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. Lemikonkon
    Dec 26, 2014
    5
    While this game was beautiful visually and had some unique game play aspects I felt like it was all a bit flat. The story of the family who doesn't understand their talented boy was kind of cliche, and I feel like if you're going to do a story centered on childhood neglect you need to have a bit more to it.

    The puzzle solving was all quite easy - especially some of the murder scene    While this game was beautiful visually and had some unique game play aspects I felt like it was all a bit flat. The story of the family who doesn't understand their talented boy was kind of cliche, and I feel like if you're going to do a story centered on childhood neglect you need to have a bit more to it.

    The puzzle solving was all quite easy - especially some of the murder scene orders - literally in order in a straight line. The majority of time I spent in the game was wandering around trying to figure out which bloody direction to go it, it's great when they say "this game doesn't hold your hand" except that the actual game play parts don't need hand holding, it's the random, run into the woods in this direction until you find x, which really took some of the enjoyment out of the game. Would it be so bad to put a sign in the trap area which encourages exploration?

    I think that gets to the crux of it - for me. This game doesn't encourage exploration, it' forces exploration. It tells you that you can't finish the game until you've completed some side quests forcing you to backtrack. which would be fine except even when you do backtrack, there's no clues to say "there might be something in this area" which is a minor thing which would be really easy to do.    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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
  6. 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 !
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. ChosenOne
    Nov 29, 2014
    6
    The landscapes are the best I ever seen in games. Characters and animations - some of the worst. I loved the story presentation and mechanics.
    But when a veteran developers like the Astronauts releasing a game without proper auto-save feature - it's just stupid. I just can't get it.
  11. Crescendo
    Nov 17, 2014
    6
    On one hand, this is a very beautiful and I love the fact that you expore the world on your own without having the usual guidance/map/whatever to let you blaze through the game without noticing any details or thinking for yourself. On the other hand, it's - as many have said before - just a walking simulator with the element of exploration being limited to just finding the murderOn one hand, this is a very beautiful and I love the fact that you expore the world on your own without having the usual guidance/map/whatever to let you blaze through the game without noticing any details or thinking for yourself. On the other hand, it's - as many have said before - just a walking simulator with the element of exploration being limited to just finding the murder sceneries/story-pieces.

    In the best case, this is a stunning, immersive adventure that encourages you to think.
    In the worst case, it's an immensly blown-out-of-proportions Myst-game where the entire game consists of 6 (or 7?) easy 5-minute-puzzles and an ungodly amount of just... walking around.

    That said, 20 bucks is an okay price. I'd give it a 7 if it wasn't for the awful ending that seems to ride the ever so popular train of 'how can we explain everthing that happened while doging that we have to explain everything". Which is just not a thing that should happen in a game like this.    … Expand
  12. PowerGamer
    Nov 10, 2014
    6
    Okay absolutely stunning visuals. By far the best outdoor visuals I've ever seen in a game.

    Looks a bit like ID's "id Tech 5" engine. They probably do some of the same stuff streaming textures and what not. Here there is a lot more realistic flora, water, atmospheric effects et al too. Also I don't think I've ever seen a game where you could look so far off in the horizon. It made    Okay absolutely stunning visuals. By far the best outdoor visuals I've ever seen in a game.

    Looks a bit like ID's "id Tech 5" engine. They probably do some of the same stuff streaming textures and what not.
    Here there is a lot more realistic flora, water, atmospheric effects et al too.
    Also I don't think I've ever seen a game where you could look so far off in the horizon.
    It made for a pretty immersive experience.

    But then after that the game falls flat for me. It's more like a graphics demo without much content.

    The idea of running around in a pretty yet mostly barren landscape is not very appealing to me.
    It does tells you somewhat insultingly at the begging that it "won't hold your hand"; understood
    but that still doesn't cut for me.
    I searched for and found a walk-though online so I could get an idea what to look for in some kind of sequence and still looked boring.

