The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

 PC
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 66 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 66
  3. Negative: 0 out of 66
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 2, 2014
    70
    An intriguing and gorgeous little game that's sure to frustrate as well as captivate. [Issue#255, p.48]
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Oct 19, 2014
    70
    The game takes your breath away from the first seconds, but its paper-thin story quickly gets lost in the beautiful picture.
  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Oct 7, 2014
    70
    Are the beautiful views of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter justified by the pure beauty of them? We have to ask this question after being guided through a predictable story by an invisible hand. We’ll probably remember this game for the astounding visuals, rather than for its gameplay.
  5. Games.cz
    Oct 4, 2014
    70
    For The Astronauts developers, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is not a victory, but neither is it a failure. Fans of the games like Dear Esther or Gone Home will very much like it, and if you take pleasure in beautiful graphics, you will purr with delight.
  6. Kill Screen
    Oct 2, 2014
    70
    Carter is most frustrating when it attempts to deviate from those systems as though this were, in some way, a refusal to become friends with the player, when really, it should be as welcoming as possible.
  7. God is a Geek
    Sep 30, 2014
    70
    The relatively gratifying story and straightforward puzzles aren’t the real reasons to visit Red Creek Valley. The location is a good enough reason itself. More often than not people look to graphics as an indication for this medium’s progression and even though that’s somewhat of a falsehood, it has to be said that this spirit story’s looks are otherworldly.
  8. PCGamesN
    Sep 29, 2014
    70
    A bold and fascinating story. But the story is something that’s revealed, not something that’s lived through. I was a tourist, a witness, a reader, and that left less room for being a player. Yet I expect the game to stay with me for a good long time, and its grisly, gorgeous world alone makes the trek worthwhile.
  9. The Escapist
    Sep 29, 2014
    70
    A good little story with a bleak atmosphere that nonetheless provides some relaxing puzzle solving.
  10. LevelUp
    Oct 8, 2014
    65
    The title definitely has good intentions but it inevitably falls short. Clichés and bogged down mechanics appear early in the game. Some mind-blowing scenes freshen up the experience but the riddles are either dull or poorly designed.
  11. GameFront
    Oct 2, 2014
    65
    For players who like story and experience to trump all else, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a low-key journey with some interesting ideas.

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best PC Game of 2014
32
#32 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
40
#40 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 854 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 596 out of 854
  2. Mixed: 188 out of 854
  3. Negative: 70 out of 854
  1. roughsleeper
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    Earphones and a dark room with a measly Core2Duo@3.2 4GB on SSD and Nvidia 570 card plays maxed with a bit of stutter if I spin quickly whileEarphones and a dark room with a measly Core2Duo@3.2 4GB on SSD and Nvidia 570 card plays maxed with a bit of stutter if I spin quickly while cacking my pants at a creak on the stairs.

    I MUST make one suggestion, turn the subtitles off. At least try it: They break it for me. The rest is spot on.

    Its atmospheric, spooky, cool, interesting, visually stunning and after 2hrs solid play intriguing but too darn scary after the day I've had. It's not run around jump scary, imagine it's an entire world to match the feeling of playing either of the original two classic cakpants Thief levels back in the day.

    It draws you in through sights and sounds. Within 30 minutes you'll have had a WTF??! moment. Anyone who's played it will know. It's fantastic storytelling.

    I'm betting its 8 or 9 easily on an average after a few reviews. If not, my 15 spondoolies have paid for themselves already. Exceptional except.....

    sort out the Spiderwebs though.    … Full Review »
  2. Qavvik
    Sep 26, 2014
    9
    So far I don't believe I've done much of the actual storyline as I've just been exploring and admiring the views. The scenery is simplySo far I don't believe I've done much of the actual storyline as I've just been exploring and admiring the views. The scenery is simply stunning. I've taken over a dozen screen shots so far in my first couple of hours of play.

    The story is very engaging and macabre and the atmosphere is immersive. I've even had the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

    Pros: Beautiful graphics and scenery. Superb soundtrack. Interesting storyline.

    Cons: Some immersion breaking red/white light pixels that flash in the distant tree line. No indication as to when you've triggered the autosave (no option to save where you want to), so it's a gamble when you stop as to how much you might need to repeat. Can't invert the mouse (option is there, but it's broken). Fell over 100ft down an elevator shaft and didn't die (which I guess is a good thing).

    Final thought: All in all a great game so far and definitely one I would recommend experiencing. I'm so impressed, I gifted a copy to a friend on Steam.    … Full Review »
  3. Jridgen
    Sep 25, 2014
    9
    Mine downloaded from Steam in less than half an hour. Fantastic graphics at 1440p, also evidenced by it being slightly choppy in areas on myMine downloaded from Steam in less than half an hour. Fantastic graphics at 1440p, also evidenced by it being slightly choppy in areas on my relatively strong system (4770k, GTX 770 4 GB, SSD, 16 GB Ram at 1866). Overall just unparalleled atmosphere and narration so far, a bit spooky as well. I am one to be graphics focused sometimes since I think it adds to the immersion. This one doesn't disappoint in that regard either: Namely fantastic scenery and ultra high resolution textures (which are apparently spliced together by scanning photographs, don't quote me on that look up the developer's explanation). All in all a very good game, I may end up downgrading slightly to an 8, but with many reviewing this without playing it yet, at least I have slightly more to support my opinion.… Full Review »
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