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. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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).
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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 !
  19. 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
  20. 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!
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. 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.
  30. 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.
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. 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 !!
  34. 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
  35. 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
  36. 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!
  37. 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
  38. 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
  39. 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
  40. 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
  41. 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!
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. 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!
  46. 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!
  47. 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
  48. 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
  49. 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
  50. 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
  51. 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?!
  52. 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
  53. 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
  54. 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
  55. 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
  56. 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.
  57. 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 !
  58. 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
  59. 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
  60. 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.
  61. 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
  62. 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.
  63. Jodle
    Dec 1, 2015
    8
    the most beautiful graphics i ever see ... beautiful game
    . . . .
  64. Xon
    Dec 15, 2014
    8
    The game is brilliant on many levels, but I would not have been able to play it without using IGN's guide. For me it is definitely one of the top 10 games of the year; it experiments with storytelling and creates a realistic location (though empty).
  65. ricmetal
    Feb 4, 2015
    8
    The only criticism i would have for this game is the non-linear possibility. By allowing me to examine places randomly the story was broken up and made very little sense to me. If you haven't played the game yet, my advice to you i don not do too much exploring off the beaten path or you'll end up finding places you shouldn't at that time. Still, i enjoyed the game.
  66. Rex_richards
    Dec 22, 2014
    10
    OK so if you look around you might see some general truths about this game - its a resource hog, it stutters when you try and run, it looks beautiful, it is better with subtitles off, it has a very annoying feature towards the end where if you have not discovered all the bits, you have to wander off all over again and find them which is tedious in the extreme. Also, it makes you finishOK so if you look around you might see some general truths about this game - its a resource hog, it stutters when you try and run, it looks beautiful, it is better with subtitles off, it has a very annoying feature towards the end where if you have not discovered all the bits, you have to wander off all over again and find them which is tedious in the extreme. Also, it makes you finish scenes before you can save. It is really hard initially to work out what to do, and annoyingly I had to google it, so lost out on the experience a bit
    BUT aside from this, the reason I will suggest this should be a 10, is that the puzzles so to speak are not really difficult, as in unlike many adventure games they don't need weird illogical connections to be made. In other words, anyone can figure out what to do to win. The other great thing is that the puzzles dont get harder or weirder as you go along, they are fairly consistent. So unless you are really really mentally off your game, you won't get stuck, and you can immerse yourself and just really enjoy a great game.    … Expand
  67. SuperkenGaming
    Jul 17, 2015
    8
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
    A beautiful puzzle
    The vanishing is a great looking game with a dash of challenge and mystery essential a linear openish world murder mystery game that doesn’t hold your hand Youre placed into a gorgeous world and aren’t really told what to do youll come across notes and dead bodies and have to figure out how they got there you do this by examining    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
    A beautiful puzzle
    The vanishing is a great looking game with a dash of challenge and mystery
    essential a linear openish world murder mystery game that doesn’t hold your hand
    Youre placed into a gorgeous world and aren’t really told what to do
    youll come across notes and dead bodies and have to figure out how they got there
    you do this by examining scenes and items
    using your sense will show you where an item youre missing is located visually without just handing the solution to you
    you still need to put in the work of studying your surroundings.
    After you’ve found all of your clues you can touch the dead body and attempt to place the events in chronical order to see how they all played out and get clues on where to head to next in your search for Ethan
    This is the best mystery solving ive ever seen in a game and think developers should really take note.
    This is the new standard.
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will take you on a great adventures and various locations.
    You’ll never feel too board, as the pacing is perfect enough and problem solving is simple enough to not have you feel frustrated or like you are dragging yourself through this 4 hour game.
    The downside though is of course that it is only 3 to 4 hours long and there is absolutely no replayability.
    Once you’ve found the few secrets and surprises the games have to offer that’s about it..
    The openish world is very linear and leaves little to no room for exploration.
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a one time deal
    And honestly I think this one time deal is worth your time
    for what it is
    Action-Adventure/Murder Mystery: 8.5/10
    Overall: 8/10    … Expand
  68. nnssdd11
    Oct 18, 2015
    10
    Very Good aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  69. Kheetor
    Oct 30, 2018
    10
    It's the model example of how a story game should be done. There are no glued-on action elements, quick-time events or forced stealth gameplay sections. This game is about exploring the game world and the story at your own pace, through environments and their various different style puzzles.

