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. CosyHell
    Sep 27, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. That was supposed to be a brilliant game. Brilliant by setting, story, sound and graphics. Don't get me wrong they are brilliant, very moody and scary in a good way at times but... Why in the holly hell put a bloody zombie in a game like that? Was it supposed to be funny? Was that supposed to be an area lock down thing? Why not use I don't know door, bridge, lava pool whatever. WHY THE BLOODY ZOMBIE? This single scene broke the entire experience to me. Astronauts f***ed up what could be a one of the nicest games in this years lineup. I am sorry, bout I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish this game now. It has lost its charm to me.… Expand
  2. sh4dow
    Oct 4, 2014
    5
    I just found it annoying to run around in a vast space looking for sometimes tiny things. I almost missed a whole scene in the beginning because I didn't get yet how the game works. And without a walkthrough, I may have never found out.
    But personally, I'm not too keen on games that basically require you to either use a walkthrough or have way too much time on one's hands. I have more    I just found it annoying to run around in a vast space looking for sometimes tiny things. I almost missed a whole scene in the beginning because I didn't get yet how the game works. And without a walkthrough, I may have never found out.
    But personally, I'm not too keen on games that basically require you to either use a walkthrough or have way too much time on one's hands. I have more important things to do than run around a CG world for an hour looking for some item.
    Especially since it also doesn't look as great as people claim. The visuals are good but nothing groundbreaking. Then again, I've worked on digital art myself, so just like one of the creators of the games said as well - I am hard to impress in the art department.
    Also, I was hoping for it to be about a crime story that could be real but instead, it's just another fantasy thing.
    So I stopped playing after the fifth scene or so and switched on a movie ("New World") instead. And took a stroll in an actual forest and continued playing Puzzle Quest 2. Because with all of that, I get dense, high quality story, beautiful sceneries and gameplay that doesn't make me look for **** all night long.    … Expand
  3. 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).
  4. TheYeIIowDucK
    Oct 6, 2014
    5
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is 2deep4u. That sentence alone could either make run out to buy it or mentally dump it into the "do not touch" hypothetical trashcan. Whether you'll fall into the former category or the later depends purely on your ability to tolerate - or appreciate - pretentiousness in a video game. Yes, it's one of THOSE games. It's a walking simulator with narrationThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter is 2deep4u. That sentence alone could either make run out to buy it or mentally dump it into the "do not touch" hypothetical trashcan. Whether you'll fall into the former category or the later depends purely on your ability to tolerate - or appreciate - pretentiousness in a video game. Yes, it's one of THOSE games. It's a walking simulator with narration occasionally being dumped into your ears. But I'll give credit where credit is due, and TVoEC is probably one of the best walking simulators to date. Visually, it's gorgeous, as you can see from the many screenshots and videos of the game you can find online. The game's amazing graphics and aesthetics is what lured me into it in the first place. In gameplay terms, the game scores higher than most since it actually lets you DO things. A considerable portion of your time is devoted to solving murder mysteries. This essentially amounts to searching for objects to fit into the right slots in the game world. It's not perfect, and a bit tedious, but any form of engagement with the player is better than nothing (I'm looking at you, Dear Esther). But ultimately, what sets this game apart from its many pretentious peers, is the fact that The Vanishing of Ethan HAS A POINT. It actually has a story (which it chooses to tell non-chronologically) with a real honest-to-god ending. And a twist ending at that! Too bad the twist turned out to be a stale old cliche, and that I already starting predicting it about halfway through the game.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Klewer
    Feb 13, 2015
    6
    The game has a brilliant story and looks absolutely amazing. However it lacks a little substance in some parts of the game play, and the brilliant bits of the story are filled with a lifeless world and plenty of walking in between. Still worth a look, just could of been something truly great with a few more tweaks.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. garyc
    Oct 7, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter is one of the most interesting and unusual games I have played this year, it was a genuine surprise.
    The first thing you will notice when playing is that the graphics are amazing, some of the best I have ever seen in fact.
    The recreation of the forest and valley that the game takes place in has been made with such fine detail that it becomes easy to believe it is an actual place you are walking through. This, along with a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack gives an air of authenticity that you rarely find in a video game.

    It is driven by a story that is open to a lot of interpretation, right up to the ending and it will leave you in though for some time after the end credits.
    Gameplay takes the form of various environment-based puzzles that usually involve recreating a series of events, finding all the required components of the event and then organizing it in chronological order to reveal story but there is variety as not everything sticks to this one formula. The fun part for me was that the game leaves it up to the player to figure out that this is what you need to do - you can easily spend the first couple of hours playing the game without realizing what exactly the game mechanics are, yet it never becomes frustrating - it feels more like you are discovering something when you finally figure it out.

    On a technical level the game is of good quality, there are no performance concerns and graphical options are plentiful - including an FoV slider. 60fps was achievable easily at 1440p on a single GTX 780 and an i5 2500k without the need to lower any settings other than anti-aliasing, which gave 15+ fps dips at 4x and above.

