The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

 PC
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

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  1. 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 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    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 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.    … Expand
  2. 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 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    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 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.    … Expand
  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 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 oneMine 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.… Expand
  4. Avadon
    Sep 26, 2014
    10
    Lovely story, lovely ending, amazing visuals, sound and environments. Took me about 6 hours to complete while taking my time exploring. The reconstruction of crime scenes can seem a bit weird at first until you realize the game's logic (could have been better explained), but after that it all flows nicely. As I said, the game looks phenomenal, but it is quite demanding. With everythingLovely story, lovely ending, amazing visuals, sound and environments. Took me about 6 hours to complete while taking my time exploring. The reconstruction of crime scenes can seem a bit weird at first until you realize the game's logic (could have been better explained), but after that it all flows nicely. As I said, the game looks phenomenal, but it is quite demanding. With everything maxed including 16xQCSAA, it fluctuated between 50 and 80 fps on my system (4790k, 16g ram, OC 780 Ti), with only 2 exceptions in small areas where it plummeted to below 20 fps for some reason. But at least it looks the part, so it's forgiveable, unlike many recent AAA terrible ports that chug for no visible reason. In general, it's one of the most enjoyable short, focused, reasonably priced indie games I've played. I suggest you buy this and support small studios that produce such small gems. Don't even wait for a sale, the price is fine for what you get, go for it.… Expand
  5. Sawt00th
    Oct 3, 2014
    8
    Immersion. One word describes it all. For those happy to sit down and soak it all up, it is a very rewarding game. The HD Photo realism of the graphics is brilliant and is a step in the right direction for this type of game allowing devs to focus on elements other than sculpting graphics. Puzzles are deep enough to reward and not irritating at all. There are times when you will need toImmersion. One word describes it all. For those happy to sit down and soak it all up, it is a very rewarding game. The HD Photo realism of the graphics is brilliant and is a step in the right direction for this type of game allowing devs to focus on elements other than sculpting graphics. Puzzles are deep enough to reward and not irritating at all. There are times when you will need to retrace steps as it does not guide you through the game. Even the opening intro is well done. Story is dark and the jumps are real. Stick some headphones on light-up and have a blast. Just make sure the hallway light is on before you start so when you go to the toilet you don't fear for your life. Enjoy.… Expand
  6. EmmaT
    Sep 28, 2014
    10
    This game is an unbelievable experience, a merge between Lynch's Twin Peaks and the universe of H. P. Lovecraft. I've never seen such a beautiful game, a new kind of storytelling.
  7. Alphamale1983
    Oct 2, 2014
    10
    This is probably the prettiest game I've ever played. I'm constantly stopping and simply enjoying the views around me. It's worth to get it just for the sightseeing nevermind the gameplay...
  8. fusrodah
    Oct 6, 2014
    10
    "A narrative experience that does not hold your hand". Completely lives up to the sentence mentioned in the very beginning of the game. An immersive, open world-ish adventure game that'll really fascinate players who don't mind investigating and walking around a lot. As an adventure veteran, I expected the game to be a lot more challenging than how it turned out to be, nevertheless,"A narrative experience that does not hold your hand". Completely lives up to the sentence mentioned in the very beginning of the game. An immersive, open world-ish adventure game that'll really fascinate players who don't mind investigating and walking around a lot. As an adventure veteran, I expected the game to be a lot more challenging than how it turned out to be, nevertheless, enjoyed the story and the graphics a lot.… Expand
  9. Nataraja
    Oct 18, 2014
    9
    This is, as the game announces upon launch, a NON HAND HOLDING NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE. As such, it is best categorized as an adventure game. Although short, clocking in at 6 hours to completion, it is, never the less, worth every penny.

    Graphics are incredible in this game. The scenery and sets are gorgeous and immersive. The sound is well done and creates an atmosphere that is    This is, as the game announces upon launch, a NON HAND HOLDING NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE. As such, it is best categorized as an adventure game. Although short, clocking in at 6 hours to completion, it is, never the less, worth every penny.

    Graphics are incredible in this game. The scenery and sets are gorgeous and immersive.

    The sound is well done and creates an atmosphere that is spooky in the best possible sense. Not frightening, but rather occult, curious, Gothic and even a bit intimidating.

    The soundtrack is marvelous and is a great thing to have. As a pre-order I received it for free, but it alone is worth the $9.99 asking price addition for the Collector's Edition add-on. The making of PDF is also very worthwhile.

    The story is well written and feels like old Steven King combined with David Lynch and even a bit of the Twilight Zone.

    Controls are simple and well thought out.

    The puzzles are not overly obtuse nor overly simple, and the game play that each scene creates is unique and well done.

    My only wish was that the game were longer. A more full experience is something I would have preferred. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will appeal to people who really enjoy story. While less action oriented than Alan Wake, its narrative is of the same caliber.

    I hope that The Astronauts will again let us walk through an investigation with Paul Prospero - the detective with occult powers who was on this one last case.

    A great game.    … Expand
  10. szszsz
    Sep 29, 2014
    10
    deep, immersive story only for someone who can dive into it. comparable to lynch's movies.
    lack of narration and lack of story logic (on first glance) forces you into rethinking the whole story everytime you encounter new hints - hints that are subtle and easy to be unnoticed.
    you can rush through the game in 2 hours and understand nothing, or you can give it 4-5 hours of wandering    deep, immersive story only for someone who can dive into it. comparable to lynch's movies.
    lack of narration and lack of story logic (on first glance) forces you into rethinking the whole story everytime you encounter new hints - hints that are subtle and easy to be unnoticed.

    you can rush through the game in 2 hours and understand nothing, or you can give it 4-5 hours of wandering around and solve the main mystery. the choice is yours, but my advice is stay away from this game if youre casual CoD-like gamer :).

    p.s best played during the night, with lights off and headphones on    … Expand
  11. ijRoberts
    Nov 5, 2014
    9
    The only reason this doesn't get a 10 is because I want MORE of it. It was a superbly beautiful game (thank you Unreal Engine!) that left me wanting so much more. Great gameplay, great puzzle solving, and great exploring. I must have taken over 100 screenshots, any one of the postcard worthy.
  12. iwillkillyou
    Feb 21, 2016
    4
    I did not enjoy this very much. The story did not interest me and the beautifully rendered environment only frustrated me, because you can't interact with it in any interesting way. The only gameplay this has is a few very simple and repetitive puzzles.

    I can appreciate that they tried to do something new and it's apparent how much work must have gone into this but I really hope this is    I did not enjoy this very much. The story did not interest me and the beautifully rendered environment only frustrated me, because you can't interact with it in any interesting way. The only gameplay this has is a few very simple and repetitive puzzles.

    I can appreciate that they tried to do something new and it's apparent how much work must have gone into this but I really hope this is not the future of gameing.    … Expand
  13. caseymert
    Oct 11, 2014
    9
    Masalsı ,merak uyandırıcı hikaye ,inanılmaz görseller ve mukemmel muzıkler oyunu ıcınızde hıssetmek bu oyunda tam karsılıgını bulmus bır tanımolsa gerek.Oynarken bazen oyunu unutup manzarayı izlemeye dalabiliyorsunuz.Bulmacalarıyla ana hıkayeyı renklendıren The Vanishing of Ethan Carter oyun severlerin huzuruna 4 4lük bir şekilde sunulmuş demek doğru olur..Dear Esther oyununu bilen veMasalsı ,merak uyandırıcı hikaye ,inanılmaz görseller ve mukemmel muzıkler oyunu ıcınızde hıssetmek bu oyunda tam karsılıgını bulmus bır tanımolsa gerek.Oynarken bazen oyunu unutup manzarayı izlemeye dalabiliyorsunuz.Bulmacalarıyla ana hıkayeyı renklendıren The Vanishing of Ethan Carter oyun severlerin huzuruna 4 4lük bir şekilde sunulmuş demek doğru olur..Dear Esther oyununu bilen ve seven arkadaşlar bu oyun sizin için biçilmiş kaftan kesinlikle oynamalısnız. Ayrıca Unreal Engine 3 motorunun belkide en güzel kullanıldığı oyun olmasıda büyüleyici havanın yakalanmasındakı temel unsur.90 ve üzeri bir puanı kesinlikle hak ediyor.oynayacak arkadaşlara şimdiden iyi eğlenceler :)… Expand
  14. Cinnamoan
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    If there's one thing that will keep you playing this game, it's the graphics. I'm the type of gamer that usually stops on certain location just to see the view. Zoom in the rocks, trees, grass, & water quality. I am really impressed on games like this providing stunning graphics while the engine is not requiring too much hardware specs. Very optimized. I really wish other game developersIf there's one thing that will keep you playing this game, it's the graphics. I'm the type of gamer that usually stops on certain location just to see the view. Zoom in the rocks, trees, grass, & water quality. I am really impressed on games like this providing stunning graphics while the engine is not requiring too much hardware specs. Very optimized. I really wish other game developers should follow this. Yes,they create good graphics, but the requirements is too much. Check crysis 3, the witcher 2, etc.

    Over all, the gameplay is good.    … Expand
  15. Noras
    Oct 18, 2014
    8
    It's a nicely put together game. Very beautiful and with an interesting story that pays off by the end.
    It really doesn't hold your hand though, so you might find it frustrating if you happen to not look at the right places and find the right puzzles along the way. Other than that the puzzle solving is quite easy compared to what you'd see in a game like Myst. I know because I usually    It's a nicely put together game. Very beautiful and with an interesting story that pays off by the end.
    It really doesn't hold your hand though, so you might find it frustrating if you happen to not look at the right places and find the right puzzles along the way. Other than that the puzzle solving is quite easy compared to what you'd see in a game like Myst. I know because I usually don't have patience or notion of logic for that sort of game, but I played this one through.    … Expand
  16. MattCobosca
    Oct 19, 2014
    10
    Great atmosphere, music and graphics. Very interesting story, unfortunately really short. Definitely worth to play, although it should be longer (it's about 5 hours of game-play).
  17. Sabapathy
    Oct 26, 2014
    10
    This is simply one of the best games I have ever played. The excellent visuals, haunting score coupled with an amazing and intimate story are enough to take you to another world. Red Creek valley is a beautiful place that you will never want to leave....... I was left longing for more. Kudos to the development team and hope they keep making amazing stuff like this.
  18. ChrisDoubleU
    Oct 29, 2014
    10
    The first PC game I played was Myst, and boy did this bring back memories. Graphically it's beautiful, the music is just fantastic, and the story was amazing. This game plops you into a world and tells you nothing else, you have to solve the mystery yourself just like in Myst. I highly recommend it.
  19. Pjanovic
    Dec 9, 2014
    9
    Wonderful game. Not very hard, but the true fans of adventure games will love it.
    Story is excellent, graphic is impressive (old U3 engine is amazing). Puzzles are well made, maybe should have been harder.
    I gave it 9/10, a very nice gaming experience !
  20. CoreGamer1408
    Apr 28, 2019
    5
    Another walking simulator with a few easy puzzles thrown in with a lot of time consuming padding going from A to B to stretch out this game. Wow I went through all that initially interesting weird drama for the crappiest of crappy trope and cliché ending.
  21. JustinForgueims
    Jun 2, 2022
    3
    A beautiful walking simulator. Graphics and landscape is the only good part of it.
    You expend most of the time just pressing W, with a few right clicks here and there. So I do not consider this a game. You're not 'playing' just passing through.
    There's no clear objectives so most of the time you don't know what you're supposed to do, where to go, what you need to find and where. So you    A beautiful walking simulator. Graphics and landscape is the only good part of it.
    You expend most of the time just pressing W, with a few right clicks here and there. So I do not consider this a game. You're not 'playing' just passing through.