    The game is visually beautiful and obviously the story is one of a kind. It's very affordable    It's the model example of how a story game should be done. There are no glued-on action elements, quick-time events or forced stealth gameplay sections. This game is about exploring the game world and the story at your own pace, through environments and their various different style puzzles.

    The game is visually beautiful and obviously the story is one of a kind. It's very affordable game, give it a try if you're looking a quick break between action games or you never were into them.    … Expand
  70. bancandrei
    May 14, 2020
    8
    The potential is there for a straight 10, but it does get a bit boring at times. However it is a great game about exploration, a pretty great ending to tie things up and at least one great puzzle with the rooms in the house changing (I believe it may be optional though). Definitely worth checking out both for fan of walking simulators and adventure games
  71. Aeryx
    Dec 14, 2017
    9
    I lost count of how many times I stopped and just looked at the distance while immersing myself in the world and eye-popping graphics. Combine that with a haunting story, brilliant writing and voice acting that really connects and you have a game so good, even buying it at full price feels like a steal.

    Every time I play this, I can almost feel the wind in the game brush against my face.
  72. strav
    May 19, 2019
    8
    Once in a while, you stumble upon and old house, a peculiar landscape or some forgotten music that instantly triggers your imagination, that sets a dreamy mood you just can't let go. Oddly enough for a game, this is exactly what The Vanishing of Ethan Carter did for me. Nothing is rushed on you, you simply wander and uncover the story as you go along. The music, the narrative, theOnce in a while, you stumble upon and old house, a peculiar landscape or some forgotten music that instantly triggers your imagination, that sets a dreamy mood you just can't let go. Oddly enough for a game, this is exactly what The Vanishing of Ethan Carter did for me. Nothing is rushed on you, you simply wander and uncover the story as you go along. The music, the narrative, the landscape, everything is carefully balanced to let you breath and inhale the game. While this is of course along the lines of games like Gone Home and Dear Esther, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is on a completely different level in terms of making you care and being genuinely interesting. It's one of the very rare games in which I got goosebumps while not being directly spooked by some lurking horror waiting to devour my character in some horrible way. In all, on some rainy autumn night, you're looking for an atmospheric, well written, astonishingly beautiful adventure game, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter might be the perfect game for you.

    The only reason I don't give this game 10 out of 10 is that the level of interaction is a little too mild for my taste: a handful of basic puzzle solving here and there, some item finding and that's mostly it. While there is definitely more interaction that what you'll find in Dear Esther or Gone Home, being a puzzle solver at heart, for me, it's not quite enough.    … Expand
  73. nima1990
    Jan 2, 2015
    9
    The mood and atmosphere of this game is simply bleak and sends chills down your spine. Texture resolution is unbelievable and the scenery and foliage bring you down to your knees and the game is powered by Unreal Engine 3. Can you believe it? The only problem with graphics is the lighting engine is a bit dated and doesn't live up to the game's graphical standard. The story is great and theThe mood and atmosphere of this game is simply bleak and sends chills down your spine. Texture resolution is unbelievable and the scenery and foliage bring you down to your knees and the game is powered by Unreal Engine 3. Can you believe it? The only problem with graphics is the lighting engine is a bit dated and doesn't live up to the game's graphical standard. The story is great and the horror that is never shown explicitly makes the game stand out. I'd give it 10/10 if the game had a quick saving feature.… Expand
  74. charmer
    Dec 13, 2014
    10
    The game itself might not have been perfect at release, especially the save system, but the patches released shortly afterwards took care of that and several other glitches.

    The game experience is unique and rewarding for those who pay attention. There is a handful of key locations and scenes in the open world that give away tidbids of the story. Some are associated with a puzzle, some    The game itself might not have been perfect at release, especially the save system, but the patches released shortly afterwards took care of that and several other glitches.

    The game experience is unique and rewarding for those who pay attention. There is a handful of key locations and scenes in the open world that give away tidbids of the story. Some are associated with a puzzle, some are not. The game is quite minimalistic in game mechanics but the gorgeous environment and music make up for that aplenty.

