Just finished playing Dear Esther

[Bridge]

I thought it was well worth the money. I always believe in quality over quantity. The game's world, music, writing and acting are all top notch. It's a whole experience from start to end. It took me two hours on the first run, when I stopped and looked at the small details. Many of which actually change on subsequent playthroughs. They add to the fragmented story.

Finishing the game in an hour or less seems like you were just walking from the start to the end without paying it much attention.

Nope, I actually explored every reachable area (almost half of it isn't reachable because of the dreaded Gentle Slope of Unclimbability and cheap level & game design (seriously, no jump? for a non-Myst FPS game that is inexcusable). I didn't play it on Steam so I don't know exactly how long it took but it couldn't have been more than 90 minutes. It's just so boring. I like looking at cool landscapes (as I said I took screenshots) but I don't like walking for ten minutes to an area that then abruptly ends for no logical reason.

But to each his own. I didn't like the story because the game was not interested in telling it to you. Compare it to Amnesia that also presents a fragmented story that little by little unravels, sometimes only through a few second long audio file. The difference is that Amnesia forms a coherent story by the end whereas Dear Esther gives you some vague themes with nothing tying them together. I just wasn't interested at all. In hindsight though (yeah... one day) I actually think it was quite enjoyable and I will probably play it again. I just hate how the game treats you like a spectator most of the time.

Spoiler below!

probably because you play a ghost; that's my take on it

I much prefer games like Myst and Ocarina of Time that give you beautiful (and scary/mysterious) environments but also a purpose and a goal.