    There's no clear objectives so most of the time you don't know what you're supposed to do, where to go, what you need to find and where. So you keep walking around and around, until you find something random that hopefully you can use/interact. Not because it makes any sense, just because the world is empty and you can just interact with really few things. Not a lor of options here.
    There's a difference on designing a 'game' without hand-hold and one that is not giving you any hint, so you feel lost most of the time.

    You can even skip parts of the story (I did it by mistake) as nothing is blocking you to keep walking and walking. So it's mainly a narrative story where you can skip parts of this story... great plan devs!    … Expand
  22. Galloway
    Mar 16, 2015
    9
    Emotionally it's Dear Esther, difficulty and play-style wise it's Kings Quest. There is also a level with a tribute to Amnesia in it (I noticed a mention of Frictional Games in the credits). The forensic replays are something unique to the game and stunning, probably the most enjoyable part. The story and mystery are great. Although I did enjoy the puzzles, I found they sometimes broke theEmotionally it's Dear Esther, difficulty and play-style wise it's Kings Quest. There is also a level with a tribute to Amnesia in it (I noticed a mention of Frictional Games in the credits). The forensic replays are something unique to the game and stunning, probably the most enjoyable part. The story and mystery are great. Although I did enjoy the puzzles, I found they sometimes broke the flow of the game as I wanted to continue the story and not get bogged down in them. Others may find those challenges to be the most fun part of the game, and will want to take their time and enjoy the challenge. I did go e-z mode and found some walkthroughs to continue the story line as that is what I was most interested in.… Expand
  23. DarkCowboy
    Jan 2, 2016
    4
    It's a really beautiful game.....or more like a narrative story, accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack.
    I would love to recommend this game.....but after having completed it in less than 4 hours, I simply can't.
    It's really sad that the work of creating a truly beautiful environment and soundtrack, is diminished by a severe lack of actual game content. It's actually a quite    It's a really beautiful game.....or more like a narrative story, accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack.
    I would love to recommend this game.....but after having completed it in less than 4 hours, I simply can't.
    It's really sad that the work of creating a truly beautiful environment and soundtrack, is diminished by a severe lack of actual game content.
    It's actually a quite captivating story, but you're kind of left with a 'Is that it?' feeling when the much too short storyline comes to end.    … Expand
  24. AaronB
    Feb 13, 2015
    10
    Great game. Love the realism of the landscape, very atmospheric and draws you into the world of Ethan Carter. This is interactive fiction on a grand scale. More please!
  25. CptAhnungslos
    Oct 20, 2014
    8
    Really great game, beautiful, relaxing and atmospheric BUT I wish the developers where brave enough to locate the story where the landscape is taken from...
    When I wander the woods, I have the feeling that these are european woods, also the buildings and all the other things.
  26. phbz
    Dec 5, 2014
    8
    What a great moment to be a gamer. When among the ruins and the fires of AAA publishers new grounds simultaneously give space to new forms of video-game expression. More so when you see smaller developers to finally be able to technically compete with the bigger ones. And on this department I must say that not only “The Vanishing of Ethan Carter” (TVoEC) is on par, but in some ways itWhat a great moment to be a gamer. When among the ruins and the fires of AAA publishers new grounds simultaneously give space to new forms of video-game expression. More so when you see smaller developers to finally be able to technically compete with the bigger ones. And on this department I must say that not only “The Vanishing of Ethan Carter” (TVoEC) is on par, but in some ways it surpasses the vast majority when it comes to visual fidelity. The world of TvoEC is staggering. But as close to perfection as the graphics look, unfortunately nothing else in the game quite reaches the same level.

    The game states right from the beginning that it won't “hold your hand” and this works both ways. On one side it gives you the ability to free roam through its jaw dropping landscapes without ever feeling like you are being played. But on the other hand it can brake the story flow if you are unlucky enough to miss something fundamental to the story progression. Also the game does “hold your hand”, sometimes in a discrete way, others in a dumb way that feels less than natural, considering what the game aims to be. This is specially obvious in the main murder story bits, where you are asked to chronologically piece the moments that led to a crime. You won't feel specially challenged, and worst, its puzzles nature are so simple, that you can just randomly connect the sequences without putting any thought to it. But nothing of this is too serious, just some growing pains from a medium that tries to explore new grounds.

    TvoEC is indeed a very good game. And does a wonderful job on delivering a story. The writing is in fact good and much helped by a great voice acting on all parts involved. It excels in creating a mood and a consistent world. Most importantly, it managed to keep me on wanting to know the whole story. It just needs some polishing of its mechanics to truly be a superb game. Lets just hope that “The Astronauts” are willing to do so on future games.    … Expand
  27. Tomle1202
    Mar 19, 2022
    6
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter lacks the proper amount of player's agency to compensate for its beautiful but ultimately boring sandbox that demands too much for too little reward.
  28. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    8
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an absolute beauty of a game, from its stunning environmental landscapes to the fantastic atmospheric sound effects that you hear while walking around. I feel that this game has a mix of L.A. Noire with Dear Esther and a bit of Amnesia: The Dark Descent thrown in.

    The story is very good and the ending is very good too. Although the game is pretty short,    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an absolute beauty of a game, from its stunning environmental landscapes to the fantastic atmospheric sound effects that you hear while walking around. I feel that this game has a mix of L.A. Noire with Dear Esther and a bit of Amnesia: The Dark Descent thrown in.

    The story is very good and the ending is very good too. Although the game is pretty short, with only a 3-4 hour length in gameplay, it is still worth getting! Also, The Astronauts made a prequel comic which you can read to find out what happened before the events that take place in the game.

    The voice acting, although not the greatest I've heard, it is pretty good but don't expect to hear AAA voice actors in this game

    The environment as mentioned before is stellar and beautiful in many ways, I would recommend buying/playing this game on a computer that can actually handle it, although I was able to play it on the High settings, I did experience some sticking in areas where there is a lot of objects. And the FPS did choke down to even 10 FPS!

    Although I never saw one single loading screen, I did notice some bugs in the game, in one part I had to put a certain scene in chronological order and two of the player models were missing even though I could still arrange them how I wanted them to be, plus the game did crash once (but that was probably my PC chocking itself with the amount of stuff it had to handle)

    Even though the game is great, I wish they could of improved on some stuff. The place where you visit which is Red Creek Valley, is pretty big! I know that the developers wanted to immerse you into the game, but I wish there was a few maps placed into the environment like in the Mine (players who played this bit, you know which bit!) had. Plus some of the items you have to search you don't even realize until you almost reach the end, another thing which also annoyed me was where you are in the scene that took place, you would either have to find something or rearrange something, some of the items took me over 30 minutes to complete because I didn't know what on earth I was supposed to do! Also, the puzzles are a bit tricky until you get the hang of it!

    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a great game to play and a job well done to the developers as this was there first game by the company The Astronauts, although the game may be a bit short and it may be a bit frustrating at times, this is a great first person mystery game!    … Expand
  29. bungnoid
    Oct 19, 2014
    8
    This game does a few things fantastically well, but leaves a little to be desired in other aspects. 10 out of 10 for atmosphere, immersion and imagery. The interactivity and story are engaging but are ultimately a little thin overall. The puzzles elements were not particularly challenging, which in some way helps to keep the game moving at a decent pace. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring thisThis game does a few things fantastically well, but leaves a little to be desired in other aspects. 10 out of 10 for atmosphere, immersion and imagery. The interactivity and story are engaging but are ultimately a little thin overall. The puzzles elements were not particularly challenging, which in some way helps to keep the game moving at a decent pace. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this richly detailed world, but the nature of this type of game provides zero re-playability which is unfortunate.… Expand
  30. urielejh
    Dec 8, 2014
    8
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I've been looking at and waiting for that game since it was first announced, almost two years ago. No real news spawned the net, nothing on the story but a glimpse of the very premise of the game itself: a detective with paranormal abilities receives a letter from a boy, E. C., asking for Paul's (Prospero, the detective) help. Feeling the boy's in graveThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I've been looking at and waiting for that game since it was first announced, almost two years ago. No real news spawned the net, nothing on the story but a glimpse of the very premise of the game itself: a detective with paranormal abilities receives a letter from a boy, E. C., asking for Paul's (Prospero, the detective) help. Feeling the boy's in grave danger, Prospero starts his journey at Red Creek Valley.

    After that introduction, I gotta say that TVoEC is one of the best FPExperience (FPE/X) ever. Gone Home is tremendous; Dear Esther is surreal.. each one in a very good way.. but TVoEC is both. The Astronauts have made what no-one else have tried and that is recreating the real-world in a game: using Photogrammetry, a recent "photosynth-technique", they applied to 3d models scanned and processed images taken from real-world places. Everything. Grass, trees, roads, rocks, facials, buildings' textures.. and the result is an organic, living world. You literally walk through the places and almost feel like being there for real. There's something so natural to everything.. the amount of details is impressive also; with all settings maxed out, you could take a screenshot and send it to someone telling it that that is a place you visited last summer.. and it will surely ask you: where's that? I'd like to go there too. All of that is built upon a ten years old engine, that is UE3, of course. Artistically, the game is unique in that no fantasy/sci-fi overused theme are exposed but an ultra-realistic, almost surreal in some segments, one.

    The audio compartment is above the standard. Not much for quality, rather for the integration with the world itself: no excessive sound effects, just as nature would sound like; the music is phenomenal, I mean, it really captures the essence of the game and gives even more ambience.