    I do have several gameplay concerns however.
    The first of which becomes apparent very early on - there are invisible walls everywhere that funnel you in a specific direction and break the immersion of an otherwise perfectly recreated landscape. This contributes directly to the second issue, game length. You are free to explore the entire area at your leisure and it is a pleasure to do so for the entire time, however you are clearly intended to take one specific and quite short path through the game, the whole thing is over just as it starts to get going. I feel a more open environment that focused a little more on exploration would have made a huge improvement to both gameplay and game length. I would have loved to be able to search out additional information on the valley and the people who lived there, although doing so may not have been consistent with how the game ends.
    The final issue I have that contributes a lot to me not giving the game a much higher score relates to the puzzles themselves. They are simply too few in number, literally just 6 or 7 of them in the whole game - the mechanics used are solid but hugely under-utilized. After a great start, only giving you vague hints of what you need to do, some of the later puzzles are overly simple. I feel they could have expanded on this area a lot more to produce a more well rounded game.

    However, do not let the faults put you off as this is still an experienced not to be missed, if not to everybody's tastes.    … Expand
  12. rubencristiano9
    Sep 6, 2015
    6
    They could of done so much more with the ending, pissed me off.
    Enjoyed my time with the game, about 4 hours till completion with having to stop and look at playtrough on youtube in 2 cases to be able to continue because I was stuck on a puzzle.
    They do great with the intro some nice puzzles and story keeps you playing trough, a shame the ending of it is just that, SPOILER WARNING* a    They could of done so much more with the ending, pissed me off.
    Enjoyed my time with the game, about 4 hours till completion with having to stop and look at playtrough on youtube in 2 cases to be able to continue because I was stuck on a puzzle.

    They do great with the intro some nice puzzles and story keeps you playing trough, a shame the ending of it is just that, SPOILER WARNING* a story created by a kid, even you were created, leaves you with a feeling of unnocomplishment in all what you have done trough out the entire game, what a shame.

    Beautifull graphics, had to activate the centre crosshair and put down the FOV because I was getting quite a lot of motion sickness though, still feel a bit weired now (have just finished the game btw).

    I wouldn't generally recommend this game to people, they're uglier but surely better games out there.    … Expand
  13. MadJaples
    Oct 4, 2014
    6
    This game is a beautiful one, with excellent scenery that runs pretty well on an Nvidia Gforce M series card.
    I liked the game with it's haunting music and as already stated, it's excellent scenery, scenery good enough to put Skyrim to shame, however and it is a BIG however - if you buy this expecting to not be hindered by 'artificial blockers' (see the video the devs put up on Steam    This game is a beautiful one, with excellent scenery that runs pretty well on an Nvidia Gforce M series card.
    I liked the game with it's haunting music and as already stated, it's excellent scenery, scenery good enough to put Skyrim to shame, however and it is a BIG however - if you buy this expecting to not be hindered by 'artificial blockers' (see the video the devs put up on Steam regarding this) then you will be disappointed. You CANNOT take short cuts, you CANNOT cut corners on winding forest paths (which was really annoying), and you CANNOT - as far as I'm aware - swim anywhere, despite there being a lot of water. The dev's claim to there being no restrictions regarding movement in that video is very vague and smacks just a little of dishonesty - SO DON'T BE CONNED into thinking this game is going to be so good that you'll be able to walk freely amongst tightly planted trees or something because that **** simply ain't gonna happen. IF you overlook that little porky, it's actually not a bad attempt at an exploratory game with haunting music that isn't remotely cheesy or off-putting, a generally engaging game played best in the dark, and it's a good waste of money despite the dev perhaps lying just a smidge. If it wasn't for that little fib, I'd have given it 8, but instead it gets 6 for falling short of implied expectations....see the video here:

    http://store.steampowered.com/app/258520/

    Second video. 1:29.    … Expand
  14. fludziom
    Jan 24, 2016
    4
    Easily the most boring game I have played in my entire life. Floating camera monotonous walking simulator with nonsensical puzzles. I don’t remember ever being this bored with a game. What a waste. I should have been paid for time wasted on finishing this game. It’s short the only positive I can say about this game.
  15. 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
  16. nnssdd11
    Oct 18, 2015
    10
    Very Good aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  17. Broyax
    Mar 29, 2017
    1
    Hallucinant graphiquement ! et en plus ça tourne bien, même sur une config moyenne (i7/6870) avec une zone de jeu pas négligeable... quoique l'appellation "jeu" soit assez exagérée... Tel qu'il est, Vanishing bidule ressemble à un concept, un prototype de "jeu", quelque chose de pas fini.

    Une chose dont même les développeurs ne savent plus quoi faire. Nous non plus d'ailleurs... à toi    Hallucinant graphiquement ! et en plus ça tourne bien, même sur une config moyenne (i7/6870) avec une zone de jeu pas négligeable... quoique l'appellation "jeu" soit assez exagérée... Tel qu'il est, Vanishing bidule ressemble à un concept, un prototype de "jeu", quelque chose de pas fini.

