Dear Esther is the game that helped to create a sub-genre in video games upon its full arrival in 2012; the walking simulator. As I've mentioned before the genre divides opinion amongst gamers but for me it doesn't matter. As soon as Dear Esther started and I was confronted with the sound of crashing waves, views of an old abandoned building and a melancholic voiceover I was invested.
But even more than the game it is the music that has remained with me. Even after all these years I can still remember the sound of the delicate piano theme.
I am a big fan ofthe composer and game co-creator, Jessica Curry and it was through this game that I discovered her. So a chance to see the score performed live with a playthrough of the game with Dan Pinchbeck, the other co-creator of The Chinese Room and Curry's husband , was unmissable for me and I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed. The venue, the Milton Hall at the Barbican, was a sellout and there was a diverse range of audience members. On a huge projected screen the game was set up ready to be played, the opening scene left for all to admire as the auditorium filled up.

I wasin the front row and so had an amazingly close view of the concert.

Upon starting the game Pinchbeck made his way through the game, stopping at opportune moments to show the beauty of the game, and the live narrator read excerpts from the games script, which sent warm waves of nostalgia through me. The orchestra played the entire soundtrack andalongside the perfectly frames shots, it shows that Dear Esther is still a handsome game.
The concert lasted 1 1/2 hours and was a wonderful experience, reducing the elderly lady sat next to me in the front row to tears. At the end of the concert Curry came on stage to receive a bow and thank the orchestra and her husband. After the concert I headed down to collect my bag from the cloakroom and overheard many people sharing their opinions about the game and reminiscing about the game, it was great being amongst my nerdy peers and the environment being inclusive and non-toxic.
I hope this concert starts a trend for other game studios to perform their soundtracks live with a playthrough of their games as I do feel that there is definitely an audience for it.

Dear Esther is a walking simulator following the story of a shipwrecked castaway on a remote Hebridean island. The game was created in 2012 by the Chinese Room and impressive graphics and dialogue wowed many, including me at the time, however the soundtrack has really stood the test of time. Composer Jessica Curry, who would later create Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, created a marvelous score which is haunting and stays with you long after the game is finished.

There are many video game soundtracks I've enjoyed over the years, but my enjoyment of them has been influenced often by my playing of the game, and even though I loved this game the music stands apart and is exceptional; it stands alone as a piece of work. So when I heard that the Barbican was hosting a live concert of the music on Friday 14th October 2016 I was ecstatic and purchased a ticket straightaway.

The description of the concert is below and I have included a link to purchase tickets if you are interested:

A deserted landscape, memories of a fatal crash, a book written by a dying explorer – explore an island shrouded in mystery in this live performance of The Chinese Room’s immersive videogame Dear Esther.

Starting on a small beach, with only a brooding cliffs and a small lighthouse in view, BAFTA-nominated narrator Nigel Carrington takes you through the game, journeying from the desolate Hebridean island to a car crash on the M5, a crisis of faith of a guilty heart, the lost shores of a dreamed shoreline and a final ascent through the waters of madness to the release of flight. With the playthrough of the game on-screen accompanied by live narration and a live performance of BAFTA-winning composer Jessica Curry’s powerful score, the story is even more brought to life here.

LINK- Dear Esther Concert Tickets at the Barbican