    Gameplay-wise, you have the whole place(s) to explore, without following any particular order; some sections require you to gather clues to solve murders; others are a bit more puzzling but not excessively, at all. No weapons to be used nor monsters to fight.

    If FPE/X (Gone Home, Dear Esther) are your type and you don't mind a journey/experience (also) of the mind with gorgeous visuals, captivating story with mystery and solving cases, than The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is for you.

    Overall:

    Graphic: 9
    Art: 9
    Sound: 7
    Music: 9
    Gameplay: 8
    Replay value: 7
    Uniqueness: 9

    Partial: 8.3    … Expand
  31. Bartender79
    Dec 16, 2014
    9
    If the overall graphics don't grab you the interesting story line will. Enjoyed watching the scenery and listening to the in depth sounds of the environment. With no interaction you felt connected to the game. even 3 days after the game I was thinking about the story I had uncovered.
  32. kuhndj67
    Jan 10, 2015
    9
    Great game, fantastic looking (max graphics at 1440p anyway), great atmosphere, a thoroughly enjoyable if brief diversion... but not for those with short attention spans. I very much hope to see more from this team.
  33. cajari
    Feb 14, 2015
    10
    Excellent stuff, intensive story and beautiful graphics. Totally worth to buy. This game is one of very few what needs to be made as movie also. It really went into my feelings. Emotional **** Funny stuff, example "Gaylord" -poster somewhere middle of game. Listen carefully every video and it makes the game feel like a movie.

    Only fault of this game was it's shortness, but that didnt    Excellent stuff, intensive story and beautiful graphics. Totally worth to buy. This game is one of very few what needs to be made as movie also. It really went into my feelings. Emotional **** Funny stuff, example "Gaylord" -poster somewhere middle of game. Listen carefully every video and it makes the game feel like a movie.

    Only fault of this game was it's shortness, but that didnt bother me enough to change my score. 10/10.    … Expand
  34. tsakiym
    Apr 11, 2016
    6
    great graphics, great atmosphere, nice story, the game had me 100% but i really didnt like the end. if this game had more choices and be little more crime detective..
  35. Panica3643D
    Jun 17, 2018
    6
    Игра совершенно не впечатлила. Некоторые головоломки напрочь лишены смысла.
  36. LetMePickThat
    Aug 7, 2018
    7
    This game is interesting to say the least. It features stunning visuals, a good enough story and a very nice soundtrack. The main weaknesses I see from TVOER is the lack of interaction with the world. Also, while I know very well that this game is advertised as a narrative experience, I find the lack of any form of help playing against the fluidity of the narration itself. I enjoyed theThis game is interesting to say the least. It features stunning visuals, a good enough story and a very nice soundtrack. The main weaknesses I see from TVOER is the lack of interaction with the world. Also, while I know very well that this game is advertised as a narrative experience, I find the lack of any form of help playing against the fluidity of the narration itself. I enjoyed the game much more on my second playthough, when I actually knew where were the points of interest and was able to follow the story in the right order.… Expand
  37. Noiza
    Dec 19, 2021
    1
    Here is my oppinion: Im very dissapointed by this game.
    It was a promising start of the game, but after a few minutes the game plot was predictable, the mechanic was boring and the game was hollow and boring. The start of the game is like "this game wont take you by the hand" yes, even worse. it gave me a rope i jsut had to follow until the end. if playes like a tube in a open world.
    The    Here is my oppinion: Im very dissapointed by this game.
    It was a promising start of the game, but after a few minutes the game plot was predictable, the mechanic was boring and the game was hollow and boring. The start of the game is like "this game wont take you by the hand" yes, even worse. it gave me a rope i jsut had to follow until the end. if playes like a tube in a open world.
    The game is short, it took me 4 hours, but only because i had to start over three times in a row since the game has either a problem with saving or the game just resets itself on every game start. maybe 2 hours and you are done.
    The puzzles where all mediocore at best but more boring, maybe the targeted audience was kids. one puzzle was with jumpscare moments and the Plot dismanteled itself after the first few puzzles. The End was dissapointing predictable. (and weak)
    The only good thing i can say about this game it that it has some good approaches, nice landscape and it was for free on epic. 20€ is hefty overprized, this game plays more like a Demo of the Unreal Engine rather than a propper game.    … Expand
  38. EvanRitchie
    Sep 26, 2014
    9
    Ignore those that call this a walking simulator, without any gameplay. They clearly missed the warning at the start. This is a game along the lines of Myst, with puzzles often so hidden that you can miss them, despite the abundance of clues. It's graphically incredible. I stood at various places, slowly panning around the environment just to take it all in. This is how detective games should be.
  39. Zubacz
    Oct 9, 2014
    6
    Before I played this game, I had heard it was beautiful, original and short.

    The graphics are indeed great. Unreal Engine at it's best, especially the outside locations. You almost feel the wind and smell the early autumn leaves. A lot of the textures however were either unfinished or forgotten. Finding blurry, pixelated surfaces among the mostly sharp and realistic objects is very    Before I played this game, I had heard it was beautiful, original and short.

    The graphics are indeed great. Unreal Engine at it's best, especially the outside locations. You almost feel the wind and smell the early autumn leaves. A lot of the textures however were either unfinished or forgotten. Finding blurry, pixelated surfaces among the mostly sharp and realistic objects is very off-putting. It is a minor flaw though.

    For originality, as far as games are concerned, I agree; I cannot think of a similar game. In other media however, this has been done many times. The game feels like an extract from a H. P. Lovecraft story, a few pages of quickly unraveling mystery.

    This brings me to the last main characteristic of this game: it's short. So short I could not believe I was done in just over two hours. I guess it could take a little more if people spend more time on puzzles, but those aren't hard at all. The whole story is told in five or six scenes, each lasting about a minute. The rest of the time is spent walking (which I admit is quite pleasant due to the graphics) or solving puzzles.

    I will not say I did not enjoy this game. I did. However it's length is the same as an average film and honestly, most films offer more substance. The idea is great so I hope these guys continue to make more, however I would say this was more a preview than an actual game.    … Expand
  40. SenshudoTV
    Sep 29, 2014
    8
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an excellently written, technical achievement and will surely set the benchmark for World design in years to come. If you yearn for a good story that you can really immerse yourself in then look no further, but if narrative isn’t your thing then you won’t find much else here.
  41. Sjalka
    Sep 28, 2014
    9
    From what i can see from the first 2 hours of gameplay - this is a mature storyline and a very stylish gamedesign. Superb visuals and sound design create an ghostly atmosphere while at the same time being tranquil and very soothing.

    The downside of the game is that it requires time. - It takes a few minutes to get into the game - and is not meant for the casual gamer that just wants to    From what i can see from the first 2 hours of gameplay - this is a mature storyline and a very stylish gamedesign. Superb visuals and sound design create an ghostly atmosphere while at the same time being tranquil and very soothing.

    The downside of the game is that it requires time. - It takes a few minutes to get into the game - and is not meant for the casual gamer that just wants to jump into a little puzzle for half an hour. The game does not hold your hands - and a player without too much focus will probably get lost and bored quickly. This is not a fast game - at all.

    The story is progressed by the player putting together the clues without a helper or a NPC that assists him.

    So it is a game to get lost in - for the good or bad.    … Expand
  42. WhySoSad
    Sep 30, 2014
    9
    One of the best games of it's kind I've ever played, graphics are amazing because of photogrammetry and optimalization is great as well. Immersive story which is long just enough to keep you entertained. I've finished in one go because the story kept me going until the end. Only reason it is not 10 is because of its length, but as an entertainment for one evening it's just enough. I'mOne of the best games of it's kind I've ever played, graphics are amazing because of photogrammetry and optimalization is great as well. Immersive story which is long just enough to keep you entertained. I've finished in one go because the story kept me going until the end. Only reason it is not 10 is because of its length, but as an entertainment for one evening it's just enough. I'm really looking forward to see some more games from "The Astronauts"… Expand
  43. neanderthaljr
    Sep 26, 2014
    10
    What I can say for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter?
    I do not want to leave the Red Creek Valley.

    How such a small group of developers can do a good job?

    The sound is excellent, the graphics not to mention, beautiful work done in Unreal, say by the way, I'm not sure, nor is the Unreal 4.

    But beware, it may seem like a short game, but for me it was worth the experience !!
  44. Jonhuggs
    Sep 28, 2014
    9
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a very well done game. It is creepy in a good way without being overly scary. The visuals are better than 90% of AAA releases. The music is equally as good. The only knocks I have is the game is short ~4 hours long, but I'd rather it be shot and meaningful than add a lot of fluff that detracts from the experience. There is also some occasional stuttering,The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a very well done game. It is creepy in a good way without being overly scary. The visuals are better than 90% of AAA releases. The music is equally as good. The only knocks I have is the game is short ~4 hours long, but I'd rather it be shot and meaningful than add a lot of fluff that detracts from the experience. There is also some occasional stuttering, but not too bad. I can't wait to see what The Astronauts do next!… Expand
  45. ASK-the-SKY
    Sep 27, 2014
    9
    i wanna live in red creek valley,every single object in this game is really wonderful. and some people says this game as walking simulator,what's wrong with that? Vanishing of Ethan Carter is slow paced,admit it. you must feel a atmosphere,walking to discover something,and finally find a story little by little. what can i say for this game is underrated beautiful.one of the most beautifuli wanna live in red creek valley,every single object in this game is really wonderful. and some people says this game as walking simulator,what's wrong with that? Vanishing of Ethan Carter is slow paced,admit it. you must feel a atmosphere,walking to discover something,and finally find a story little by little. what can i say for this game is underrated beautiful.one of the most beautiful games i ever played. thanks astronauts… Expand
  46. infin
    Sep 28, 2014
    10
    Ethan Carter is a super creepy immersive game. I enjoyed the complete absence of any player directions, having to feel your way through every puzzle. It was like trying to play the game in the dark. it's very spooky, for the amount of time I have been playing it I am always waiting for something super scary to happy and then it finally did. Watch out!
  47. CardinalStorm
    Sep 30, 2014
    9
    A very nice looking, easy to play game. Well optimised and runs almost completely smooth, which is a nice change in a world full of unoptimised console ports.

    Relaxing albeit slightly spooky. Very clever and very enjoyable. The only real negative I can think of is the ridiculous autosave, which doesn't let you know when it was last saved. So you may end up quitting and going back to    A very nice looking, easy to play game. Well optimised and runs almost completely smooth, which is a nice change in a world full of unoptimised console ports.

