The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

do yourself a favor play the redux edtion dont worry you get it for free if you buy this one
(so what you see is not my real playtime cause i switched to redux after an hour or so)
in the redux edtion you have no imerssion breaking stutter or sprint fov and the game looks even better
(original edition stutters like crazy and the sprint fov is like a toggable fov changer you get sick after a few minutes)
yeah and when i say looks better this game has stunning visuals at some locations of the map its insane what the unreal engine is able to do and yeah ik the frostbite and snowdrop engine ;-)
well the gamplay itself hmm yeah you run around seeking the pieces for the puzzels like a detective that is not really tense but you are kinda motivated to find everything and "unlock" new ways to new location and story parts
i have to say alone for the visual presantation its worth a look on a sale but the gamplay is really not that good there is also not really much of atmosphere
i mean im honest there was a creepy atmosphere in a underground level part till a jump scare but after that you kinda spot how this game works and then this creepy atmosphere is gone completely at least for me
also the game has some weird events i will not spoiler anything but you will really ask yourself more then once "wth is going on here?"
get it on sale and dont expect to much except very nice visuals (play the redux edition)
its hard here to deceid normaly i dont give a thumbs up for games where the gamplay is weak but yeah you can see they really worked a lot on this game i cant imagine how many hours it has taken to finish this map and make everything work on it
they even gave the owners of the original version the new version for free
(upgrade from u3 to u4 engine completely)
so yeah i give a thumbs up cause this is surely no cash grab with all the work that has gotten into the it
im out peace

DIsclaimer: I've played the Redux version of the game, which is not reviewable, my playtime is around 3 hours there. I've opened the regular version of the game for a few minutes just so I could review it.
One of the most beautiful walking simulators, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an atmospheric short story where we follow the steps of a paranormal investigator Paul Prospero trying to find out what happened to the title boy, Ethan Carter. Walking through a small, secluded town we discover its dark secrets, while solving rather easy, but enjoyable puzzles.
Gameplay
Most of the short playtime (around 2-3h) of the 'Vanishing' will be spent slowly pacing from one place to another, which makes sense as it's a walking simulator. From time to time, you'll stumble upon a body or a weird phenomena which will require solving in order to get to the bottom of the case. The area is rather linear and inevitably leads us from one puzzle to another.
The puzzles themselves are rather simple, but quite enjoyable. My favourite one was the house with the portals, one of the very first you encounter. It's not really hard, but requires some imagination and logic to solve (or you can always just brute force it, if you're like that). For seasoned players they shouldn't pose any challenge, and for newbies they should be just right to have a smooth experience of playing.
Graphics
Yet all the walking and story feels merely an excuse to show the graphical prowess of the people that worked on the game. This game is 5 years old already, but it can be honestly breathtaking. This was definitely the best looking game when it was released and I still think it can challenge many games released nowadays in this category. From time to time, I found myself stopping and just looking around to admire the view.
The small, falling apart mining village is shown so vividly. The crumbling buildings look like they're actually crumbling, the dam is spectacular and the near-final lake view is amazing. The abandoned church at the top of the hill gave me the creeps just with how the light plays with the wooden benches inside it. If I had to imagine how an abandoned village in the middle of mountains would look like, this is exactly what I would think of, it's perfect.
Sound & Music
Sound is an important factor in building the atmosphere in games and movies and I believe both the sounds and the music of 'Vanishing' are doing masterful job at it. Paul Prospero sounds exactly how you'd imagine a stereotypical private investigator from the movies sound like. He goes over the events in his deep, silky-smooth voice and you can't help but see him in your mind as this older, gray haired guy in a dark brown trench coat, smoking a cigarette, perfect casting choice in my opinion.
The music of 'Vanishing' is actually created by one of the composers of The Witcher 3 soundtrack. The ominous, instrumental pieces really create an atmosphere of weirdness and evil. You know, that something bad is going to happen soon. It keeps you on your toes all the time. Nothing really happens most of the time, you're just walking around, but the sounds and the track make you check your back every now and then, it just builds that feeling that something is coming for you. From time to time, more melancholic tones sound through, which fit to what the game is actually about.
Story & Atmosphere
As I've already mentioned, the game is very atmospheric. I think I'd recommend playing in headphones or with a good sound system on a gloomy, rainy evening to immerse yourself in the created world the most. Going through the desolate village is a bit of a creepy experience and I always had that feeling of some evil lurking around, just ready to pounce at me. And to be honest, I really didn't want that as I hate scary games. Hence one of my criticism of the game is that, putting an actual jump scare in just one place in the game might not be the best idea. Especially because at that place you're already an hour into the game and kind of accept that there won't be anything actually scary in the game, just the atmosphere. I'd rather play out the whole game just feeling uneasy than have my heart jump in that one moment. Probably not an issue for most people, but it really got me good and I hated it.
The story is a bit controversial as well and by story I really mean the conclusion of it. I enjoyed going through the puzzles and getting to know more and more about the events that happened in the village. And then it turns out !SPOILER ALERT! nothing paranormal actually happened and the whole story is just a ruse, thus invalidating everything that you played through . It's a daring way to end it and I understand people that hated that. I wasn't bothered by it too much, but it did feel like an easy way out.
Nevertheless, I do think, the story up until that point is just interesting and really got me into trying to get to know what happened.
Overall
In the end, I do think 'Vanishing' is a pretty great experience. It is a short game, keep that in mind, so if you're one of those people that want to have hours of fun for each dollar spent, you will be disappointed. If you, however, want to have some quality time, it might just be a game for you. The stunning visuals, great soundtrack and creepy atmosphere makes it worth playing. It's like reading a good detective story, but you get to be the guy who is uncovering the dark secrets.

