"Dear Esther" is a unique videogame. Some wouldn't call it a game at all.

Presented as a free downloadable add-on for Valve's Half-Life 2 game, it is a product of Portsmouth (UK) University's TheChineseRoom research unit.

As the unidentified protagonist you explore what appears to be a bleak Hebridean island in a first-person view and - at numerous points around the isle that you may or may not reach - fragments of story are narrated, pieces of soundtrack are played and symbolism and metaphor are played out in your surroundings. A story is written upon the island, its words fragmented across the hilltops, beaches, cliffs and caves. The more you explore, the more of the story you'll encounter.

There aren't any guns or monsters, no brain-teasing puzzles or platform-jumping games - you just explore, look and listen and the story reveals itself.

The effect it creates is greatly enhanced by the achingly beautiful Jessica Curry soundtrack (which is actually freely available to download whether you play the game or not) and by Nigel Carrington's superb voice performance as the narrator.

There's a little bit of art, couple shots from the game, a better explanation and some notable quotes from reviewers on the project page that ought to convince you to play if you're still in two minds after all my rambling effervescence.

Now, it's some time since Dear Esther was released and it's won numerous accolades for its script, concept and audio. Its graphics, whilst far from poor, were fairly ordinary. The idea, the story and the accoustics always seemed rather more important than the graphics.

Now though, talented artist and modder Robert Briscoe is giving Esther a visual - and to some degree structural - overall. Maps, models and textures are all being updated and improved to make the island seem more real and the experience more immersive.

The work in progress on new textures and maps looks amazing. There are a few terrific before-and-after shots on this page and many more beautiful images throughout Briscoe's blog.

It may be some time before the new version of Esther becomes available but looking at its websites today got me all nostalgic over the engrossing and moving experience of playing this "game" and very enthusiastically looking forward to the overhauled re-release.