    This graphics engine will be great for perhaps an RPG or somethinge, but my few hours wandering around was enough for me..    … Expand
  13. 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.
  14. icheyne
    Nov 5, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I finished The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It’s a noble failure. Best graphics I have ever seen. They perfected a new technique that translates photographs of environments into game art. They call it revolutionary and I can’t argue.

    The problem is not with the story. It’s well written and solidly delivered, with reasonable voice acting.

    The flaw is the game itself. At the start they state that the game doesn’t hold your hand, which is just a disclaimer for bad game design. They wanted to have an open-world, but they failed to explain what to do. You will almost certainly have to backtrack to the start of the game once you realise the right approach. Small spoiler: at the start of the game there are several man traps if you go off the path. Do not do the natural, intuitive thing and stay on the path. Find every man trap, even though the game doesn’t give you any explanation why you would want to. It’s typical of the opaque game design and it’s not the worst example. I had to resort to a walkthrough to finish, in other words the game failed me.

    It seems a game with a linear story requires a linear structure to frame it. I’d rather play Dear Esther, even though it’s not quite as pretty and the story is far less sophisticated.

    Having said that, if you can get the game cheaply, it is still worth buying simply to experience the environment. I kept stabbing F12 to take screenshots.    … Expand
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. DrZomboid
    Oct 29, 2014
    7
    Environment looks amazing, water and rocks on some places photo realistic, but humans are really bad.
    This kind of puzzles puzzles are not for my taste, I prefer Resident Evil style. Story is so-so. Too bad there is no single animal in this nature. Atmosphere is big plus.
  21. 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.
  22. bjaz
    Oct 23, 2014
    6
    No doubt it's one of the best game in this year
    Players will enjoy the audio & visual beauty of this game,but for how long???
    Still it's a worthy game to play...
  23. Spiralus
    Oct 22, 2014
    4
    I don't know what I expected from this game. Something like an art piece with puzzles maybe? I expected it to push my graphics card - as I'd heard it was really pretty. It has some great background flats which are seamlessly animated together to create a gorgeous exterior environment. Apart from those flats the visuals were simply modern. More important than the underwhelming (after theI don't know what I expected from this game. Something like an art piece with puzzles maybe? I expected it to push my graphics card - as I'd heard it was really pretty. It has some great background flats which are seamlessly animated together to create a gorgeous exterior environment. Apart from those flats the visuals were simply modern. More important than the underwhelming (after the hype mind you) visuals was the lack of anything to do. There is nothing to interact with apart from the bits of murder mystery you're putting together. After the third corpse you find you know that anything you can interact with will be part of a murder scene. This is even more boring than it may sound to you reading this. If this is all the game is going to be (messing with murder scenes) it should at least be well done. In my opinion though, it isn't. In one instance (the point at which I stopped playing) I determined that a pick-axe was part of a murder because only three out of four pick-axes were present in a rack of pick-axes. . . in an abandoned mine. . . that's not crazy - it's stupid. I decided that I was done playing the game and would warn against putting your time in if you're into murder mysteries. Was the story any good? Don't care. . . so. . . no?… Expand
  24. 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.
  25. Oversoon
    Oct 20, 2014
    4
    This game is actually very interesting to play at first, but the ending is SO absurdly cliché and just downright lazy, that I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone. There is NO resolution to anything... NONE... I get that it's Lovecraft inspired and questions will go unanswered, but this was an ending so incredibly lazy that it reduces an otherwise engrossing experience intoThis game is actually very interesting to play at first, but the ending is SO absurdly cliché and just downright lazy, that I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone. There is NO resolution to anything... NONE... I get that it's Lovecraft inspired and questions will go unanswered, but this was an ending so incredibly lazy that it reduces an otherwise engrossing experience into complete drivel.… Expand
  26. 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
  27. kizapet
    Oct 19, 2014
    4
    Great graphics, interesting tale and less than 2 hours of gameplay?!?!!? Basically, search for few traps at beginning, solve few nice puzzles, search through labyrinth while playing hide and seek with zombie and than couple more puzzles.
  28. 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).
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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 »