Curator page here--> DaRevieweD #27 <-- New review every Sunday
I have never played a horror game that was not solely advertised or capitalized itself as being of that genre. Perhaps the closest would be "Gone Home", but I was younger then and couldn't grasp what went on all that well. I should probably revisit that experience... But I digress, this "horror of none-horror" was what Indie developer "The Astronauts" did by labelling the Vanishing of Ethan Carter as a mystery first and foremost and most importantly a tale for players to unfold. The latter being emphasized as the devs even came up with a vision to evolve the way a story is told through video games. All interesting, but it's better to see how this was executed. Shall we?
"Holding on"
The Gist:
Paul Prospero receives a distress letter from Ethan Carter telling him to go to Red Creek Valley. A renowned detective with skills and knowledge of the paranormal, it didn't take much of its contents to confirm something was wrong. Fearing the worst, he travels there in hopes of stopping whatever was about to happen. But it seems that it has already begun and Ethan is nowhere in sight amidst the carnage.
! There is no right or wrong answer to this story.
PROS;
(a) Aftermath
The first few seconds introduce you to the mechanic of having to piece together several faint fragments of a memory. The murder scene reconstruction sequences also require something similar. Except that you have to inspect clues, see thoughts materialize and heighten your senses towards the origins of an object used for the deed. Only after figuring out how each item came to be, the deceased will lay out the events. Even then, it's solely up to your deductions to number them leading to the murder. It's not all CSI- the rest of the game is actually 'optional' and require puzzles to be solved to unlock more memories. It could be as simple as catching up with a mysterious visitor or recalling what Ethan's house looks like and etc. I won't spoil the rest, but it's quite varied despite simple first person mechanics.
(b) What Could Have Been
Very intriguing story from the get go and pulls you in with mysteries all tied in with Ethan's disappearance. Before you know it, there's mention of the "Sleeper" and being an occult-based detective you expect to deal with more supernatural occurrences.. However, SPOILER ALERT none of it was real!! Lemme rephrase.. this is where interpretations differ... Ethan has been putting up with neglect and belittling by his family for his hyperactive imagination. Memories uncovered show they made fun of or showed disinterest every time he offers them a story to read. Everyone except maybe for Chad and Travis really get off on bullying- has their own pressing issues to deal. Ed's still trying to cope with the death of his wife, Dale is worried about finances and the Missy's stressed because she's well a mother. His obsession in writing stories is therefore a form of escapism. This whole journey is his way of denying death and expressing regret. Making his family out the way they are because of a disturbed entity, hoping for them to change but the quarrel just moments before the accidental fire broke out is proof enough it's not that easy.
(c) Not What It Looks Like
I never say this, but man alive the graphics deserve high praises. In fact the immersion is astounding with it's atmosphere established by the overly cinematic soundtrack and level design. The musical vibes shift from a constant air of mystery to much deeper melancholic feels and stays pretty much there. I usually suck at appreciating music (unless it's popping and of the pop genre) but I could not keep myself away from the game or of the increasingly somber sounds. As for the environments, they do not seem at all like one that belongs in or made solely for a game particularly because of how ordinary they appear to be. This may be because they were based on real-life locations in Wisconsin and also Poland. That and both the words of Ethan as well as Paul of not being deceived by looks, only intensified the very raw and real possibility of similar happenings in everyday life anywhere and anytime.
(d) The Thought Alone
Horror-wise, like the store page says it doesn't rely on cheap or adrenaline-pumping scenarios. Nothing is intense or high-stakes and the jump scares are almost non-existent except for a certain typical slasher scene in the mines. Some gore, blood and dismemberment aside, the rest of the game let's your mind and fears run wild. What haunts is the constant dread of the worst case imaginable happening to Ethan, a teenage boy who you grow to sympathize with. Every clue hints at more hopeless situation. Worsening once you know the truth, plunging a stake through your heart because of *GASP* an open-ended outcome!! Jokes aside, the story of a torn household, abuse and the drastic effects it could have on mental well-being hits so close to home.
CONS;
(i) Expectations VS Reality
I first finished the story on the original iteration which has frequent stutters. Not a problem, thankfully because buying the game comes with "Redux", an upgraded version of "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter". With a game engine overhaul, visual improvements and of course fixes the little pauses prevalent before. It's not all great news because even though the latter runs smoothly, it doesn't retain the charm of the OG seeing as it became noticeably brighter and the colors washed out to be more dream-like (I'm beyond awful when talking about graphics). If you wouldn't mind that, I also realized that Redux fixed a specific progression issue connected to an achievement, so there you go! But ultimately, it all comes down to preference~
(ii) Just A Kid
Okay this game wasn't kidding when it said it won't hold your hands. You can literally play to the end and get stuck because you didn't finish the necessary equivalent of "story quests" before reaching the conclusion. Aside from button prompts, there's little perhaps zero voice-guided hints that will trigger, so expect tons of silence and aimlessly wandering. A nice addition to the game that doesn't exactly spoonfeed but instead keeps track of all the notes collected. Any readable notes stay where you find them. If you want to peruse them again, expect to backtrack miles (bad at math) to examine their contents that takes 30 seconds to go through.
(iii) It'll Come to Me
There's a fast travel option but only at the final area of the game for those who missed the presumably optional eventually required events in order to view the ending. Furthermore, you still have to return to the final area in order to teleport to the other important areas (because you won't know where). However, I do tend to exaggerate things as there is an elevator shortcut and Paul does run remarkably fast. Besides, there's the breathtaking scenery- how much of a torture could it be?
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter accomplished what it set out to do; a paradigm shift towards storytelling, going above and beyond. Its absolutely gut-wrenching plot about a dysfunctional family and a kid who always bore the brunt of it. The fact such tragedies takes place in a photorealistic setting just amps up the truth of the conflict and overall message conveyed. Make no mistake- it's still a walking simulator with tidbits of gameplay wedged in. Coupled with lack of conventional game mechanics or interface to aid in finding his bearings- definitely won't satisfy everyone. However, one cannot deny it's a darn devastating yet memorable journey laced with interpretation and heartfelt emotions.
"Letting Go."
9/10
Playing this in VR (PAY UP) would be quite the surreal experience