    Relaxing albeit slightly spooky. Very clever and very enjoyable.

    The only real negative I can think of is the ridiculous autosave, which doesn't let you know when it was last saved. So you may end up quitting and going back to it the next day realising you've got to replay the same chunk of game you've already completed.

    Refreshing game.    … Expand
  48. zombiechan
    Nov 2, 2014
    9
    "first-person story-driven mystery game" Is an accurate description of what kind of game this is. This game tells a great story while also having a stunning graphics and beautiful music. This game also has some puzzle solving. Some are pretty, some are a bit difficult. Either way the puzzles add game play to a story driven game.

    Overall is a game that I would recommend to all my    "first-person story-driven mystery game" Is an accurate description of what kind of game this is. This game tells a great story while also having a stunning graphics and beautiful music. This game also has some puzzle solving. Some are pretty, some are a bit difficult. Either way the puzzles add game play to a story driven game.

    Overall is a game that I would recommend to all my friends, even the ones who are not so much gamers because I know they will enjoy the story.    … Expand
  49. SaviCZ
    Sep 29, 2014
    5
    Beautiful graphics and atmosphere for sure, but the story is really weak. As a detective, you would expect an acutal detective work, like trying to nail things together in your head and finally come up with a solution. You dont do that here. You basically walk across like..I dont know.. 6 locations, which have their own "puzzles" (now dont get me wrong but they are just silly easy) andBeautiful graphics and atmosphere for sure, but the story is really weak. As a detective, you would expect an acutal detective work, like trying to nail things together in your head and finally come up with a solution. You dont do that here. You basically walk across like..I dont know.. 6 locations, which have their own "puzzles" (now dont get me wrong but they are just silly easy) and when you solve them you get a part of a story. But then you realise, it has almost zero context and literlly zero effect on the course of the search for Ethan, as well as on the story itself.

    +Atmosphere
    +Graphics

    - Gameplay (you can actually jump from a cliff, or down and elevator shaft and nothing happens) And btw jumping down the elevator shaft is the only way I found to get to another part of the little town

    - ZOMBIES (I was like omg lol wtf they put those zombies here, totally ruins the atmosphere)

    -there is generally no point to what you do, in context of the whole story. dont want to spoil it here so Ill restrain from explaining further..    … Expand
  50. ugurano
    Oct 2, 2014
    10
    very nice graphic, working perfect, no glitches and more. have nice story. when your look a good game go and buy this here.

    its fantastic game, and have realy nice image
  51. paulopsx2
    Sep 29, 2014
    9
    well, I think my first impressions were the same for everyone. A game with DX9 do everything you do?
    There goes an hour of play, and everything looks kinda stopped, hard to understand, tiring, but always intriguing and beautiful. It took me a few minutes to understand the whole thing of houses, decorate the doors and such .. but after all this, especially after the first animation in the    well, I think my first impressions were the same for everyone. A game with DX9 do everything you do?
    There goes an hour of play, and everything looks kinda stopped, hard to understand, tiring, but always intriguing and beautiful. It took me a few minutes to understand the whole thing of houses, decorate the doors and such .. but after all this, especially after the first animation in the church, it starts to get really interesting! Action, horror, suspense, and above all, that desire to see what will happen in the end .. more or less as a series ... GREAT GAME! LOVED !! ps: report of a Brazilian player rs ..    … Expand
  52. Markiniezter
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    It is an adventure game that anyone interested in mystery, beautiful graphics, fantastic story, nice details. Great game.
    could be the GOTY of adventure!
  53. agurczuk
    Oct 11, 2016
    2
    I've bought this without knowing exactly what it is apart from hearing mixed emotions. Some called it bad, other claimed that this game is misunderstood. I hoped to end up in the "I liked the game" camp though sadly I did not.

    First of - this is barely a game. It's beautiful, extremely so. The visual effects are just gorgeous. The models are so detailed that up to this date I'd say this    I've bought this without knowing exactly what it is apart from hearing mixed emotions. Some called it bad, other claimed that this game is misunderstood. I hoped to end up in the "I liked the game" camp though sadly I did not.

    First of - this is barely a game. It's beautiful, extremely so. The visual effects are just gorgeous. The models are so detailed that up to this date I'd say this is the best looking "tech demo" I've seen. But sadly it fails hardly as a game.

    So why it is that? I don't really mind narrative games, I don't mind experimental ones. But this is lacking so much in game design aspect. As a player you start out at a spot with a short story introduction. A very short and not really telling you what to do. You start walking - everything is pretty but nothing is explained. I just kept walking, looking around and so on and later on learned that I've missed 3 out of 5 or six puzzles. Nothing told me that. There was also almost nothing explaining the game mechanics or even subtly prompting me to do anything. Arriving at the old abandoned village game suddenly introduces teleporting doors with some spell - why? how? How does that fit the narrative.

    At this point I was confused and had no idea what to do. I walked around for little more enjoying the views and graphic quality but was bored. Honestly I thought that was it. Had to look up reviews to see there was more. And after having a read - was not really interested in actually playing. The game just lacks any game design - forcing player to explore certain areas, hinting or suggesting some actions. Or just simply explaining itself. Really shame as it is really beautiful. Can't really recommend it.    … Expand
  54. Theguyoo
    Sep 26, 2014
    10
    Loved it. Stunningly beautiful, visual fidelity easily holds its own against any recent AAA title. Combined with the diverse atmospheric soundtrack, this game is the most immersive gaming experience of the decade.

    Gameplay is similar to something like 'Gone Home', only more creative in its challenges. Some really unique mind bending puzzles here and voice acting is top notch all round.    Loved it. Stunningly beautiful, visual fidelity easily holds its own against any recent AAA title. Combined with the diverse atmospheric soundtrack, this game is the most immersive gaming experience of the decade.

    Gameplay is similar to something like 'Gone Home', only more creative in its challenges. Some really unique mind bending puzzles here and voice acting is top notch all round.

    A few complaints: I did find myself wising there was a little more to discover, even if only a written piece or some dialog. Also, when there is any narration, accidentally clicking the mouse will skip it with no way of replaying, so a future update to fix this would be great.

    Keep in mind it's only about 4 hours long, but at 20 dollars it's more than reasonable.

    I really hope this game does well, this is exactly the kind of interactive story the gaming industry needs.    … Expand
  55. Stiler
    Sep 27, 2014
    9
    A beautiful, poignant, yet somber game wrapped up in a short but bitterly sweet story.

    The first thing that will jump out at you for this game is the visuals. Thanks to photogrammtery (photographing real world objects and then using tools to translate them into 3d objects) the game has some of the most beautiful and detailed textures in any game to date. The game at heart is about    A beautiful, poignant, yet somber game wrapped up in a short but bitterly sweet story.

    The first thing that will jump out at you for this game is the visuals. Thanks to photogrammtery (photographing real world objects and then using tools to translate them into 3d objects) the game has some of the most beautiful and detailed textures in any game to date.

    The game at heart is about exploration, puzzle solving, and a short but memorable storyline. You are free to explore the world however you wish from the start. The goal of finding stories or solving murders as you come across them. How and in what order you do this is entirely up to you as you roam around the landscape. There is absolutely no hand holding in this game and that makes it all the better as you figure it out on your own accord.

    The few minor drawbacks for me were:

    1. Invisible walls and lack of a jump button. The world, although "open" is a bit limited in scope and with the lack of a jump button you feel glued to the landscape and can't jump over short objects which you might be used to doing in many exploration games.

    2. Voice acting was a mixed bag. Some characters sounded great and fit their part, others seemed out of place and a bit hammy with the line delivery/emotions.

    However neither of those took away from what to me was a very enjoyable game. The storyline was short but sweet, the graphics are some of the best in a game to date, and the overall game, although short, was well worth the price tag.

    If you like adventure games with puzzles and story focused games that don't hold your hand then this game is for you.    … Expand
  56. czerro
    Sep 29, 2014
    7
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

    7/10 It's a must purchase at the price, and everyone should experience it. There are going to be a lot of spoilers ahead. First, Let's just get this out of the way: The game is gorgeous. I mean, it's astounding. Now, this comes with a lot of caveats, and as much as the game suggests you try and do whatever you would like and investigate this    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

    7/10

    It's a must purchase at the price, and everyone should experience it. There are going to be a lot of spoilers ahead.

    First, Let's just get this out of the way: The game is gorgeous. I mean, it's astounding. Now, this comes with a lot of caveats, and as much as the game suggests you try and do whatever you would like and investigate this reality...it's not really possible. Such an expansive and intricately detailed world of course, has lots of boundaries to it. You are essentially on a rail. I DID try and go off the beaten path at the beginning and stumbled into a 'trap'. Not knowing what to do with this element I decided to follow the rails. After railing the first segment, I once again decided to investigate the woods and came across the palm-pillar. I quickly figured out the sequence (it's a trial and error puzzle and takes about 10 seconds) and was wtf'ed and amazed at what happened next. This was the real pinnacle of the game for me.

    Now let's get to the bad. You will quickly discern that the narrator is unreliable and that we are groaning through some Alan Wake style narrative of a child. Let's face facts: The story in Alan Wake was beyond stupid, the gameplay and structure was topnotch. This game is trying to ride that same weak narrative without the gameplay and structure? Well...yes and no.

    Here's what 'happened' and herein my problems: Ethan Carter is a young boy. He loves his comics and pulps. He's very creative and finds an outlet in writing stories. He lives in a really forced backwater town where 'reading'/'writing' = **** See, this is a problem for me, because I'm supposed to sympathize with the fantasies of a child in the structure of a really forced and flat adult fantasy about 'ya'll some yokels.' Like, Ethan's fantastical elements exist in an even more fantastically cardboard thing. Ethan Carter does not live in a real world, which is what detracts from the story. There is literally no expansion on his family aside from they are country morons and act retardedly.

    His father is apologetic about this. His uncle and brother verbally abuse his **** His grandfather is inured and likes Ethan simply because Ethan likes him and does not remember that his grandfather accidentally killed his wife. His mother is dismissive of these problems and finds his actions frustrating. One day Ethan Carter tucks himself away in the old “Place name here” place and starts writing a story. One of many he has written previously. It's a really dark tale. It's about himself and his family. It's about the dark evil force that has overtaken them. The evil things they do to one another. It's a Prospero feature. He's written them before, and Prospero comes and gleans the happenings and trys to put to rest what he can. This is kinda where the player comes in...