    Une chose dont même les développeurs ne savent plus quoi faire. Nous non plus d'ailleurs... à toi d'inventer le jeu qui va avec ce non-jeu super-con-templatif... Interface (?) réduite au minimum, pratiquement rien, voix off qui raconte de la merde, musique minable... Ambiance ? mouais ! ça donne envie d'aller faire la sieste. En conclusion,, une daube, une très belle, une magnifique daube. Mais une daube.

    Post-Scrotum : à noter que ce pseudo-jeu refuse de fonctionner si Afterburner est dans la place. Yo, pas cool, bro.    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. rodericrinehart
    May 13, 2015
    6
    Ethan Carter was an ok game, worth a play for five bucks or less, but that goes for many games. It is a slow and somewhat boring game and I enjoyed it less than I thought I would. I liked Gone Home far more personally. But it was better than Ether One.

    It has truly fantastic graphics, solid but sparse narration, and a decent story. I can see why many people do like it, but it wasn't    Ethan Carter was an ok game, worth a play for five bucks or less, but that goes for many games. It is a slow and somewhat boring game and I enjoyed it less than I thought I would. I liked Gone Home far more personally. But it was better than Ether One.

    It has truly fantastic graphics, solid but sparse narration, and a decent story. I can see why many people do like it, but it wasn't for me, even at 75% off.    … Expand
  21. TitaniumDragon
    Nov 10, 2016
    5
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a very pretty three-to-four hour long supernatural horror game. You play as Paul Prospero, a detective with a penchant for the supernatural who has been receiving letters for a long time from one of his fans, Ethan Carter. Gradually, however, it becomes increasingly clear to him that Ethan is in terrible danger, and so he sets off to go rescue him from theThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a very pretty three-to-four hour long supernatural horror game. You play as Paul Prospero, a detective with a penchant for the supernatural who has been receiving letters for a long time from one of his fans, Ethan Carter. Gradually, however, it becomes increasingly clear to him that Ethan is in terrible danger, and so he sets off to go rescue him from the supernatural dangers around him, on what he says he is certain will be his final case.

    The gameplay itself is very much that of a walking simulator, though unlike pure walking simulators, there are some (pretty simple) puzzles present in this game. The core gameplay consists of going to a new area, finding various environmental elements in the area, and then putting them together until you’ve gained enough to unlock a cutscene. Sometimes, you have to solve crimes – the deaths of various people – and to do so, you must put the elements of each scene in chronological order. Other puzzles simply unlock when you collect all the elements, while others require some other puzzle to solve them.

    This is, perhaps, the game’s greatest weakness – while the game has a nice aesthetic to it, a lot of the puzzles fundamentally consist of wandering around trying to find things in the environment you can interact with. At its best, this feels like a detective wandering aroun searching for clues. At its worst, it feels like “find the hidden object”. The very first puzzle in the game, somewhat obnoxiously, occurs before you know about how these puzzle elements work, and it is very easy to overlook some of them.

    The core story is decent, but kind of standard – Ethan Carter has woken up “the Sleeper”, some sort of eldritch entity which infects the minds of his family members who start trying to kill him on the Sleeper’s order. The story is presented slightly out of order – one of the very first puzzles in the game actually comes very late chronologically – but otherwise, it is mostly in order, as Ethan and his family members struggle against the Sleeper and each other as they are each possessed in turn. It is presented decently enough, and through the story we get some idea of the personality of each of Ethan’s family members, as well as his feelings towards them.

    That being said, the game has a very standard twist ending which, while I saw it coming towards the end, wasn’t really something that I appreciated very much – it wasn’t terribly interesting as a twist, though the game did a decent enough job of setting up clues about it along the way. And ultimately, the core plot is all very by-the-numbers, while the side-stories, while a bit more eclectic, sometimes feel like they’re outliers just so they can be outliers.

    If there is one thing this game does very well, though, it is the presentation – the Redux version of the game (which is what I played) is gorgeous, and the various side-stories look very pretty. Really, the game as a whole is very visually appealing and is a pleasure to be in, even if dark mine environment #762 is kind of… standard.

    That being said, I’m left feeling ambivalent about it. I don’t know if I can recommend buying it; the experience isn’t bad, and if you already own it, it might be worth three hours of your time, but it isn’t some amazingly above-average experience. The visuals are great but the story is ultimately only okay, and I’m not sure if you’ll walk away from this thinking “Man, that was great” so much as “Well, that was decent.”

    At $20, this game feels overpriced; I got it for $3.50, and I think that was about right considering. I don’t feel ripped off. But I don’t know that I can say “Go buy this.”    … Expand
  22. skeith
    Nov 26, 2015
    5
    Fantastic Graphic, but acceptable game play. Story is not really interesting. Very short story too. May it is just me, never really been a fan of this kind of game.
  23. Budget_Security
    May 20, 2018
    7
    A puzzle walking sim with beautiful environments and a subtle dark atmosphere. The visuals are amazing - the extensive use of photogrammetry produces very realistic models and textures. In my opinion this game represents the largest advance in graphics since 2007's “Crysis”. The story is lean but well written and narrated. The puzzles are fairly simple, but use neat mechanics, and are veryA puzzle walking sim with beautiful environments and a subtle dark atmosphere. The visuals are amazing - the extensive use of photogrammetry produces very realistic models and textures. In my opinion this game represents the largest advance in graphics since 2007's “Crysis”. The story is lean but well written and narrated. The puzzles are fairly simple, but use neat mechanics, and are very well presented. A minor complaint is that there is no manual save system - only checkpoints, and they are quite far apart at times. This game runs well on old hardware, but stutters a bit.

