689]

I love this game reminds me of a BBC Drama form the 70s.

[devilzzzzzzzzzz]

holy fuck... i was born in portsmouth liv in gosport now though xD

[migeto]

I got stuck at the first cave entrance cause of a stupid bug. Loading up 2 different load files prior to that point didn't work because it just kept happeneing.

Enjoyed it until that part.

[MrHappyToilet]

i beat it, and i dont exactly know what happened, anyone able to explain it for me?

[GrandHighGamer]

Jakobson was a shepard that died long ago on the island.

Donnelley was a syphillitic hermit that also died on the island.

Paul died in a car crash.

The narrator is following Donnelleys life and accidentally slips in a cave and hurts his leg, his leg becomes infected, he then journeys up to the top of the mountain to the antenna (possible to jump and commit suicide, the story is pretty ambiguous).

[Pirateguybrush]

Dude. Spoiler warnings.

[GrandHighGamer]

My bad.

[1PlayerD]

i nearly thought he would kill himself,some of the end is a mystery but i think the game is awsome,magnificent words

[1PlayerD]

same,everyone does no lie,iv seen 3 comments today including myself thinking he has at a few points.

[ppitm]

Paul didn't actually die. He was the driver of the car that killed Esther, the narrator's lover. The narrator meets him later on. At the end of the story the narrator addresses 'Esther Donnelly' and 'Paul Yacobson,' suggesting that they are related, but I can't figure out how.

[PX6DEVASTATER]

I tried this mod but i honestly have no idea what i'm supposed to do at the start :\

[Unstablik]

your computer sucks ^^

[Antarath]

I LOVED this mod! I played it / finished it today. I would love to be alone at that beach just sitting there by myself...thinking...

And the voice that said "go back" creeped me out haha

[Antarath]

I mean "come back"

[foodeatsppl]

Anybody kind enough to tell me what happens? Who are you? Whos the mysterious figure?

The weird writing?

What the hell happened?

[kipchak]

Thats the point of it-Its entirely open ended, the audio varies from play to play, (hopefully) creating a different idea of what the story is about for each player.

[Nogert]

@foodeatsppl You are the narrator I think, and the women at the end is the women he talks about in the narration

[TheGroovyMule]

That's for you to decide, that is essentially the game, to desperately try to make sense of it all as you partake in this mans last journey.

[killkcow]

@foodeatsppl i dont know about most of it but the mysterious figure is most likely gman we all know that fucker is everywhere

[dhl1986]

i tried this mod with high hopes and a very open mind.... but i must say... i have no idea what all the fuss is about.

though the music was superb, i must say

[lolzordje123]

I was moved when i finished it

[Koenstuurwold0]

looks a little like penumbra

[rambo5551]

I finished the game, but in the same time I didn't know if I did. Because when I get to the top, and it "took" me away after that it just went dark and didn't "end".

w/e

The game was not scary for me, just kind of an eerie / alone feeling it gives you. The voice acting was superb.

[hauntedsoul21]

lol the fps ruins the video but I'm gonna download the mod and see what it's like =P

[stomkieken]

@hauntedsoul21 WTF?

[nevasoft2k7]

where can i get it from and what do i need to get in order to run it, i have steam already if that helps

[CoDintegrity]

Well first of all, it's a mod for Half-Life 2 so you will need the game in order to run Dear Esther. If you do have Half-Life 2, then go google it and find the mod yourself. (Honestly, google is really your best friend) There should be a readme, but just incase: Go place the Dear Esther folder into your sourcemods folder,restart steam (should be in your games list now), and enjoy!

[nevasoft2k7]

its ok :) i had gmod and it seemed to work with the sources from that. Played through it and its an amazing new style, loved it and wish that books could be made into games in this fashion.

[dtuner91]

If you are thinking about playing this mod, ....DO IT, you wont regret it, its probably the best mod i have ever played, it just hits you at so many emotional levels that a game has never quite reached before, play it and you will see what i mean

[Numner]

I absolutely hated it.

It gave the that horrible alone feeling.

Its a very well created mod in what it's supposed to deliver, which is why I hated it. Someone might understand what I'm saying. xD

[VicariousReality7]

This is one of the most moving games i've ever played

[pvtpuffy]

OMG! I live in portsmouth! Can't wait to go to uni!

[Nogert]

This is a great mod but I didn't get the story, all I really put together was some guy had a car accident, and then died somewhere but he didn't want to be forgotten so he put marking all over an island of memories and stuff etc..

[zak2ninja]

I think he girlfriend/wife died, if you to the other cave he talks about Paul. Someone he talked about accident with. I also think it was a drunk driving or drugs there are Some element symbols that make up beer or drugs can't remember.

[lolzordje123]

paul is paul jakobson, the shepard

[OwnNewWay]

This was good mod. It's really eerie.

[0RobinHood1]

This is the best Half-life 2 mod ever.

[lunei66]

Smod/Smod Redux/Smod Tactical is the best Half-Life 2 mod ever, but this is really interesting too.

[Vleesball]

maybe you need to read the perpous before commenting stupid shit

[GrandBurnin]

The Voice actor sounds like Richard Burton. Which is pretty incredible.

[1Avion1]

To me he sounds a bit like sam neil.

