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. gabrielsrc
    Aug 29, 2022
    10
    one of these walking simulator with really good story, really good storytelling and also good game mechanics.
  2. Ogeday_Han
    Apr 10, 2022
    8
    Got the game free from Epic Store. Story is very interesting, every single clue you find makes you more curious for the rest of the story. Graphics looks stunning. First game area cant stop looking for the view.

    Summary:
    Story:9
    Graphics:10
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. bergcamp101
    Aug 10, 2020
    10
    Beautiful masterpiece. This is the one in a million case, when astonishing graphics works together with creative mystic plot, combining each other.
  8. ewenr
    Jun 30, 2020
    8
    A stunningly beautiful walking simulator with some interesting puzzles and a good story.
  9. 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!
  10. 4y4
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    The scenery is stunning. The story is engaging and enjoyable and the atmosphere is immersive.
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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)
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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!
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. Jodle
    Dec 1, 2015
    8
    the most beautiful graphics i ever see ... beautiful game
    . . . .
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. nnssdd11
    Oct 18, 2015
    10
    Very Good aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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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 »