    Overall, this is one of the best indie games of recent years.    … Expand
  24. Enlil
    May 18, 2015
    6
    Many reviews complain that the game is a "walking simulator" and that there isn't much game there. However, I have the opposite problem. As everyone says the setting is gorgeous. I completely enjoyed the first ~10-15 minutes of the game. I walked along a train track that's hugging a lake and leads over a dam to a abandoned little settlement. But then "the game" starts. It throws tediousMany reviews complain that the game is a "walking simulator" and that there isn't much game there. However, I have the opposite problem. As everyone says the setting is gorgeous. I completely enjoyed the first ~10-15 minutes of the game. I walked along a train track that's hugging a lake and leads over a dam to a abandoned little settlement. But then "the game" starts. It throws tedious puzzles at you that just were chores. To make matters worse the game eventually leads you underground. Obviously there is no stunning landscape underground. During certain parts of puzzles the game also applies a blue filter which is supposed to make the game spooky. However, I don't care for that, I just want to see the pretty landscape. I loved Dear Esther which just had you walk through its beautiful landscape and didn't interrupt you with silly puzzles. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter would have been much better if it either had completely left out the silly puzzles or put enough effort into that part of the game to actually make it enjoyable.… Expand
  25. 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.
  26. ihatecheez
    Dec 16, 2016
    4
    the game is beautiful and sounds great, but it's held down by very slow pacing, puzzles that take forever to solve, if you mess up you have to start all over again, and the story doesn't make much sense unless you look up the lore...
  27. cJEThomas
    Apr 4, 2015
    5
    Another in a long line of mostly non-interactive Unreal Engine walking games where nothing much happens. You have to solve a series of mostly illogical logic puzzles that piece together a back-story of how a little boy goes missing. Too vague for its own good, with no gameplay mechanics to speak of.
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. crimsondoor
    Jul 14, 2016
    7
    First thing - I don't know why, but this is one of the few games that made me motion sick. I am prone to motion sickness on travel (I puke every single time on a long-distance bus), but playing FPS games seldom make me sick. This is the first game that made me dizzy within a minute and I had to stop playing it. I bet it's because of the motion blur and the lack of HUD. Anyway that's whyFirst thing - I don't know why, but this is one of the few games that made me motion sick. I am prone to motion sickness on travel (I puke every single time on a long-distance bus), but playing FPS games seldom make me sick. This is the first game that made me dizzy within a minute and I had to stop playing it. I bet it's because of the motion blur and the lack of HUD. Anyway that's why I've only watched a walkthrough and didn't play the game. No complains about the Unreal Engine 4 graphics, shame you cannot interact with the environment more. Little details like voice acting and animations need to be polished up. Still, I think we should support the indie developers. Idea of the game is quite interesting and I'd like to more games like this.… Expand
  34. RMDsilva
    Jun 14, 2015
    6
    Great ambiance, interesting puzzle mechanics (i'm almost willing to forgive how long it took me to find a certain object..) and captivating enough story.
    A bit too much walking.

    Worth trying for those interested in something different, but not for everybody and not that fascinating.
  35. HSuke
    Sep 30, 2019
    7
    TVoEC is more of a wallpaper simulator than a game.

    I wouldn't rate TVoEC very high on gameplay. The puzzles are quite simplistic and too few. This game doesn't hand-hold you, so you'll probably get lost many times ... not that it's a bad thing. After all, it's an incredibly gorgeous and atmospheric game. Screenshots posted online simply do not do it enough justice. The visuals alone    TVoEC is more of a wallpaper simulator than a game.

    I wouldn't rate TVoEC very high on gameplay. The puzzles are quite simplistic and too few. This game doesn't hand-hold you, so you'll probably get lost many times ... not that it's a bad thing.

    After all, it's an incredibly gorgeous and atmospheric game. Screenshots posted online simply do not do it enough justice. The visuals alone were worth purchasing the game.

