The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Redux) Review

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an adventure game that has you taking on the role of detective Paul Prospero, who is searching for a missing child - Ethan Carter.

The game is set in the beautiful (and largely abandoned) Red Creek Valley. It's a good thing that the game looks gorgeous because you will be walking around a lot. I didn't find this boring though. Exploring the world was soothing and awe inspiring but there was always a sense of something sinister lurking ahead. 

Gameplay is simple and generally involves reconstructing and interpreting various events that happened in the past, in an attempt to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of Ethan. There is not much interactivity. Most of the game is spent on exploration and looking for clues.

 I've never felt so satisfied, doing so little. Aside from the technical achievement in creating such a good looking game, the meticulous construction of the world is equally stunning. I found myself soaking in each area and admiring the detailed and cohesive design. It continually managed to ignite my imagination. Why is this village abandoned? What happened in this house? It's not pretty just for the sake of it. Add a subtle but effective soundtrack to the mix and you have an enthralling experience.

 

 I found the story to be fantastic! It's a mystery story but with some hints of the supernatural. It's definitely the kind of story that's going to have people talking and it will incite varied reactions. It's also hard to say much without spoiling it. The only negatives worth mentioning are that I had some issues running the game smoothly on a rig that exceeded the recommended requirements. Occasionally the game suffered massive framerate drops and almost came to a complete halt. 

  

The game boldly claims to not hold your hand but I wish it explained its investigation mechanic properly. At times you will examine a scene and end with a single, repeated keyword that appears multiple times on-screen. This word is a clue, if you pan around while that word is being displayed, the repetitions will converge, indicating that you should proceed in that direction to find that item.

This game is one of an increasing number of games that is very hard to review. We live in exciting times where digital distribution has made it possible for small studios to boldly explore concepts that AAA devs would never dare to. A world where established conventions in mechanics and narrative are being ignored. A world where developers can focus their passions and use the video games medium in exciting ways. 

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is not going to please everyone. It's a short point-and-click type of adventure game but with far fewer (and easier) puzzles. The strengths of the game lie more in the narrative-focused experience than any other tangible factors - some are going to like it and others not. If the idea of being immersed in a beautiful world while uncovering an ominous mystery sounds even a little intriguing to you, then I'd give this game a shot. I felt it was well worth the asking price of around $20 and it's frequently on special.

Pros:

Story

Sense of immersion

Visual design

Soundtrack

Cons:

Some technical issues

Investigation mechanic should of been explained

Story and gameplay might not be for all

Rating: 85%