[MutantWren]

*sigh* It is if you're looking for more FPS stuff. You pretty much travel across/around the island, triggering a VO at certain locations. The story is never made completely clear. but that's intentional; it's left up to interpretation. The story I get for it is sad and haunting, but beautiful at the same time. Even thought it has a tendancy to glitch the fuck out, it's still a beautiful work as far as artistic stuff goes.

[Trommelweiber]

learn grammar

[zeplynrulz]

............no

[faszika]

how's the weather in texas?

[zeplynrulz]

lol what i live in ohio

[kisftw]

pretty damn cold. i dunno why. 0.o?

[nowais]

Black figure is Esther. Character's friend Paul killed her in a drunk driving accident. All the cave paintings and such (chemical formulas, electrical schematics) are done by you in a painkiller induced haze or it's just all in your head.

Also you've got really bad kidney stones or something.

Fuck if I know

[MetusInfernus]

Only problem I had with the mod was the fact that the 'mystery character' never disappeared properly. I assume it's supposed to vanish when you hit a trigger. One time I got close enough for the 'follow' trigger to go off. I had a shadowy figure following me around until the trigger finally activated.

[YAYroblocks]

the misterious person everywhere is esther

not gman the main charcter (you) is seeing hulusenations of his dead girlfreind i think

[ptc5010]

Somebody should do a speed run of this.

[wedgeff7]

To whoever it was that said the graffiti made no sense: the diary notes explain later on that it's not meant to ("...Random Electrical Diagrams for future theologists to muse over...")

I just completed it: ten minutes ago. I loved it: its narrative and its bleak ambiance was really compelling. I have but two complaints about it:

1) The landscape, while beautiful, has a couple of glitches (on the shoreline for example)

2) Walking speed was a little slow.

One of my favourite mods ever!

[brokensocks]

Question, the esther figure right before the ending cutscene didn't disappear for me, is she supposed to do that? Also, when the camera leaves the radio tower in the final cutscene, all I see is ordinary ground, is there supposed to be something there?

[DarthNader26]

An absolutely amazing mod. More a work of art than an actual game. No real action, but the presentation, voice acting, and environment create a very surreal, creepy, and emotionally touching environment.

[Umdzeh]

Driftspace in a Foglit landscape. I am my own shoreline.

[HyrAyl]

A really touching mod. Gives you the impression there's more to understand that you notice at the first glance. Also, a exceptional voice acting.

[vidzmod]

who are you supposed to be in the mod?

[JimboJoy]

Im so glad I found this, that mod was so...

[feczor]

this mod is different from all the others. proves that the source engine is very versatile.

[prophetoftru7h]

This mod confused the hell out of me, what's going on? The narrative made a little sense, but the environment and the graffiti seemed to have little to do with it, and the story seemed to make no sense. It felt very unfinished, in my opinion, especially since it was so hyped as being some masterwork of horror.

[kiddj2005]

hi great mod i loved the story, it drew me in unlike anything else i've ever played. Anyways i was wondering if anyone knew of any books that are on tape that are like this mods story in a way, im going on a 13 hour flight and I would like to have something like this mods beautiful story to listen to

[szester]

great mod but its only like 20 mins long

[ADadasadasdadw]

When you came to the station (at 02:09min in the video) the mod fly around and show the way again you walked, then there comes a black screen and at the end you hear someone run thruw the water, and then the mod stops to play :'(

What can I do to make the mod running? (sorry for my english I hope you know what´s my problem with the mod)

[Dragonite987]

Its the end

[ADadasadasdadw]

Really?

Hmm... I hope they release a new version with a longer story

[Dragonite987]

Ye :)

[ppitm]

That's the end. It's the sound of the gulls returning.

[doonbugie]

This is the only mod I have ever played that's immersed me in the actual game and story. I love this mod, Also has the best voice acting Ive ever had

[Fr4nkWh1te]

this mod crashed during load-up. what can i do ?! anybody ?!

[smidge146]

This mod is the most well made mod I have ever played

[Dragonite987]

Anyone else have seen the person that u see going into the house?

And he\her is also at the top of the mountain.

Anyone else seen that person? it freaks me out, i cant find out who it is.

[wormsman9]

Gman?

[Dragonite987]

I dunno,

[wormsman9]

you could noclip up to him to check^_^

[spizix]

lol its not Gman you idiots.

The person you see, walking around on the island misteriously.. is Esther.

i catched up on her once, (by bunny hopping) and she just disapeared later.

i guess its the persons fantasy that is running wild.

[Dragonite987]

its a very creepy mod in my opinion, its like.... Scary..

Hope they make another one.

[chaoticwarrior3341]

Dreepz maybe its made to look like this cause if it was laggy the voice would be laggy.

[LordTharapita]

Great mod, palyed it today. I enjoyed it for the most part. The houses were a bit sloppily mapped tho (I'm a mapper). But the point was for a well narrated walk around an island and it did it well. I'm pleased.

[avdiv]

pretty hard in my opinion. but very well done

[Chucker84]

great mod - the only thing I played through twice this year

[MoltenBananaz]

Im still stuck near the cave. I duno where to go :))

[C0RPS3GR1ND3R]

I dont know if you are stil stuck but if you are stuck at the cave near the begining then just go back up the hill