    Honestly, I spent over 50% of my time wandering around playing photographer and taking screenshots via FRAPs. (Turn off subtitles for the best results)

    I'd definitely like to see these devs produce a similar game in the future with more focus on better puzzles & gameplay.    … Expand
  36. Hack
    Aug 27, 2016
    5
    I just didn't like it at all, there was absolutely no structure whatsoever and really no game, it's better described as a sandbox tech demo for Unreal Engine 4 and in that regards it's fantastic because it's a truly beautiful game with some of the best visuals I've ever seen, and the audio was great as well. This may seem like a harsh score but it just wasn't fun, and even though it was soI just didn't like it at all, there was absolutely no structure whatsoever and really no game, it's better described as a sandbox tech demo for Unreal Engine 4 and in that regards it's fantastic because it's a truly beautiful game with some of the best visuals I've ever seen, and the audio was great as well. This may seem like a harsh score but it just wasn't fun, and even though it was so short I was already sick of it by the end.… Expand
  37. TheMetacritiqer
    Jul 5, 2016
    7
    One of the most disappointing endings ever. And yes, in my opinion worse than Mass Effect 3's (Which wasn't that bad). Expect to get stuck for hours if you can't figure out the mechanic of finding out where certain objects are. When you see the same word many times keep moving until they all come together. Knowing that would have saved me hours. Definitely not worth 20$ as if you know whatOne of the most disappointing endings ever. And yes, in my opinion worse than Mass Effect 3's (Which wasn't that bad). Expect to get stuck for hours if you can't figure out the mechanic of finding out where certain objects are. When you see the same word many times keep moving until they all come together. Knowing that would have saved me hours. Definitely not worth 20$ as if you know what your doing it could be completed in a hour. But pretty much everything besides that is great. Things are really mysterious and surprising. The first minute is very scary. And it's cool that some of the people behind one of the most underrated game of all time, Bulletstorm, made this. Next time, just don't screw up the ending. It makes everything you've done seem like a waste of time.… Expand
  38. 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
  39. 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
  40. singlungchan
    May 1, 2018
    5
    Very beautiful game. Nice atmosphere. But.. the problem is: some puzzles might lead to confusion of the location of the puzzle. And you might get easily stuck, which is a big failure of such a game in my opinion. The lack of clarity makes you wonder too much if you are even on the right track instead of focusing on the puzzle. Another minus is that the story is far from engaging or wellVery beautiful game. Nice atmosphere. But.. the problem is: some puzzles might lead to confusion of the location of the puzzle. And you might get easily stuck, which is a big failure of such a game in my opinion. The lack of clarity makes you wonder too much if you are even on the right track instead of focusing on the puzzle. Another minus is that the story is far from engaging or well packed. I didn't have the patience to finish this game and I feel that it is far from what it could be. Ultimately, it left me feeling like I was playing some tech-demo instead of a finished game.… Expand
  41. 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
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. akino3
    Apr 11, 2015
    6
    This is a worthwhile effort at photo realism in games. For that alone the developer Astronauts should be given credit. How else will we get there if companies not aim for it?

    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an open world adventure game where you play the role of some sort of detective. You are trying to join the missing pieces in an aftermath of carnage in a small seemingly ordinary    This is a worthwhile effort at photo realism in games. For that alone the developer Astronauts should be given credit. How else will we get there if companies not aim for it?

    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an open world adventure game where you play the role of some sort of detective. You are trying to join the missing pieces in an aftermath of carnage in a small seemingly ordinary town.

    The things I like about this game are:
    - Graphics: Absolutely breathtaking
    - Atmosphere: The game draws you in to explore its mysteries.
    - Simplicity: Playing the game is easier than solving the crime scenes, which gives you some satisfaction in the end.

    The things I don't like are:
    - You're unable to save the game if you exit at any point between the autosave feature; this is VERY annoying. IMO there is no need to even save the game, you just should have continued from your last position.
    - There are some stupid stuff, like no doors to open and no people around, ie no signs of life.
    - The game points you to no direction and there are some unorthodox gameplay features so at some point you are stuck and frustrated and the only thing you can do is to find out how you can get past the puzzle by following a game walkthrough.
    - The game is too short and most of the time is spent in the wild.

    The nice-to-have's are:
    - It's always before sunset in this town. A day and night cycle would have been wonderful, you know wandering around in the middle of the night with a flashlight.

    All in all, this is a good game if you happen to get it on sale, especially if you have a high end system and some patience.    … Expand
  46. 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
  47. 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
  48. 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
  49. 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.
  50. secretsw
    Jun 9, 2016
    7
    Stunning graphics, but not much more. Long and boring dialogues with poor character animations, rare and simple puzzles. No special meaning or message in the plot, though I expected to find some (or should I look better?). This game couldn't hold me for a complete walkthrough. Much worth seeing, but probably not really worth walking through.
  51. Renovatia
    Dec 16, 2015
    7
    Nice, nice nice. My third adventure game in a row I'm reviewing here (and it's my third review in total). It's a full fledged adventure game, full of nice puzzles like you'd want adventures to be. I don't think the puzzles were particularly difficult. It's a walking simulator though. You walk quite a bit as places to be are distant. Also, it's easy to miss some places. Luckily at the mostNice, nice nice. My third adventure game in a row I'm reviewing here (and it's my third review in total). It's a full fledged adventure game, full of nice puzzles like you'd want adventures to be. I don't think the puzzles were particularly difficult. It's a walking simulator though. You walk quite a bit as places to be are distant. Also, it's easy to miss some places. Luckily at the most important spot you'll get magical help to pin-point the places you have missed. It's user-friendly implemented.

    This is a game where the story (in the end) is more important perhaps. I think the puzzles have been deliberately kept accessible. The game wants you to arrive to the point where you have a full understand of what is really going on. Although I figured it out beforehand because of the disconnect between the cases you had to solve as a paranormal detective.