    THIS is what the game was. Prospero , the player, is a force, a narrative tool, for Ethan to investigate his own issues. You get to experience this in a way, which is kinda cool, from the outside looking in. But there really isn't any investigation or depth to these characters or this maudlin tale. There is no choice, there is no expanding story. Only the illusion of choice and we're simply part of a narrative Ethan Carter was writing about a fictionalized horror story about himself. This does kinda hang a lamp on the illusion of never feeling like you can do anything at all! The reward is thus, after playing through the primary narrative and Ethan's side stories (8? pretty slight) you get to see the ending.

    Now, I know this confuses people, but it's not that confusing. Everything you've seen previously is fake. It's part of a story based on the places Ethan knows and the people he knows. His brother finds him at the end of this conception in the cellar of “place name here” house. Everyone is frustrated and commences to rant and call him a **** For some reason his mom carries a flaming lantern so carelessly that other characters are forced to note it. Flashlights do not exist. You already see where this melodrama is going while it painfully plays itself out. The place is set ablaze, Ethan retreats back to the cellar room and falls unconcious. So the fiction of the tale informs the reality of the tale. Or is it the other way around? You know what? It really doesn't matter, because it's all the same fiction to begin with. I guess that's my real problem with this reveal and why it's not quite as awesome as the producers believe it to be.

    This was not a real-time rendition of those events. It is Ethan remembering those events. We are now in darkness. Ethan has been unconcious for less than 5 minutes, while he played a Prospero tale he had just written, back in his head. There is a clock at a rail station at the beginning. One face says 7:00, the other face is not quite 7:04.

    In the darkness, Prospero talks to Ethan, who insists he believes he never created Prospero at all. Prospero has no comment, despite Ethan already revealed this information to us. He does what Prospero does, what the player that Ethan wrote does, and convinces Ethan to let go. It is a pretty nice little cap on this tale, but there are far too many issues with the narrative to make this work. The little cap on the end both sucks the magic out of the tale, both literally and mechanically, and then spins it on it's head for a little hint of some magic in the far left-field. It still feels like a poorly conceived and derivative story, but they executed the finale alright. The narrative really needed some more polish to it, and this beautiful world needed some more interaction than the 8/9 elements to it.

    Anyway, you have to purchase this game for the space-man segment and the sea-thing segment alone. Not to mention it's gorgeous to walk around this work. There are 2 fun puzzles in this game: House Portal Match can seem frustrating, but is really really good once you solve it. It IS easy, because this world, IS that good.    … Expand
  57. ns0l
    Oct 2, 2014
    5
    I don't understand. How can you rate this 10. I would rate the environment and the graphics 9. But the game is too short, very simple and full of nothing. For me, it's just a waste of time and money.
  58. kamealex
    Sep 30, 2014
    9
    It's great to see developers trying to show the strength of a good profound narrative. Absolutely brilliant. If you are not patient maybe you won't really like what the game offers, but, trust me, at the very end everything gets a logical and perfectly understandable meaning, so you should definitely give it a try. It's not as weird as other games more into realistic. It's just like anyIt's great to see developers trying to show the strength of a good profound narrative. Absolutely brilliant. If you are not patient maybe you won't really like what the game offers, but, trust me, at the very end everything gets a logical and perfectly understandable meaning, so you should definitely give it a try. It's not as weird as other games more into realistic. It's just like any Lovecraft's story; just playable and slightly clearer at the end.… Expand
  59. Bzyk1975
    Oct 10, 2014
    10
    Absolutely awesome stuff! If you like weird fiction, Lovecraft, Poe and - in some way - True Detective, you'll be happy playing this marvelous title. But remember - this isn't shooter! It's FPP, not FPS! If you'll understand this, you'll fall in love with this game!
  60. JoseCarlos_SGDF
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    Simplesmente cativante. Poderia ficar jogando por horas apenas observando a paisagem. Esse é certamente o sentido de que os jogos de aventura devem ir. Esta é a nova narrativa e técnica que jogos como Dreamfall deve seguir. Incrível! cenário, música / som, imersão e narrativa de histórias. Brilhante!
  61. gjmoss1
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    This game is one of the best I have played in ages the atmosphere is amazing and a really beautiful game. I payed 15 pounds for it from GOG and it's the best 15 pound I have spent in years. Great game 10/10
  62. captainnick
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    An immersive, spell-binding experience from beginning to end; The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an interactive story similar to the Amnesia games, using intrigue and melancholy in the place of constant tension. The voice acting is well done, and the score is simply superb. The game does not give you hints, direction, or (as it says in the beginning) "hold your hand." You'll need to use theAn immersive, spell-binding experience from beginning to end; The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an interactive story similar to the Amnesia games, using intrigue and melancholy in the place of constant tension. The voice acting is well done, and the score is simply superb. The game does not give you hints, direction, or (as it says in the beginning) "hold your hand." You'll need to use the clues provided to draw conclusions and solve relatively elementary puzzles to piece together what happened in the small Wisconsin town.

    If you enjoyed Amnesia, Dear Esther, or any of the Myst games, do not let this one slip by.    … Expand
  63. TwoEars
    Oct 2, 2014
    9
    If you liked "Gone Home" or "Dear Esther" this game is an absolute must play for you. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a supernatural detective story and by exploring the world and figuring out the chronology of events you are then able to solve ridles in the game world. But not all is what it perhaps first seems to be.... is there really evil afoot? Where did it come from? And who are youIf you liked "Gone Home" or "Dear Esther" this game is an absolute must play for you. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a supernatural detective story and by exploring the world and figuring out the chronology of events you are then able to solve ridles in the game world. But not all is what it perhaps first seems to be.... is there really evil afoot? Where did it come from? And who are you anyway?

    The story progression is great and mixes both subtile clues with more up front events. It also helps that the scenery is drop-dead gorgeous, I have Skyrim with about 100 mods installed and this looks better! That is no small feat! I wonder if I've ever played a more beutiful game? Probaby not. For such a small developer it is very impressive indeed.

    The only thing that was perhaps a bit cumbersome was the save system, the progress is only saved upon the completion of certain detective cases. So if you've half-solved one case and then fully solved another and exit the game the half-solved one will be reset to zero progress. This can certainly be a bit frustrating and it's not very clear when the game has saved your progress or not. I solved this by simply not closing the game and alt+tab-ing out of the game to take breaks instead. This method worked great since the game is very alt+tab friendly.

    I also experienced a bit of micro-stuttering in the game, despite having a very powerful rig. I think it has to do with texture loading and might be something that could have been fixed before launch.

    Overall though these are minor niggles I have to say. Experiences like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter don't come along very often and I highly recommend it!    … Expand
  64. CiaranJ
    Oct 31, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "This game is a narrative experience which does not hold your hand."

    Presentation
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter looks gorgeous. Even on my fairly out of date rig, I could still max out all settings and get an average 29-32fps on a Nvidia GTX 650. Red Creek Valley looks amazing, and it certainly makes you, as a player, feel the atmosphere. This level of polish from a, albeit, independent studio is admirable. This clear-crisp quality which visualizes the world also extends to the game's narrative. The game's narrative is well-crafted and nuanced. If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, detective games and are a fan/inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, and you are inspired by the weird fiction stories and other tales of macabre of the early 20th century; then this game is for you. The majority of the voicing acting is satisfactory, nothing special. However, this is not necessary a bad aspect; the mundane and 'ordinary' voices of Ethan's family add to the weird, yet realistic structure of typical valley life. It must be noted that Paul Prospero, the character you play is well voice acted, and certainly adds suspense to the story and keeps you on your toes with regards to the plot.
    Game play
    Referring back to the quote at the beginning, I want to focus on two parts: "narrative experience." and "does not hold your hand." In relation to the former, this game is primarily just that: a narrative experience; it is not an action game, and for anyone who craves combat, fighting or action of any 'meta-physical' kind, then this game is not for you! The game is one about story, atmosphere, mood, etc - and these are the foundations that make this game great. Now, to the keep in line with the story and to offer the player meaningful interaction, the game-play takes shape in the form(s) of investigative work whilst utilising Paul Prospero's ability to connect with the dead; players will have to search for clues, find objects, solve (some) puzzles and piece together crime scenes. (In terms of mechanics it is similar to Murdered Soul Suspect, L.A. Noire, Sherlock Crime and Punishments; and to some extent the detective mode in Batman Arkham Origins.) The developers focus upon exploration, and this where I want to talk about the second part of the qoute: "does not hold your hand." As a player, you are given the freedom to continue the game's narrative at your own pace; it does not penalise you for going off the beaten track, and you can even miss parts of the main story - and the beauty is: the game does not penalise you. It actually encourages you to go off and explore. In this respect, and taking into consideration the lack of guidance, this game makes you think, question and ultimately discern the eerie elements of the game's narrative.
    Criticism
    Nothing really major, however, I would have liked some sort of story tracker, or note logger, where the player could keep track of things he/she has found.
    Honestly, the game world sometime felt a bit empty at times; I would have liked to have seen some wildlife at times.
    A bit on the short side. Nonetheless sweet.

    Overall
    If you're looking for a drop-in/drop-out game where you'll find plenty of action (combat) and a pretty predictable narrative, then this game is NOT FOR YOU. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, whilst it might be on the short side, offers a great narrative experience; one that makes you think and question situations. From an independent studio this is worthy of a very high score!

    P.S. if you're like me, and you actually might stop playing because you may be scared you will complete the game because you don't want the journey to end - then this game is for you!    … Expand
  65. Avodeskorm
    Jan 29, 2015
    10
    Probably the only so-called 'walking simulator' game I've enjoyed so much, I played it multiple times. Played it 5 times over again, 20 hours overall.
    The writing style, the atmosphere, the characters, the subtext, the, the... THE EVERYTHING?!
  66. rabby_afc
    Oct 14, 2014
    9
    One of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The graphics are absolutely stunning! There were times when I just paused and just stared at the awe inspiring world that was surrounding me. Loved the narrative style gameplay reminded me of the awesomeness of Gone Home and Dear Esther. And I really like that the game doesn't hold your hand even when it comes down to the explanation ofOne of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The graphics are absolutely stunning! There were times when I just paused and just stared at the awe inspiring world that was surrounding me. Loved the narrative style gameplay reminded me of the awesomeness of Gone Home and Dear Esther. And I really like that the game doesn't hold your hand even when it comes down to the explanation of the plot. In the time when action/adventure AAA games surround us, this was a breath of fresh air. Here's to games that doesn't hold your hands...… Expand
  67. rogermorse
    Dec 4, 2014
    9
    Game is very short but delivers a whole lot of emotions. Graphically it is insane how they managed to offer this level of detail and immersion with the Unreal Engine 3.

