Very often, playing a video game is a solitary experience, and few games are lonelier than the Chinese Room's Dear Esther. As you explore a desolate Hebridean island, your only companion is the journal entries read aloud by a mysterious, regretful narrator.
On October 14, you can experience Dear Esther with some company, at a world premiere live concert at London's Barbican, complete with the original soundtrack's musicians performingJessica Curry's stunning score with a narrator, as Dear Esther's creator, Dan Pinchbeck, plays through the game.
As Jessica explained in our conversation, the time seems right to create this unique playthrough of the game.
When is was first released, Dear Esther showed how minimal a game could be, and still give a player an interactive experience:
This spring Jessica Curry won a BAFTA award for her score for the Chinese Room's most recent game, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Surprisingly, the award has led to commissions for new concert pieces, including a choral work for a concert this past July to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. And she's got plenty to keep her busy with quite a few games in development simultaneously at the Chinese Room.
Episode tracklist:
Jessica Curry, Dear Esther:
Ascension
The Very Air
The Moon in my Palm
Remember: Jakobsen
Dear Esther
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture:
I Hope You Find Peace
Primary Conduit
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Production assistance from Sam Roberts