    I think a score of 7/10 isn't a "mixed" score at all. It's a good score. I didn't want to give it a full 8/10 because some cases to solve were way too easy and too many individual puzzles were way too easy for me as well. After having solved 3 out of 7 cases, I wondered what the point of all this was, Then I suspected what really was going on. But the overwhelming feeling throughout was questioning whether I could keep enjoying this game.

    After having solved the fourth case, the story has unfolded completely. It depends on the order of things you do, but there it is. So when the "big reveal" happened, there were still three cases left to explore. So I went there, solved them and they were most disappointing.

    The graphics - the 3D world if you will - are really nice. It's the strongest part of this game and it will outdo most games. The main storyline is ok. Interacting with the environment is implemented nicely. No problems there.

    Would I play a similar game like this? For sure! But sometimes less is more. I.e. solving 7 cases when you know everything after having done 4 of them is too much. And again, the last three cases were kinda rubbish to be honest.

    So there it is. The game is nice but not really good.    … Expand
  52. 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
  53. 4y4
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    The scenery is stunning. The story is engaging and enjoyable and the atmosphere is immersive.
  54. sarahlee123
    Feb 25, 2018
    7
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter offers a compelling story, as well as plenty of atmosphere and a stunningly beautiful world that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring, stopping multiple times just to take in the view.

    While you aren't given much in the way of backstory, the game slowly reveals clues that allow you to piece the events of its Lovecraftian mystery together. The brilliant story is    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter offers a compelling story, as well as plenty of atmosphere and a stunningly beautiful world that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring, stopping multiple times just to take in the view.

    While you aren't given much in the way of backstory, the game slowly reveals clues that allow you to piece the events of its Lovecraftian mystery together. The brilliant story is constructed from several smaller stories, and once you collect all of the clues, the game rewards you with a conclusion that is as moving as it is unexpected.

    One of the biggest reasons to play The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is its gorgeous and highly detailed world. Inspired by the Polish Karkonosze mountains, the developers have taken picturesque scenes from the real world and somehow made them look even better in game. I found myself stopping frequently to admire sweeping views of the game's scenery or examine small details like the bark on the trees or the leaf litter underfoot.

    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter warns you before the game even begins that it "does not hold your hand" and this aspect of the game may prove frustrating for some players. Unsure of where to go or what to do, I personally ended up getting lost and quickly resorting to a walkthrough for some much needed guidance. More patient players may be able to figure things out for themselves, but I needed a little more direction myself.

    The game's puzzles, too, while not particularly complicated, are another potential source of frustration, as it is often unclear at first what the object of the puzzle is. Most players probably won't have any problem solving the puzzles, but if, like me, you're not a huge puzzle fan, you might find them somewhat bothersome.

    Overall, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is worth playing if only for its beautiful environments and rich story. I personally did not enjoy the puzzles and found the lack of guidance vexing at times, but others may enjoy having the freedom to explore the game's world at their own pace and complete the puzzles in whatever order they like.

    While you may not like everything about The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, if you think you may enjoy even some aspects of the game, it's probably worth picking up, as there's nothing else quite like it.    … Expand
  55. lac61087
    Apr 13, 2016
    5
    I played the redux version first since it installed first so that's why i only have 10 minutes play time but both versions are apparently the same although oddly i ran into some strange lag(not framerate) issues in the non-redux version. So yeah the vanishing of ethan carter, not much of a game here, puzzles are silly and annoying, the game is very minimalistic and if you are sufferingI played the redux version first since it installed first so that's why i only have 10 minutes play time but both versions are apparently the same although oddly i ran into some strange lag(not framerate) issues in the non-redux version. So yeah the vanishing of ethan carter, not much of a game here, puzzles are silly and annoying, the game is very minimalistic and if you are suffering with an headache and want to chillout while getting frustrated this game is for you. It's beautiful though ohhh it's beautiful, no doubt, just not my cup of tea, i need direction in my games, i hate not knowing where to go or what to do, i need my hand held pretty much, i wish i could appreciate games like this but this game makes Broken Sword look like a Michael Bay film, the game is extremely vague, almost bordering on Nihilism:D.