    The story is amazing and narration is more than perfect. A little bit longer maybe, but I don't regret having bought it full price. 95/100
  68. markodon
    Oct 12, 2014
    7
    Going into this game, I didn't know much about it, except that it was a mystery/exploration type game with stunning graphics. As most other people, I was pretty much blown away by the visual presentation, which is one of the best (if not the best) I've ever experienced. The atmosphere in this game is simply amazing. As for the gameplay, I have to admit I ended up being somewhatGoing into this game, I didn't know much about it, except that it was a mystery/exploration type game with stunning graphics. As most other people, I was pretty much blown away by the visual presentation, which is one of the best (if not the best) I've ever experienced. The atmosphere in this game is simply amazing. As for the gameplay, I have to admit I ended up being somewhat disappointed. Although some of the mystery-solving mechanics are pretty well thought out, the feeling of spontaneity is soon gone and you realise that the puzzles are actually quite contrived. Instead of having to explore this large world and slowly unravel the mystery at your own pace, you basically walk from one scene to the next and solve incredibly simple crime scenes with your supernatural powers. The game is short (took me about 4-5 hours), and almost half of the total length is walking, which isn't bad in itself, but given that the environment is completely empty in between the "scenes", I couldn't help to think this stunning map could have been better used. The story is mature and interesting, although confusing at times, and while the ending left me baffled at first, it is though-provoking and satisfying. Overall, I enjoyed the game, but I do feel it could have been even better given its potential.… Expand
  69. Jetpil0t
    Oct 16, 2014
    7
    The most compelling component is the games story, which is interesting, builds well and ends nicely, but don't expect a lengthy or complex plot. The visuals are excellent and the game runs great with no bugs or performance problems.

    However the puzzle and encounter designs never really develop in complexity or mechanics beyond the first set piece and the quality of the gameplay and    The most compelling component is the games story, which is interesting, builds well and ends nicely, but don't expect a lengthy or complex plot. The visuals are excellent and the game runs great with no bugs or performance problems.

    However the puzzle and encounter designs never really develop in complexity or mechanics beyond the first set piece and the quality of the gameplay and puzzles even seems to taper off as you progress towards the end of the game.

    Overall the game is somewhat light on content and perhaps a little to light to really be engaging for its admittedly brief run time. However the game is an interesting mix of detective mechanics with walk around story exposition that would make for a more compelling game if it only it were filled with more puzzles, more complex puzzles and more story to explore.

    Looking forward to this teams next endeavor.    … Expand
  70. DamienWayne
    Oct 31, 2014
    10
    The first thing you notice is that this game is stunning. The scenery is absolutely beautiful in every respect, especially the lighting. I took so many screenshots while I walked around, every area is just so picturesque. The controls feel smooth as well, although that's not really a big deal since it's basic fps style movement.

    This story is amazing. It's not predictable at all, but    The first thing you notice is that this game is stunning. The scenery is absolutely beautiful in every respect, especially the lighting. I took so many screenshots while I walked around, every area is just so picturesque. The controls feel smooth as well, although that's not really a big deal since it's basic fps style movement.

    This story is amazing. It's not predictable at all, but every puzzle is interesting and challenging, and adds to the story as you go. The ending to this game is one I did not see coming, and was a shock(in a good way). I couldn't really find anything wrong with this game, I would recommend to anyone who loves a good story and puzzle solving.    … Expand
  71. Dunge
    Sep 27, 2014
    8
    Pro:

    -Graphics. This is probably the best looking game ever made until now (and I played a lot). Plus, it runs smooth everything maxed out on medium-range hardware (560 Ti). It is absolutely breathtaking. -Nice atmosphere, nice animations, nice puzzle logic (reproducing scene crimes and objects combinations). Game feels exactly like Ether One, without the impossible puzzles.    Pro:

    -Graphics. This is probably the best looking game ever made until now (and I played a lot). Plus, it runs smooth everything maxed out on medium-range hardware (560 Ti). It is absolutely breathtaking.

    -Nice atmosphere, nice animations, nice puzzle logic (reproducing scene crimes and objects combinations). Game feels exactly like Ether One, without the impossible puzzles.

    -Story: It takes a while, but when you actually manage to do something, the story is very well presented.

    Cons:

    -Total lack of instructions and player help. "This game is a narrative experience that does not hold your hand." I know some people might dig it, but it's really missing some hand holding. You can easily get lost and turn around in the forest for over 30minutes without encountering anything. The walking sections from one scene to another are wayy too long and there's no interactivity to be had. I would have loved to have some waypoint markers of just an objective telling me what the hell I'm supposed to be looking for. Same principle when you "touch" a body. It spawn a blue circle around it but it took me hours to understand you need to reproduce the crime scene before it does something. It really requires some kind of progress tracking of some sort. Too often you wonder if you found everything in this place and just need to go on or keep looking. The game is missing some sort of indication on what you completed and what you did not.

    -Savegame checkpoints are too spaced out. I completed a crime scene and quit the game only to reload and having lost about 1h of gameplay.    … Expand
  72. Mottii
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    Interesting story, unexpected ending , stunning graphics , great sound and really nice atmosphere. After finishing this game I don't want to leave the Red Creek Valley. What else can I say?. Perfect work of a small group of developers.
  73. Wesp5
    Oct 1, 2014
    5
    While the game world is very beautiful, but it is also very empty with a lot of walking between only a few interesting places. There is no real story, rather a loose connection of scenes, which is how the game calls them as well, and the ending destroys whatever connection one hoped for. There is not much investigation or puzzle solving either, the whole thing is played rather more like aWhile the game world is very beautiful, but it is also very empty with a lot of walking between only a few interesting places. There is no real story, rather a loose connection of scenes, which is how the game calls them as well, and the ending destroys whatever connection one hoped for. There is not much investigation or puzzle solving either, the whole thing is played rather more like a 3D version of a hidden object game.… Expand
  74. Bekpower
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    Simplesmente fantástico, o melhor gráfico que já vi no PC, ambiente envolvente, você se sente um verdadeiro detetive, e um apreciador de paisagens vendo o visual lindo o jogo te proporciona, e ainda roda em Directx 9, então é o melhor jogo já produzido nessa API ! recomendadíssimo !
  75. ShaggyKris
    Oct 16, 2014
    4
    There are a couple things I do want to praise. Firstly, the level design is superb. It really felt like I was walking into an enclosed valley surrounded by water and such. Walking into the world, I was able to gaze upon it entirely. That will also be commented on in the negatives.
    Second, the atmosphere is very well done. While never giving a sense of foreboding (except one sequence), I    There are a couple things I do want to praise. Firstly, the level design is superb. It really felt like I was walking into an enclosed valley surrounded by water and such. Walking into the world, I was able to gaze upon it entirely. That will also be commented on in the negatives.
    Second, the atmosphere is very well done. While never giving a sense of foreboding (except one sequence), I was very much drawn in by what was going on in the game.

    Now, to the negatives. While the game says it will not hold your hand, never even gives you a chance to explain what you must do. In my first playthrough, I found a couple set pieces and didn't even realize they were a part of a greater set piece. Namely, when I discovered the first trap, I did not know that I had to scour the area for ALL of the traps, and then be rewarded with a piece of story. This is inexcusable, as the endgame does not allow the player to COMPLETE the game without accomplishing EVERYTHING in the game. While it is considerate to teleport you to areas where you may have missed something, the fact that you, the player, must SCOUR EVERY INCH OF THE WORLD TO ENSURE YOU MISSED NOTHING is, quite frankly, absurd. I understand a developer wanting you to explore their world inch by inch, but in doing so don't make it MANDATORY.
    My other gripe is that the story, with a nice twist, is anything but satisfying. I will not spoil it, but I am pretty sure many people here will agree that it ends rather... untastefully. I was actually groaning at the screen when the credits began to roll, and actually threw up my arms when there was nothing after them either. The game builds up to some terrific conclusion, and swaps it out for a meager cop-out.

    All in all, while I appreciate the work that has been put into the game's visuals and sound, I find that the developers simply lack a compelling story conclusion, and gameplay itself. This is definitely a walking simulator, with minor puzzles. Don't be fooled.    … Expand
  76. AngryIgor
    Jan 3, 2018
    0
    what a god damn borefest... story and characters are joke and basically nothing will actually happen... this is not a game for a real players whos actually want PLAY and have some challenge, story or just want more than just boring seance... graphic is good but also nothing special
  77. Storm1672
    Sep 30, 2014
    6
    I do not understand the reviews this game gets.
    This is absurd. The game clearly lacks any structure and is ridden with backtracking. And because IT SAYS that it doesn'd hold your hand with a message at the beginning, we praise it for its "originality"?
    To get clear, the game is beautiful without much variety. Some great texture work and beautiful lighting, but beyond that, the models    I do not understand the reviews this game gets.
    This is absurd. The game clearly lacks any structure and is ridden with backtracking. And because IT SAYS that it doesn'd hold your hand with a message at the beginning, we praise it for its "originality"?

    To get clear, the game is beautiful without much variety. Some great texture work and beautiful lighting, but beyond that, the models look kinda dated and the effects (e.g. fire) too. The sound effects are solid and the music is great. Technically is above average. As it was made by a small group, this is quite an accomplishment.

    Also, the story is great, as is the ending. The atmosphere is heavy, both eerie and fairytale-ish, but it doesn't have a pace. You are supposed to make your own pace but it can easily go to **** We do not learn much about the side-characters and sometimes their behaviour is lifted from an '80s movie; too silly. Since this is the most important aspect of the game, I'd say it handles pretty well, hence the above average score. Beyond that...

    There is minimum gameplay. Very few puzzles (one or two are nice, the others uninspired) covered with A LOT of uninteresting exploration. Why are you giving me an entire field to walk if there is nothing there to do? The games lasts about 4 hours and about 3 of them are either backtracking to the places where you didn't discover what you were supposed to or slow strolls through the fields. I get it. The free exploration is nice, as is the idea to go wherever you want, right from the beginning. It just doesn't work. If it works for some people, that doesn't mean that it works. For success in games where you are given freedom, EVERY path must work, or at least some of them.

    Let me explain myself. I passed the first sections mostly as they were supposed to be passed. When I got to the middle, I solved the final puzzle. How can there be a final puzzle, you say, since that is the whole point? I passed the puzzle, then went on further, then reached a dead end, which was the "finally final place". To activate the ending sequence, the game had me go back to solve the same letter puzzle again, just to show me a slightly different outcome, so I can arrive at the last place and show me the ending. This was absurd.