    On the other hand, you might get stuck a couple of times as it is not always apparent what to do next. I take that as a positive though. I knew in advance the game is of the short variety so I didn't take the speedrun approach and explored the heck out of the beautiful photogrammetrized world. When I finally got stuck towards the end, I had already spent over 5 hours in the game.

    The originality of the authors to take the FP engine, normally associated with mindless action, and merge it with adventure elements and a genuine mystery plot, must be commended. I agree with the authors that this is the future of gaming, or at least one of them.

    Bottomline, with the patches available now, I recommend The Vanishing of Ethan Carter to any player willing to try something new.    … Expand
  75. NShep53
    Nov 11, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing graphics coupled with a story that ended reminding me of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and you get one of the best indie games of 2015. Yes the ending can be Shyamalanish, but it is a good story with a lot of creativity that you wouldn't expect.… Expand
  76. ozzsoffy
    Apr 10, 2022
    10
    'The Vanishing of Ethan Carter' has an amazing story, the all atmosphere of it, the soundtrack, the telling of the story bit by bit, its a lot of fun. also the game is running on a very good game engine and it looks fantastic.
    one small bad sign, is that the game has a bug, that make the game stuck (only the mouse and the zoom works, and the character cant move), because this game do not    'The Vanishing of Ethan Carter' has an amazing story, the all atmosphere of it, the soundtrack, the telling of the story bit by bit, its a lot of fun. also the game is running on a very good game engine and it looks fantastic.
    one small bad sign, is that the game has a bug, that make the game stuck (only the mouse and the zoom works, and the character cant move), because this game do not have a saving at any point system, it was a bummer, but I finished it, so it was good.    … Expand
  77. OHIC
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    Some people say there's no replay value to this one. I can see why they say that, but I don't think it's true for me at all. I'll play this again just to experience the journey through these beautiful scenes. The graphics system used to create this game really is something special - the closest thing to real life I've seen in a game yet, by some margin. The gameplay is mostly "find theSome people say there's no replay value to this one. I can see why they say that, but I don't think it's true for me at all. I'll play this again just to experience the journey through these beautiful scenes. The graphics system used to create this game really is something special - the closest thing to real life I've seen in a game yet, by some margin. The gameplay is mostly "find the objects, set the order of events" stuff, aside from a couple of more interesting puzzles, but there's a good enough weight of satisfaction and purpose to carry you through to the end. For the £15, you get about 5-6 hours of entertainment.

    If this doesn't sound like a 9/10 for you, wait for the price to fall to a level you find acceptable, but make sure you do play it. It's a remarkable achievement, and a great sign of where games are going.    … Expand
  78. gloriouspotato
    Jan 9, 2015
    8
    For such stunning visuals, Vanishing of Ethan Carter runs surprisingly well. There are some moments where the game stutters while it's loading new areas, however for the most part the game runs exceptionally smooth. In addition to the excellent graphics, the ambient soundtrack imbues a sometimes calm, or sometimes eerie tone that really builds atmosphere.

    Although the game doesn't hold    For such stunning visuals, Vanishing of Ethan Carter runs surprisingly well. There are some moments where the game stutters while it's loading new areas, however for the most part the game runs exceptionally smooth. In addition to the excellent graphics, the ambient soundtrack imbues a sometimes calm, or sometimes eerie tone that really builds atmosphere.

    Although the game doesn't hold your hand, I find that perhaps that may have been slightly detrimental, as there were some less obvious gameplay mechanics I didn't know about until I had finished. For example, it isn't made easily apparent that looking in the general direction of an object allows you to sense its whereabouts. The lack of manual saving can also be a bit of an inconvenience. Lastly, I felt that some environments could've been more condensed, as there is a significant amount of sprinting back and forth between locations.