As The Vanishing of Ethan Carter begins, you step into the shoes of Paul Prospero, a psychic detective who has been summoned to a quiet riverside town to search for a missing boy — the eponymous Ethan Carter. Prospero must explore the town and its surrounding countryside, gathering evidence and piecing together what horrific scenes have happened leading to Ethan's disappearance.
In both its narrative and in its gameplay, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter refuses to hold your hand. From the moment you enter the Red Creek Valley area via a dark train tunnel, you're on your own, free to explore at your own pace, with pretty much every area opened up from the start.
The key to actually progressing through the story lies in solving a series of around 10 individual puzzles. But if you want to totally ignore those and dash right to the final area from the start, that is possible. You won't get an ending until you go back and complete each of the puzzles, but again, the game isn't going to tell you where to go or force you to follow a set path.

The environment is so gorgeous that I'd probably enjoy about any game within it. Having said the the game play is interesting enough, but not the most memorable part of the experience for me.

This game is very beautiful. It takes part in an amazingly rendered "open" world. This world is big in scope yet small at the same time, it would probably take 15 minutes to run from the start to the end. But it has some of the most gorgeous landscapes I have seen in a game, and I played it on a crappy laptop at minimun settings. I would love to try this one in VR. When you start the game you can see a dam in the distance across a river, and you feel like you are going to be there at some point, sure enough, a while later you are standing on it, looking down at other places you will probably explore later.
It is a complete pleasure walking around and exploring this world drowned in perpetual twilight. Perhaps because of this constant light, and also because of the great music that is always accompanying you, it never successfully conveyed its horror elements for me. It creates a menacing atmosphere for sure, but never as much as it wants. If some of the more spooky parts would have been left in complete silence, it probably might have been a much scarier experience. But still, both the music and the sound design are great, so I'm not really stressing a lot about that.
The writing is one of the highlights, since the eponymous character of the game is a writer, his stories always felt compelling, and the story in general is good. Here is the only thing I did not like about the game though, its voice acting. Voice acting in games is always kind of tough to judge, but in this one, being a very short (took me 6 hours to get all the achievements and complete the story, and I'm VERY slow) supernatural drama, I just didn't feel the performances, they were very stale. Having said this, I also have to mention that I loved the performance of the character you control, Paul Prospero, whose narrations always fit very well within the context of the story.
The puzzle elements are neat, yet sometimes too easy, fewer times more bewildering. It may leave some people wanting more.
Take this in whatever form you like, but the best thing in this game for me was just walking around in this world and soaking in the amazing environments, everything else was just kind of extra spice, whether I liked it or not. If you'd like to appreciate this delightful world without much judgement, try this game. If you don't really care about that and prefer lengthier, more compelling gameplay, maybe skip it, but you'll be missing on some great atmospheres.
NOTE: The game crashed in one of the later sections. I had to do the entire area again. Thankfully I found a thread where an admin of the game suggested to try the area in windowed mode, which solved the glitch. I did the area again in like 10 mins but still, it was kind of frustrating, a lot of people seemed to have to deal with this issue. Just wanted to mention that.

Recognized the eastern european churches from some books I read before going there. Interesting stories unfold. Graphics are good. The Redux version was super smooth for me. The original had a small stutter.I liked how the stories were tied together. However some people might not like the ending.