    And that happened, while I had a bug where the last door, which I had opened previously, was closed. I finally tried to reload the checkpoint for it to work properly.

    All of the above showed me that obviously there meant to be a final puzzlebut for some reason, you can solve it midways. If you do that, then you mess with the "open and free" structure of the game. And since that is the premise of the "originality" of the game, I cannot accept it as a win.

    It does have some good parts, but this is obviously a case of people over-reacting because of the "we won't hold your hand" thing. Unfortunately, a game sums more parts than just story.

    If you like the "not so much gameplay" titles, there's Dear Esther and Gone Home and if you want a similar game, you can try Eleusis or Penumbra/Amnesia. I could recommend this game, but since I only see positive reviews and no-one speaking about its problems, I just can't.    … Expand
  78. Rasmin
    Sep 26, 2014
    10
    I knew little of this game, but had seen a preview for it the other day and thought I'd give it a shot. I am nearly finished with the game, and I think it is worth creating an account and giving a positive score for. Yes, it is that impressive. The game is gorgeous, it has incredible sound design, the gameplay elements are fun and intuitive, and the atmosphere throughout has beenI knew little of this game, but had seen a preview for it the other day and thought I'd give it a shot. I am nearly finished with the game, and I think it is worth creating an account and giving a positive score for. Yes, it is that impressive. The game is gorgeous, it has incredible sound design, the gameplay elements are fun and intuitive, and the atmosphere throughout has been refreshing, especially in a mystery type game. I won't give any spoilers, but the story needed to be good in my opinion being it is a mystery, and it delivers. It can be intensive on your computer at times, but only if you are running at max settings. Mine stuttered a few times, and my PC is mid range. Nothing I'd consider immersion breaking or annoying even, but it should be noted. If you are on the fence about this one, I say for the twenty dollar price range, you can't go wrong. I only stopped playing long enough to write this review I was that impressed.… Expand
  79. 138
    Oct 12, 2014
    6
    I would rate this an interesting experience. Gorgeous graphics, great music and sounds, very atmospheric with a good enough story. The problem is that it's just not much of a game. The puzzles are fairly simple and if you can't figure them out, you'll still have them beaten within minutes using trial and error. There is a lot of just walking around trying to figure out where to go next.I would rate this an interesting experience. Gorgeous graphics, great music and sounds, very atmospheric with a good enough story. The problem is that it's just not much of a game. The puzzles are fairly simple and if you can't figure them out, you'll still have them beaten within minutes using trial and error. There is a lot of just walking around trying to figure out where to go next. The game says it won't hold your hand and while I like the sound of that, there were times I wished there was some clue as to where to go next. Oh, there is that beautiful view from the bridge. Again.

    So much about this experience is just great. I want to be in this world, but I want a game too!    … Expand
  80. ChosenOne
    Nov 29, 2014
    6
    The landscapes are the best I ever seen in games. Characters and animations - some of the worst. I loved the story presentation and mechanics.
    But when a veteran developers like the Astronauts releasing a game without proper auto-save feature - it's just stupid. I just can't get it.
  81. DeusXCom
    Mar 23, 2015
    9
    First of all, this is the most beautiful game I have ever seen. Not just from the graphics standpoint, but primarily the world design, nature, environments are just breathtaking and it's been a pleasure walking in those forests. Really good music helps to set very unique atmosphere. Interesting and mysterious story is slowly unveiling. Some of the puzzles are quite rewarding and funFirst of all, this is the most beautiful game I have ever seen. Not just from the graphics standpoint, but primarily the world design, nature, environments are just breathtaking and it's been a pleasure walking in those forests. Really good music helps to set very unique atmosphere. Interesting and mysterious story is slowly unveiling. Some of the puzzles are quite rewarding and fun figuring them out. No hand-holding whatsoever, no quest markers, no objectives, no map, no UI. 100% immersion. I love it. It took me about 7 hours to complete, but half of it was just walking around without a clue what to do next, which is my only complaint, after about 2 hours of searching every nook and cranny of this world I lost my patience, checked the net and found out that one of the crucial items glitched on me, making the game unable to progress any further, ruining my experience near the end, so i cannot go for the perfect score, but it was still one of the best gaming experiences in a long time. 9/10… Expand
  82. DrZomboid
    Oct 29, 2014
    7
    Environment looks amazing, water and rocks on some places photo realistic, but humans are really bad.
    This kind of puzzles puzzles are not for my taste, I prefer Resident Evil style. Story is so-so. Too bad there is no single animal in this nature. Atmosphere is big plus.
  83. Nergal
    Nov 10, 2014
    8
    A short but intense narrative experience. As the game says it doesn't take your hand like most of nowadays games so you'll have to search everything with a vigilant eye to be sure not to miss something. The graphics are great, better than 80% of AAA games and so are the musics, really immersive.
  84. financialwar
    Dec 19, 2021
    0
    confusing, don't know what to do after I do all the clues and the six scenes revealed.
  85. iansarmy1
    Oct 6, 2014
    8
    Ethan Carter is more of a well done short immersive and atmospheric experience than a full fledged game. It features some of the best texture work I have ever seen and some of the best realized outdoor environments in video game history. The story is ok, well enough executed but not fully fleshed out especially in the realm of characterization. Also, there is not much in the way of actualEthan Carter is more of a well done short immersive and atmospheric experience than a full fledged game. It features some of the best texture work I have ever seen and some of the best realized outdoor environments in video game history. The story is ok, well enough executed but not fully fleshed out especially in the realm of characterization. Also, there is not much in the way of actual game play other than walking through the beautiful environments and finding enough clues to move on. But this is a worthy effort, lovingly created by a small team of independent developers and is well worth its bargain price ($19.99 USD on Steam). Hopefully The Astronauts will return in the future with a full length title having learned some lessons from their first release.… Expand
  86. bjaz
    Oct 23, 2014
    6
    No doubt it's one of the best game in this year
    Players will enjoy the audio & visual beauty of this game,but for how long???
    Still it's a worthy game to play...
  87. cwilder06
    Sep 26, 2014
    6
    I've just finished the game, and while generally I think people should allow some time to decompress before reviewing the game given the dearth of reviews out there from any trustworthy sources I thought it may be of some help to those who are on the fence whether to buy or not. Before I get into it, I also just want to note I'm impressed with how communicative the dev team has been bothI've just finished the game, and while generally I think people should allow some time to decompress before reviewing the game given the dearth of reviews out there from any trustworthy sources I thought it may be of some help to those who are on the fence whether to buy or not. Before I get into it, I also just want to note I'm impressed with how communicative the dev team has been both throughout the day on Twitter and on these forums answering peoples questions and helping them get going on the game, it's far too unusual in this day and age. I will try to keep this relatively succinct.

    Graphics: The game is beautiful, right up there with the best of the AAA titles (if not better than them). I have a hard time thinking of a game that has done environments at this level. (5/5)
    Sound: The music and sound effects are spot-on, moody and atmospheric without ever bashing you over the head in that regard. (5/5)
    Gameplay: The gameplay felt, unfortunately, a little more straightforward than I might have otherwise liked in a game of this nature. To wit, the only time I was really "stuck" was because I couldn't find a fifth environmental item - it had nothing to do with being stumped by a puzzle, rather I just hadn't stepped in the right area to cause something to pop up. That is to say that I would have liked the puzzles to require more ingenuity on behalf of the player and a bit more creativity. Everything was very straightforward. While that avoids frustration, it also limits the sense of achievement when you "solve" the puzzles as it never felt like you were really acting as a detective or solving puzzles in the way that games like Myst did. This is puzzle-lite. Some people will like that, but it definitely felt very casual friendly in that regard despite the warning at the start of the game that it does not hold your hand. (3/5)
    Story: That being said, the story was original and lovely. It wasn't momentous in the sense that games like Walking Dead and Last of Us made you care so much about the protagonists that you were brought to tears during the climax, but it was thoughtful and engrossing enough to keep you want to keep going to unravel the mystery surrounding the eponymous character. Intelligently things that seem cliche at one point make sense as you grow an understanding of what it is that's going on. (4/5)
    Value: The game is on the shorter side. I just beat it in less than 4 hours - solving every puzzle along the way. It's up to you to decide whether a four hour game warrants the price - for me I equate it to going to see a movie, so in my mind this is money better spent. But for those looking for a game where you are getting dozens of hours of playtime, this isn't it - especially considering there is really no reason for replayability (as it wouldn't change on multiple playthroughs).

    Overall
    + Graphics are superlative
    + Sound and music is terrific
    + Story is original and engaging
    - Gameplay is simple
    - Puzzles are very easy
    - Game is quite short    … Expand
  88. Spiralus
    Oct 22, 2014
    4
    I don't know what I expected from this game. Something like an art piece with puzzles maybe? I expected it to push my graphics card - as I'd heard it was really pretty. It has some great background flats which are seamlessly animated together to create a gorgeous exterior environment. Apart from those flats the visuals were simply modern. More important than the underwhelming (after theI don't know what I expected from this game. Something like an art piece with puzzles maybe? I expected it to push my graphics card - as I'd heard it was really pretty. It has some great background flats which are seamlessly animated together to create a gorgeous exterior environment. Apart from those flats the visuals were simply modern. More important than the underwhelming (after the hype mind you) visuals was the lack of anything to do. There is nothing to interact with apart from the bits of murder mystery you're putting together. After the third corpse you find you know that anything you can interact with will be part of a murder scene. This is even more boring than it may sound to you reading this. If this is all the game is going to be (messing with murder scenes) it should at least be well done. In my opinion though, it isn't. In one instance (the point at which I stopped playing) I determined that a pick-axe was part of a murder because only three out of four pick-axes were present in a rack of pick-axes. . . in an abandoned mine. . . that's not crazy - it's stupid. I decided that I was done playing the game and would warn against putting your time in if you're into murder mysteries. Was the story any good? Don't care. . . so. . . no?… Expand
  89. iycgtptyarvg
    Oct 11, 2014
    4
    The good:
    This is almost certainly the most beautiful game I've ever played (or seen). The vista's and the trees are absolutely amazing. Not only the scenery, but also the flashbacks and the floating words are just such a treat to behold. 10/10
    There isn't much voice acting, but what is there is generally quite pleasant. 8/10 The bad: It's barely a game. You basically just walk    The good:
    This is almost certainly the most beautiful game I've ever played (or seen). The vista's and the trees are absolutely amazing. Not only the scenery, but also the flashbacks and the floating words are just such a treat to behold. 10/10

    There isn't much voice acting, but what is there is generally quite pleasant. 8/10

    The bad:
    It's barely a game. You basically just walk around and sometimes a word pops up. Then you click the left mouse button. That's it... that's more or less the whole game. It's more of a movie with limited interaction. If you thought the Walking Dead game by Telltale was an interactive movie, then avoid this game because it's much worse. 2/10

    It is extremely short. I finished it in about 3.5 hours (in a single sitting).
    There is no replayability whatsoever once you have finished it. 1/10

    Even though the game is very short, it's not very intense to boot. It's all rather glacial. There is a run button that I kept pressed during the whole game. In fact, I put something on the run key modifier (the shift key) just to not have to hold down the damn button constantly. 2/10

    There is barely any music in there. It's a pretty quiet game all told. That doesn't help break the monotony of the walking. If you make a walking simulator, at least sooth us with constant music. 2/10

    Conclusion:
    Get this game when there is a Steam sale. Do NOT buy this game if the price is over €5,- or $5,-    … Expand
  90. Erazor
    Oct 3, 2014
    3
    + Absolutely gorgeous environment/world/level, great job done by the artists.