    Overall rating - 7.8/10    … Expand
  79. game2002
    Jun 6, 2017
    8
    Awsome graphics, the most realistic graphics I've ever seen in a playable game. The story is very good and the atmosphere is amazing. The only drawback is that it can sometimes micro-stutter when entering new aeras and you can't manually save. that means that you'll have to wait for it to autosave so only play the game when you have enough time. The stutters, the short story and theAwsome graphics, the most realistic graphics I've ever seen in a playable game. The story is very good and the atmosphere is amazing. The only drawback is that it can sometimes micro-stutter when entering new aeras and you can't manually save. that means that you'll have to wait for it to autosave so only play the game when you have enough time. The stutters, the short story and the feeling of sometimes playing a walking simulator makes it an 8/10.… Expand
  80. LuckieLuuk
    Jan 9, 2015
    10
    This is one of the best games I have ever played. If you like atmospheric games, puzzles, story and the fact that you have to think I believe you will enjoy it too.
    If you want you can play it through and just watch how beautiful it is, enjoy the excellent story and entertaining puzzles. But if you really want to enjoy this game, and take full advantage of what this experience have to    This is one of the best games I have ever played. If you like atmospheric games, puzzles, story and the fact that you have to think I believe you will enjoy it too.
    If you want you can play it through and just watch how beautiful it is, enjoy the excellent story and entertaining puzzles. But if you really want to enjoy this game, and take full advantage of what this experience have to offer then take your time and examine everything, get to know the Carter family, their relation to eachother and so on. Remember everything and the ending is excellent. I´d recommend playing with a friend as well so you can talk to eatchother about who is who, what is what and why that is and so on. Play it with your Girl/Boy friend :)    … Expand
  81. cratecruncher
    Jan 25, 2016
    9
    Without question, the most beautiful game environment I have ever been in. The game has everything: great writing, touching story, interesting puzzles, tons of unique places to explore. My only knock is that just when it really started to rock it was over. This game is short!

    Others have mentioned they missed things or experienced them in the wrong order. I guess I was lucky but I    Without question, the most beautiful game environment I have ever been in. The game has everything: great writing, touching story, interesting puzzles, tons of unique places to explore. My only knock is that just when it really started to rock it was over. This game is short!

    Others have mentioned they missed things or experienced them in the wrong order. I guess I was lucky but I just slowly worked over every inch of ground as I progressed through the valley. The story unfolds just as it should if it you explore that way.    … Expand
  82. Splatterman
    Jul 22, 2015
    8
    It's a really good game, maybe not the longest, but it's totally worth the play. Seriously, the 6 or 7 hours I got out of it were awesome. I'll make a simple Pros and Cons.

    Pros: Beautiful, obviously. Scenes are awesome, views are amazing. Love the scene recreation, won't spoil it, but you'll see. Very clever story progression, love the twist at the end. I mean, it's just    It's a really good game, maybe not the longest, but it's totally worth the play. Seriously, the 6 or 7 hours I got out of it were awesome. I'll make a simple Pros and Cons.

    Pros:

    Beautiful, obviously. Scenes are awesome, views are amazing.

    Love the scene recreation, won't spoil it, but you'll see.

    Very clever story progression, love the twist at the end.

    I mean, it's just really enjoyable.

    Cons:

    Sadly, there's one game-breaking thing. I love how it's open for you to explore, but that makes it very easy to mess up. Just by looking around, walking and enjoying the scenery, in the beginning, I missed the first two things you HAVE to do to go on with the game. It made it very confusing, and it kinda kept happening. So, check a walkthrough now and again to make sure you didn't skip anything.

    Just don't use the walkthrough to solve the actual puzzle, and this game really is awesome. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  83. BrianColfxire
    Sep 8, 2015
    8
    Typically I am not interested in playing these "Walking Simulator" games. However, after trying this game on a friend's computer for about thirty minutes, I decided to buy the game myself. I will avoid narrative spoilers--aside from a comment on these types of games' take on stories--yet I will give a starter's guide for getting around some annoyances of the beginning part of the game (andTypically I am not interested in playing these "Walking Simulator" games. However, after trying this game on a friend's computer for about thirty minutes, I decided to buy the game myself. I will avoid narrative spoilers--aside from a comment on these types of games' take on stories--yet I will give a starter's guide for getting around some annoyances of the beginning part of the game (and a certain achievement).

    Walk. Explore. Think. The name of the game.

    That's the gist of the gameplay. I think out of all the games trying to attempt this format (i.e. any Chinese Room game), this game is almost perfect with its execution. Mostly because the game has some few challenging puzzles and gameplay changes to keep things interesting.

