Dear Esther vs Firewatch
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is one of the few rare games that managed to evoke strong powerful emotions simply with beautiful visuals, euphonious instrumentals, and an immersive and narrated story filled with love, loss, guilt and redemption. Previously a cult mod, the game sends you on a journey of exploration and self-reflection as you explore a remote and uninhabited island in the outskirts of Hebrides where apparently a mysterious Esther has summoned you here.The best part about all of this though is that the game is, unlike most heavily story-driven games, very replayable. Every play-through will give you a new experience as the audio, visuals and even the events that happen are all randomly generated. So, if you enjoy story rich games, Dear Esther is a game that will unequivocally captivate you.
Firewatch
Firewatch is an intriguing, mystery-infused first-person adventure game that's set in the wilderness of Wyoming. In this game, you play as Henry, a rather messed-up person with a messed-up life that he is trying to escape from... and he ended up working as a fire lookout in... well, Wyoming. Being a fire lookout, your job is to look for signs of smoke and communicate any incidences you encounter to your supervisor, Delilah, via your handheld radio. Aside from doing your job though, there are plenty of fun hidden secrets and discoveries out there in the wilderness for you to find.Although the game has a rather small cast of characters, you can actually build relationships with them as you play the game. The game also has a storyline that changes based on the decisions you make. Your decisions will also affect the relationships you make with the people you meet in the game. Of course, the game is very atmospheric as well, with its unique art style and brilliant music.
Firewatch is a really nice story-driven game that focuses more on exploring the wilderness while keeping an eye out for the telltale sign of a fire.