Grab The Games: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Today, I am really excited that I can present you my review for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. A game that you will definitely remember for the rest of your life and it is really among my favorites of all time. Time to find out why I love the game so much. But before I do let me introduce you the game properly. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery game that focuses entirely on exploration and discovery. It contains no combat or explosions of any kind. If our game leaves any scars, we hope you won't be able to see them.

You play the game as Paul Prospero, an occult-minded detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter. Realizing the boy is in grave danger, Paul arrives at Ethan's home of Red Creek Valley, where things turn out to be even worse than he imagined. Ethan has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder, which Paul quickly discerns might not be the only local murder worth looking into. The first thing that really impressed is the graphics of the game and in general the environment and the locations where the game takes place. Red Creek Valley is simply breathtaking I found myself sometimes just watching the nature and the lakes doing nothing just relaxing in these photo realistic environments. Moreover, I loved the fact that the game is not at all linear and there is no one who will hold your hand and guide you. You can finish the murders and the story in any order you like!

Also, I found it really innovative how Paul P. could communicate with the dead. The dead will show you the way into solving the mysteries of their deaths. Furthermore, I love the fact that there is no HUD, no hints nothing that can distract you and spoil the fun of solving the puzzles yourself in your own pace and in your own way. The soundtrack of the game and the narration are perfect and in total harmony with the breathtaking environment. A positive aspect that you will easily mention from the start of the game.

The end is really satisfying as well and creates more questions than answers which is something positive for me since you can discuss it with your fellow gamers and exchange opinions, something that enhances for me the overall positive experience a player has with the game. As far as the negative aspects of the game are concerned, there are not many to mention. The first negative for me is that players cannot manually save the game something that it might bother some people since they must play the game from a certain point. Another negative is that there are bugs in the game even thought the game is fully released.

To sum up, as I mentioned before The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter is a game you can't forget easily. It will stay in your mind for a long time after you have finished. It is highly recommended it and a game like no other. Really worth playing and one of my all time personal favorites. You should definitely get it!

Verdict: 9/10

+graphics

+environments

+soundtrack and narration

+no HUD and hints that will distract you

+satisfying ending

-Bugs

-No manual save

Dionysis Spinos