    The narrative is not given to you; it's rewarded for exploring and solving puzzles. More importantly, there is a cohesive feel to the story that you can follow, even out of order. Even though you will most likely play out certain events in a linear manner, there is enough player-choice involved to make the experience feel like a genuine mystery.

    Besides walking, you, a supernatural investigator, have the ability to piece together clues by setting up the situation as before and watching them unfold. There's even a part of the game where you have to play out events in a specific order in order to get the straight story. (Similar to Murdered: Soul Suspect, except without the unnecessary stealth). This puzzle--as well as the final puzzle of the game--are the weakest aspects, in terms of gameplay, but the paranormal ability really does immerse you as the protagonist and it makes sense of certain strange things that unfold in the game.

    You also have some basic puzzles that require you to wander the nearest area for clues. Sometimes everything will be located in the same room; other times, the one thing you need is located somewhere else because, reasons. The game has one or two old adventure-game like issues of puzzle-pieces being hidden for the sake of artificial time-lengthening. But, thankfully, most of these puzzles are done right and they're logical without being too obvious.

    The usual structure for this game is: Find new area, search for clues or solve the puzzle, then solve the paranormal investigation.

    And as you walk around the countryside of Red River, you'll have time to contemplate all the things you'll find along the way, hear little bits of conversation from the protagonist, and experience random stuff you didn't think would happen. The general room of thumb for knowing when it's safe to move on: If you have found the Ethan page or got the achievement, you can go somewhere else.

    These Stories Need More Active Voice

    I'm going to make this brief. I get why this game is set-up the way it is and how the mystery is unfolded to the protagonist. But, please, can we have more stories that have us engaged or doing something with the actual plot? We can still discover things and explore without being detached from all the interesting bits of the stories.

    This game gets a pass because it does something creative and comes up with some believable explanations for how you experience the story. I'm by no means calling this game's story original. I think it is a well-executed, neatly made game and story. As with most mystery-stuff, you quickly get diminishing returns (in this case the first hour and a half were the peak). The cliches too, even with the set-up of the game being by the books, never bothered me.

    Although, that ending--I both extremely hate the sucker-punch, but it makes sense. Perhaps too much sense for my tastes. But that's all I'll say about the story.

    Starter Guide

    [*]You'll get no tips, hints or indicators. Only notes.
    [*]The first two achievements/puzzles are the only tutorial of the mechanics. If you go past the blocked-off sign past the rail-car, go back and solve the two puzzles. They'll help you understand how to find clues, interact with objects and use the paranormal abilities. (You can always come back to the starting point at any time in the game.)
    [*]IF YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR GAME, then you need to find the nearest Ethan note. You can save at any note and that's where you'll start next-time. However, all your previous puzzles/items are undone/gone.
    [*]You don't need to beat the game in one sitting--but one achievement requires you to do all three parts in one sitting or it'll reset.
    [*]Best experience is to play through this game for one evening sitting. It'll probably take you 3 to 5 hours. The difficulty is first understanding how you need to solve the game's puzzles.

    I think this game is a decent title that's worth your money. Perhaps on a 50% discount if you're not satisfied with the amount of content or if you're not sure if this game is worth your time. I think if people are willing to buy games like Stanley Parable, then I think TVEC is more than welcome in the marketplace.    … Expand
  84. Overvulture
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    One of the most visually impressive games around, made even more amazing by a new, remade version with an updated engine and some of the original versions annoyances supposedly ironed out. I haven't played the redux yet, but it comes packed in with the original game for new and past purchasers, which is a very nice move on the developer's part.

    With some of the most impressively    One of the most visually impressive games around, made even more amazing by a new, remade version with an updated engine and some of the original versions annoyances supposedly ironed out. I haven't played the redux yet, but it comes packed in with the original game for new and past purchasers, which is a very nice move on the developer's part.

    With some of the most impressively detailed environments around, the sheer attention to detail alone is astounding. I'd almost recommend this one just for the enjoyment of wandering around looking at stuff, and I'm not the sort who usually cares about graphics. Realistic backgrounds meet strange fantasy elements to make for a very distinct look and feel to things. It really is like playing a dream sometimes.