    Not for me sadly 5/10    … Expand
  56. 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.
  57. WhiskeyStories
    Oct 16, 2018
    7
    A pleasant and atmospheric walking simulator that's beautiful to look at (at least the redux version) and which offers some inventive (though rather simple) puzzles that are mostly pretty fun to piece together and a n enjoyable little mystery plot. With a completion time around 4-5 hours it's the ideal length to immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery and cute story, without it startingA pleasant and atmospheric walking simulator that's beautiful to look at (at least the redux version) and which offers some inventive (though rather simple) puzzles that are mostly pretty fun to piece together and a n enjoyable little mystery plot. With a completion time around 4-5 hours it's the ideal length to immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery and cute story, without it starting to feel too contrived. I did not like the conclusion tthat much, but overall had a lovely time with The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It's perfect for early October.… Expand
  58. 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!
  59. Dco326
    Apr 19, 2021
    4
    I really didn't like it, the story is meh, some puzzles are really really bad etc. I would not recommend
  60. actinium
    Jul 18, 2022
    6
    / /
  61. Krzych
    Dec 27, 2016
    7
    The game is amazingly beautiful and doesn't require much power to run, definitely one of the best games in terms of graphics/performance ratio, voice acting is also great, but gameplay and story itself didn't really got me that much. It was very promising at the beginning but was falling short with time. It felt like all of this is around nothing and the game is about nothing, literally.The game is amazingly beautiful and doesn't require much power to run, definitely one of the best games in terms of graphics/performance ratio, voice acting is also great, but gameplay and story itself didn't really got me that much. It was very promising at the beginning but was falling short with time. It felt like all of this is around nothing and the game is about nothing, literally. Still very interesting game and definitely worth trying out, maybe it will get to you more than it did to me, but I have mixed feelings about it.… Expand
  62. 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!
  63. 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
  64. Archound
    Oct 3, 2018
    7
    For me Ethan is a big disappointment. I didn't enjoy repetitive "chronology" puzzles and the story is quite dull. Mediocre title in it's genre.
  65. 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)
  66. neO_o_
    Mar 25, 2018
    5
    The is little more than a glorified tech demo. Firstly I played at the redux version at 4k, everything on max on a gtx 1080ti and let me tell you this game is probably the most graphically impressive game ever made so far. It is literally photo realistic and runs like a dream on the latest high end hardware. Truly impressive visuals. It's a shame then that there's next to no actualThe is little more than a glorified tech demo. Firstly I played at the redux version at 4k, everything on max on a gtx 1080ti and let me tell you this game is probably the most graphically impressive game ever made so far. It is literally photo realistic and runs like a dream on the latest high end hardware. Truly impressive visuals. It's a shame then that there's next to no actual game play in this 'game'. Yes, you do walk around and solve puzzles to piece together the sinister goings on from the past but the puzzles are so ridiculously easy once you figure out the very basic mechanics of them that they just feel completely tacked on and because of this I got bored very quickly indeed. I would say it's worth picking up for a few quid just to experience the visuals but apart from that it's just not worth it.… Expand
  67. KARF4GEN
    May 10, 2018
    7
    Сложно назвать Исчезновение игрой, это скорее интерактивное кино, но не на Playstation.
    Довольно атмосферный квест с небезинтересным наполнением, весьма нелогичные задания сильно не напрягали, а отсутствие кровищи и прочего привычного нынче в индустрии шок-контента делают ее пригодной и для детей младшего школьного возраста.
    Не без минусов, но такие инди проекты просто утирают нос многим    Сложно назвать Исчезновение игрой, это скорее интерактивное кино, но не на Playstation.
    Довольно атмосферный квест с небезинтересным наполнением, весьма нелогичные задания сильно не напрягали, а отсутствие кровищи и прочего привычного нынче в индустрии шок-контента делают ее пригодной и для детей младшего школьного возраста.
    Не без минусов, но такие инди проекты просто утирают нос многим ААА-тайтлам.

    Переиздание на UE4 отвратительно оптимизировано и сделано скорее для релиза на консолях.    … Expand
  68. 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
  69. 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.
  70. knur
    Oct 12, 2022
    3
    pros: graphics, nice scenery
    cons: not enough interactions, too much of a walking simulator, predictable and forgettable story.

    Overall - a waste of time.
  71. gabrielsrc
    Aug 29, 2022
    10
    one of these walking simulator with really good story, really good storytelling and also good game mechanics.
  72. 4ya5h1
    Oct 3, 2022
    6
    not my type of game.
    at first sight it was pretty good and interesting but i just cant seet for a very long time and just walk in this game. story and quests are too rare. i didnt like gameplay and its not as much story as i want. also game is pretty old and visual is not good so walking is not only uninteresting also it is a little unbeautyfully
  73. Mehrshad_MB
    Jul 14, 2021
    6
    From the very first moment of the game it's impossible not to admire the stunning environment and mesmerizing spooky atmosphere. Red Creek Valley is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in-game worlds. However, I think that's the first and last positive point of the game.
    You're alone in a large map with lots of sideways and detours, not knowing what to do, where to head. Confusion in    From the very first moment of the game it's impossible not to admire the stunning environment and mesmerizing spooky atmosphere. Red Creek Valley is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in-game worlds. However, I think that's the first and last positive point of the game.
    You're alone in a large map with lots of sideways and detours, not knowing what to do, where to head. Confusion in finding mission makes the game a perfect "walking simulator". (At least give a damn compass!) Sometimes finding what to do next was like finding a needle in a haystack. Thus I managed to finish the game with the help of walkthroughs on YouTube. (I'm in wonder how can one finish the game without getting help.)
    The story was unique, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it was great. It was a fine emotional story and nothing more than that.
    The game however reminds me of The Murdered Soul Suspect. Both has similar concept and great ideas but in the end, an average game.
    I'm trying to find some positive things to say but I can't find much. Music was good.
    In general I would recommend it for patient people who have free time.
    (July 2021)    … Expand
  74. 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
  75. 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.
  76. Crimert
    Aug 21, 2020
    7
    The story of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter was good. The atmosphere was really cool. It made me feel like a private detective. Actually, it's more like a "paranormal" detective game. If you like these kinds of games, you must give it a try. 3hrs on record.
  77. penebullone
    Oct 14, 2020
    7
    Приятная игруха на 4-5 часов, супер графон, неплохой супер мистический сюжет, я ощутил флэшбеки по великолепному Алану Уэйку, плюс этот прекрасный лес сделан просто нереально. Музыка ну просто очень красивая.