    + Interesting story, events and characters + the event/murder order solving and watching the events unfold was good. + Good jump scare in the maze, needed many more of it. + Good Voice acting, decent animations. - Gave us a beautiful environment but that’s all there was to it, very static, very    + Absolutely gorgeous environment/world/level, great job done by the artists.

    + Interesting story, events and characters

    + the event/murder order solving and watching the events unfold was good.

    + Good jump scare in the maze, needed many more of it.

    + Good Voice acting, decent animations.

    - Gave us a beautiful environment but that’s all there was to it, very static, very dull and boring, dead environment with few objects to interactive with, how many programmers did this game need, just 1?

    -Lack of fear, creepiness or generally anything, music alone doesn’t affect me, I’m walking in day light environment here, felt like a walk in an abandon village and woods, seemed like a normal day.

    - I don’t expect a game done by professionals to throw an early excuse of “this game that won’t hold your hand” that was like saying “this is going to suck in this way but it’s meant to be like that”.

    - Thanks for not holding my hand or leading any sort of good trail of events to be done, I did the death maze and Axe murder first before anything else. Didn’t help my immersion.

    - Some random ass object placements (Crow statue, Spaceman buttons, Hidden cave, and water bridge) maybe leave some more evidence leading to these objects, I’d rather play a straight forward story game for 1 hour then “find all the hidden” objects game for 10 hours.

    -Best part of the game was the maze and the jump scare, it’s a shame it only worked once, and the AI was stupid and predictable and easily avoided rest of the time.

    -Huge mistake on the no quick/manual save. No I don’t want to walk even more in a static dull environment that needs a lot of walking around in the first place, just let me ****ing save and quit, lost a lot of points for this.

    -The Portal house, No, just no, too much effort, didn’t need the rooms inside of the rooms, didn’t need to force me to a pen & paper to work out something that otherwise would have been the same outcome.    … Expand
  91. kizapet
    Oct 19, 2014
    4
    Great graphics, interesting tale and less than 2 hours of gameplay?!?!!? Basically, search for few traps at beginning, solve few nice puzzles, search through labyrinth while playing hide and seek with zombie and than couple more puzzles.
  92. flexy123
    Oct 5, 2014
    6
    This game has as much "game play" and "depth" as a a typical graphics benchmark, such as "Heaven Benchmark". It looks pretty. It has awesome environment rendering, nice to show off your new graphics card...but I am afraid that it is as far as it goes from what I've seen in about three hours playing.

    The game world is literally dead. There are no NPCs, animals, or anything to interact    This game has as much "game play" and "depth" as a a typical graphics benchmark, such as "Heaven Benchmark". It looks pretty. It has awesome environment rendering, nice to show off your new graphics card...but I am afraid that it is as far as it goes from what I've seen in about three hours playing.

    The game world is literally dead. There are no NPCs, animals, or anything to interact with. Nothing lives in that word. But you'll get lots of trees. Wonderful trees. Beautiful trees. And water. Trees and gorgeous scenery. If that's your thing...

    And you run around for hours and literally nothing happens. In fact, nothing really "happened" in those three hours I played the game now.

    The story/plot is cringe-worthy, it seems to be a very stereotypical ghost/paranormal story. All that would be acceptable if the game would actually be motivating, if something, ANYTHING would happen. But it doesn't. Instead you wander around and encounter relatively mindless and "forced" seeming puzzles interwoven with that stereotypical ghost story. Like that door puzzle in that house.

    It may well be the case I change my opinion in case I am motivated enough to continue playing, and something would actually happen in the game. Interaction, WHATEVER "action". Who knows. Maybe this comes later. I don't know.

    So far I got incredible bored with the game and the beautiful scenery cannot change this. As said, I can have as much "game play" running Heaven Benchmark. There too I can wander around between awesome trees and water. Except that no sane person would spend hours wandering about in a graphics demo/benchmark.

    This is my honest impression so far.    … Expand
  93. Oversoon
    Oct 20, 2014
    4
    This game is actually very interesting to play at first, but the ending is SO absurdly cliché and just downright lazy, that I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone. There is NO resolution to anything... NONE... I get that it's Lovecraft inspired and questions will go unanswered, but this was an ending so incredibly lazy that it reduces an otherwise engrossing experience intoThis game is actually very interesting to play at first, but the ending is SO absurdly cliché and just downright lazy, that I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone. There is NO resolution to anything... NONE... I get that it's Lovecraft inspired and questions will go unanswered, but this was an ending so incredibly lazy that it reduces an otherwise engrossing experience into complete drivel.… Expand
  94. BLADELING
    Nov 7, 2016
    6
    Positive: graphics, voice acting, controls.
    Negative: everything else.
    This game is *really* short (3-4 hours) and the story, well... too short to talk about without spoilers: let's say the ending is a disappointment. The graphic is nice because the engine is great, there where were developers are supposed to make an effort (internal and characters) there are - immediately noticeable    Positive: graphics, voice acting, controls.
    Negative: everything else.

    This game is *really* short (3-4 hours) and the story, well... too short to talk about without spoilers: let's say the ending is a disappointment. The graphic is nice because the engine is great, there where were developers are supposed to make an effort (internal and characters) there are - immediately noticeable -deficiencies and approximations. Definitely not a 18,99€ game.    … Expand
  95. RealGaming
    Apr 25, 2015
    10
    Well what can i say. Its one of the createst games of our time. You actually fell like you are inside of the story a lovable story and gameplay, which come with some excellent graphics.
  96. Jodle
    Dec 1, 2015
    8
    the most beautiful graphics i ever see ... beautiful game
    . . . .
  97. kharnikhal
    Sep 26, 2014
    5
    Yay, another walking simulator. On the plus side, it looks good at places. On the down side, it's a walking simulator. Not a video game. I played for about 2 hours. You don't get to make any choices, just walking and listening to the narrative. Save your money until it's on bundle or something, until that, read a book or play some video games.
  98. HardKase123
    Sep 26, 2014
    3
    Yes this game has stunning graphics, however, the game play is not well thought out. Depending on which direction you go you solve murders only to find that when you return to that area the murder is unsolved again. There were some glitches with the elevator in the mine. after you have visited all the buildings except one where I have not found the door key, there really is not anywhereYes this game has stunning graphics, however, the game play is not well thought out. Depending on which direction you go you solve murders only to find that when you return to that area the murder is unsolved again. There were some glitches with the elevator in the mine. after you have visited all the buildings except one where I have not found the door key, there really is not anywhere else to explore. There is one mine entrance in the rocks. I am a bit flustered as where to go next. I guess I am not a great detective eh?… Expand
  99. Veber
    Sep 27, 2014
    2
    Nice premise, nice visuals, but the game completely lacks direction or logic. You are supposed to be a living breathing human detective, who sets out to find a missing boy named Ethan (as explained in prequel comic); but:
    1. you arrive to the middle of nowhere ON FOOT, through long abandoned train tunnel, which of you go through backwards leads you to the same area as you entered it in    Nice premise, nice visuals, but the game completely lacks direction or logic. You are supposed to be a living breathing human detective, who sets out to find a missing boy named Ethan (as explained in prequel comic); but:
    1. you arrive to the middle of nowhere ON FOOT, through long abandoned train tunnel, which of you go through backwards leads you to the same area as you entered it in
    2. you can survive fall from a cliff

    I went in expecting strictly atmospheric investigation game with some paranormal, and even if game somewhat started as that, it was rather quickly broken by jump scare undead (zombie?) attack in the mine.

    Another fault of the game is that it is essentially walking simulator, with trying to find object you can interact with.

    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter had potential, but it went down the drain    … Expand
  100. Aventinus
    Oct 4, 2014
    1
    It's a beautiful game but that's about all the praise it's going to get here. Wandering through a ghost town with no objective marker (yes, I realize it was in the disclaimer), is just not fun, it's downright frustrating. Maybe for some of you who have a LOT of time on your hands and patience to spare, this will be engaging, but I found myself frolicking about, without a freaking clue asIt's a beautiful game but that's about all the praise it's going to get here. Wandering through a ghost town with no objective marker (yes, I realize it was in the disclaimer), is just not fun, it's downright frustrating. Maybe for some of you who have a LOT of time on your hands and patience to spare, this will be engaging, but I found myself frolicking about, without a freaking clue as to what to do next, passing the same bloody patch of land numerous times wondering where to go.

    Murdered Soul Suspect did a much better job pulling you into the story...it threw you a bone at least, giving you a full encyclopedia-worthy history on the background of Salem as you slowly unraveled the mystery. Sure, it had it's drawbacks but at least you were surrounded by a world that was eerie and teeming with liveliness with characters that you cared about....while here, there are no characters except the walking ghoul which is the protagonist detective.

    This is not my type of game, and I will never ever be revisiting Red Creek Valley again. On the plus side, at least this game is **** free (Gone Home).    … Expand
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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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. SpazioGames
    Oct 28, 2015
    85
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter it's a lovely experience that enchants the player with its narrative, and landscapes. Even the sound is fitting in this smart game whose only real problem is the duration.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    Dec 21, 2014
    78
    A gorgeously crafted experience that's cramped by the occasionally obtuse signposting. [Christmas 2014, p.68]
  3. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    80
    Some minor disappointments did not prevent me from soaking in the atmosphere worthy of Lovecraft’s horror stories. [Dec 2014, p.46]
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