    But prettiness aside, there is also a mystery to be solved here. It's quite a dark one, involving murder, cults, and other things I won't spoil. It all wraps up in a way I found a little unsatisfying, but it's still a compelling narrative to follow. Which is good, because narrative is all he game really has going for it in terms of game stuff. Exploring, some fairly simple puzzle solving, and piecing together the storyline is all there is to keep you busy in the fairly short playtime, but this one's much more compelling than the usual narrative-only games, with some wonderful twists and surprises in store for you as you explore. Not for anyone who wants action, but great at what it sets out to do.    … Expand
  85. Gamer2068
    Aug 11, 2016
    10
    Beautiful game. Atmosphere is on point. Dark room, headphones or nice speakers recommended. Immersive. Love it and enjoy it. Even now after finishing the game I find my self getting in the game just to look around.
  86. hte
    Jan 18, 2016
    9
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter manages to break the boundaries of what a video game can do with a few characters and a beautiful setting. The story is much more in-depth and memorable than anything I have ever played before and constantly tests your mind and your patience with smart puzzles that tie into the story in interesting ways. If you like your games to play themselves for you, thisThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter manages to break the boundaries of what a video game can do with a few characters and a beautiful setting. The story is much more in-depth and memorable than anything I have ever played before and constantly tests your mind and your patience with smart puzzles that tie into the story in interesting ways. If you like your games to play themselves for you, this isn't for you, and that is clearly stated at the beginning of the game. That being said, I would be lying if I didn't look up a guide for 1 or 2 puzzles. This kind of seriousness differentiates Ethan Carter from the "quick-satisfaction" type of games we see popping up all the time.

    After my 7-ish hours (completed) with The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, I can whole-heatedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a challenging puzzle, breathtaking visuals, and a story that leaves you wondering days later.    … Expand
  87. 4y4
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    The scenery is stunning. The story is engaging and enjoyable and the atmosphere is immersive.
  88. billyjones
    Aug 26, 2016
    8
    I haven't played a lot of exploration games like this yet, but i really did like this one, everything about it.
    A game short and fun is so much better than one long and boring.
  89. NathanielRH
    Jul 18, 2016
    9
    Beautiful graphics, great story with a somewhat easy to predict plot-twist. Really well executed. Needs more content but can't blame the developers. Torn between a 9 and a 10, but have to settle with 9. Please make another one of these great games!
  90. Muyrka
    Apr 26, 2020
    8
    Superb story with some twists. Supernatural detective style.
    Very good game in a row with Edith Finch and Gone Home.
    Recommended!
  91. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    Disclaimer: The review hours played are from "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" not "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux" version I played (it took me about 9hs). But Steam only let users to review on the original game.

    Pros: - An interesting story to discover while you reconstruct events that happened on different places of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter world. You must like, detective    Disclaimer: The review hours played are from "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" not "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux" version I played (it took me about 9hs). But Steam only let users to review on the original game.

    Pros:
    - An interesting story to discover while you reconstruct events that happened on different places of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter world. You must like, detective stories with a few twists and of course exploring and observe details.
    - For a "walking sim" the difficulty of the puzzles are decent. Many walking sims these days are a bit stray forward. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter does this well with clever design of the map, of course with classic design hints but it feels different than any other games of the genre.
    - Voice acting and music are decent. Maybe the music shines a bit more. The best incidental song is at the last part of the game: https://youtu.be/i45SRNKes5Y

    - You can miss a few reconstruction of events and easter eggs but at the end you can backtrack so enjoy explore more if you liked the overall game.
    - Graphics are great. One of the best looking Unreal Engine 4 games out there. Textures are pretty cleverer scattered through the map without much memory consumption. The Redux version was for free for those who own the original game and it looks a lot better. New shaders for some buildings and reflective objects, interiors are soften with a bit of fake GI and post process effects. Vegetation clipping is more "organic" (agh! that hipster word!). Water looks better with screen space reflections and a new normal bump pattern and daylight scenes have better color grading in some areas
    You can see more here: https://youtu.be/VmSR2ySBl08 but I will say something VERY VERY important.
    On video you'll miss A LOT of detail. You should play this game, even as a benchmark.
    - Game lenght depends on your pace and if you try to find those few hidden achievements (there are four I guess). Of course I recommend a guide for two of them but the two others "home" and "the tunnel" are hard to miss.
    - The ending was better than expected :')

