It's odd and emphasizes a slight lack of polish, that when coupled with the limited interactivity with the invisibly walled-off environments and a lack of a player model, makes it clear that from a technical standpoint there's a lot of room for improvement in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.īut the game isn't about that. It's not uncommon to find clues to a murder scene, only to not complete it and return later to having to re-find the same evidence. Simply put, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has a difficult time balancing objectives and mysteries with its otherwise linear design.Ī flawed checkpoint system that often pulls players too far back upon continuing a game instance and a one-way fast travel system near the game's conclusion add an extra layer of unnecessary grief. The design decisions built around players literally piecing together the game's narrative helps enhance the sense of wonder and discovery, but can also deter players away during their first run through the story, to the point where they can lose interest in backtracking to discover more. Others involve simply finding something although at least in a few instances, the game doesn't inform players that there's even something to be found. Some of the game's 10 main scenes involve solving a murder and figuring out how that particular sequence played out chronologically, using detective Prospero's ability to see the dead. This experience is an intimate one, despite the vast and gorgeous landscapes in the background.įinding clues is one thing, but piecing them together is another as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter employs dated and cumbersome mechanics for players to complete the game's number of sequences. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter takes place in just a few acres of land, nearly all visible at a distance from the beginning, and its only characters are Ethan's family. Players travel along a linear, but partly open path, discovering clues and crime scenes along the way. The first-person game puts players in control of Prospero as he begins his journey in the abandoned, decrepit and lifeless township of Red Creek Valley, where generations of Ethan's family resides. The semi-open-world adventure title may be relatively small in its physical environments that players explore, but it packs a big punch in its mysteries for players willing to put forth the effort to solve them all. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, developed by The Astronauts and published by Nordic Games, is one of the most interesting narrative experiences of 2014 and certainly one of the most beautiful. He's a fan of paranormal detective Paul Prospero and so when he goes missing under strange circumstances, it's up to Prospero to discover where Ethan is and what happened to him. Ethan Carter is a young boy who's seemingly aware of the supernatural.