In regards to the visual style I'm planning for my game level, the aesthetic of "Dear Esther" has stuck in my mind as a visual standard that I'd like to work towards. I bought and played the game last year, and the visual style left an impact. It has quite a realistic look, the textures appear very detailed. The whole scene is made to feel more lifelike, I feel, because of how each scene is packed with foliage and rock formations. I want to try to replicate this natural type of scene in my level.
I took these screenshots myself during gameplay of "Dear Esther". I will keep looking to them throughout production so that I stay on the right track, in the hope that I will achieve a similar standard of aesthetic.
There are some good examples of aged and ruined buildings in "Dear Esther".