    Cons:
    - Joystick scheme during recontruction of events could have been better. Zoom with the LT don't have pressure sensitivity (I hate that!)
    - Characters models, and rigging are a bit clunky (but this doesn't affect the story much).    … Expand
  92. RagingPoet
    Jan 6, 2018
    8
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is one of the best 'walking simulators' out there: it has the amazing visuals, interesting story to tell and even some actual gameplay)
  93. Grachechkovski
    Jun 2, 2019
    10
    I recommend the game for all lovers of beautiful and atmospheric games.

    I have to admit that the quest game could still catch me with its narration, because I am not a fan of this genre. The plot, or rather its culmination - forced to stand up and give applause to the developers and writers of this wonderful game. Picture: at the highest and pleasant level. Minuses at the game did    I recommend the game for all lovers of beautiful and atmospheric games.

    I have to admit that the quest game could still catch me with its narration, because I am not a fan of this genre.
    The plot, or rather its culmination - forced to stand up and give applause to the developers and writers of this wonderful game.
    Picture: at the highest and pleasant level.

    Minuses at the game did not notice.    … Expand
  94. Onask
    Oct 18, 2018
    8
    Un muy pero que muy interesante walking simulator con apenas unos pocos puzles por un entorno estética y gráficamente asombrosos y un mundo lleno de enigmas y secretos que poco a poco irás descubriendo.

    Una de las aventuras gráficas recientes mejor construídas.

    Muy recomendable.
  95. gabrielsrc
    Aug 29, 2022
    10
    one of these walking simulator with really good story, really good storytelling and also good game mechanics.
  96. Geralt123
    Feb 21, 2021
    8
    I played this game in 2021 (yes, 2021) and enjoyed it a lot. It is only 10-15 hours, but each hour of dense exploring, story and puzzles.

    The graphics are beautiful, even though they are from 2014. The whole atmosphere sucked me in immediately. The atmosphere is mysterious, but this is *not* a horror game! More like a supernatural detective game. Story is good, I was curious what is    I played this game in 2021 (yes, 2021) and enjoyed it a lot. It is only 10-15 hours, but each hour of dense exploring, story and puzzles.

    The graphics are beautiful, even though they are from 2014. The whole atmosphere sucked me in immediately. The atmosphere is mysterious, but this is *not* a horror game! More like a supernatural detective game.

    Story is good, I was curious what is going on there.

    Puzzles are medium to easy, depends.

    So for anyone looking for a small game with lots of mystery, I can really recommend it.    … Expand
  97. Aifrait
    Sep 1, 2019
    8
    Es un juego corto pero definitivamente recomendable. El entorno en el que te envuelve, una trama llena de misterio y los puzzles lo hacen un juego muy bueno.
  98. r03vg
    Jan 1, 2022
    8
    Довольно необычный опыт. Всё просто, минималистично, но притом дарит кучу эмоций. Мне понравилось, что игру можно пройти за пару часов. Сейчас не хватает таких проектов.
  99. patron11
    Jan 10, 2020
    8
    The scenery and music in this game are absolutely stunning. Very nice setting and awesome graphics combined with a smart and eventful story. The end includes a pretty big plot-twist and i really didnt see it coming. Some Puzzles can be kind of hard so be prepared to figure it out by yourself if you are dedicated enough or to use Google sometimes. I would recommend to get it in a sale,The scenery and music in this game are absolutely stunning. Very nice setting and awesome graphics combined with a smart and eventful story. The end includes a pretty big plot-twist and i really didnt see it coming. Some Puzzles can be kind of hard so be prepared to figure it out by yourself if you are dedicated enough or to use Google sometimes. I would recommend to get it in a sale, since its very short playtime though. Absolutely recommend to buy it if you are into Puzzles, great atmospshere and detective-stuff!

    8/10    … Expand
  100. ewenr
    Jun 30, 2020
    8
    A stunningly beautiful walking simulator with some interesting puzzles and a good story.
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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]
See all critic reviews »