    Из минусов – игра настолько "не ведёт тебя за руку" (с), что в двух местах нужно было смотреть прохождение, и то, поиск нужного "триггера" по скриншоту леса занял минут 20. В этот    Приятная игруха на 4-5 часов, супер графон, неплохой супер мистический сюжет, я ощутил флэшбеки по великолепному Алану Уэйку, плюс этот прекрасный лес сделан просто нереально. Музыка ну просто очень красивая.

    Из минусов – игра настолько "не ведёт тебя за руку" (с), что в двух местах нужно было смотреть прохождение, и то, поиск нужного "триггера" по скриншоту леса занял минут 20. В этот момент я почувствовал себя в симуляторе поиска закладок. Не представляю, как кто-то проходил её без руководства.    … Expand
  78. 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.
  79. 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
  80. Wrathzo
    Mar 22, 2022
    7
    The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a 2014 horror adventure video game developed and published by The Astronauts. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is set in an open world environment, in which the player can roam around and explore at will; in its opening the game notes that it "does not hold [the player's] hand", and as such features very little by way of explanation to the mechanics.
  81. dariazzo_
    Apr 11, 2022
    6
    There is something missing here, and it's not the protagonist. I have nothing to say about the creative direction and graphics overall: the game looks stunning and have personality. I firmly question, however, the stiffness of its narration. You can skip all events, and then you are asked to recover them to see the final of the story. Murders can be skipped altogether, leading to theThere is something missing here, and it's not the protagonist. I have nothing to say about the creative direction and graphics overall: the game looks stunning and have personality. I firmly question, however, the stiffness of its narration. You can skip all events, and then you are asked to recover them to see the final of the story. Murders can be skipped altogether, leading to the feeling you have missed a large chunk of content as the game impose you to recover only part of the plot.

    The ending has a classical approach to paranormal, to science fiction, reminiscent of a certain, brilliant, literature. In itself the plot is interesting enough, and the pacing as diversified as possible to keep things interesting. With a better rhythm, less walking and multiple endings according to the amount of secrets you have uncovered, the overall score would have been higher.    … Expand
  82. hileger
    Oct 25, 2022
    7
    Атмосферно простенькие головоломки ,версия redux еще стало круче, спустя несколько лет можно еще поиграть
  83. lesiuML
    Jul 22, 2023
    5
    I guess I was just expecting something entirely different... At first I was really curious about this game and I thought it will be something like "kingdom come deliverance" walking simulator but short and detective action. How sadly surprised I was when paranormal activities started to happen... I thought this would be a game with realistic down to earth story but I was unfortunatelyI guess I was just expecting something entirely different... At first I was really curious about this game and I thought it will be something like "kingdom come deliverance" walking simulator but short and detective action. How sadly surprised I was when paranormal activities started to happen... I thought this would be a game with realistic down to earth story but I was unfortunately wrong. Game isn't bad but it would be so much better with real life story not some completely nonsense demonic cult story...… Expand
  84. ewenr
    Jun 30, 2020
    8
    A stunningly beautiful walking simulator with some interesting puzzles and a good story.
  85. 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.
  86. FRIST_008
    Jan 2, 2022
    7
    Такой игре позарез нужна или карта, или что-то, что хотя бы говорило в какой области вы что-то не завершили, потому что я банально пропустил вторую головоломку и дошёл до самой последней и так и не понял почему у меня нет концовки, пока не вернулся хрен знает куда обратно... так делать нельзя. История меня вообще никак не зацепила, потому к игре один большой вопрос, где конечный вауТакой игре позарез нужна или карта, или что-то, что хотя бы говорило в какой области вы что-то не завершили, потому что я банально пропустил вторую головоломку и дошёл до самой последней и так и не понял почему у меня нет концовки, пока не вернулся хрен знает куда обратно... так делать нельзя. История меня вообще никак не зацепила, потому к игре один большой вопрос, где конечный вау эффект? Почему такой скучный и банальный сюжет?… Expand
  87. Richard_dias
    Aug 15, 2023
    7
    That's a gorgeous game with a nice narrative, but I came to realize that "walking simulatores" are not my thing. That being said, it seems like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a pretty good title for the genre.
  88. tufekciero
    Mar 12, 2021
    5
    BRONZ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  89. 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
  90. Reviewer13
    Feb 5, 2023
    6
    Complete snooze fest all in all. But the premise was somewhat interesting and the world was pretty. But just didn't personally find it very fun to play.
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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 »