THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER

PLAYING DETECTIVE IN THE WOODS

Without hesitation: This is one of the best games I have ever played! I wasn't too sure what to expect from it because I kept myself in the dark and didn't do any research before playing... but it was absolutely worth it and in order not to spoil you the experience I will keep the following words as short and thoughtful as possible.

What you shouldn't expect from the game: A horror game with a ton of jump scares similar to some of the games I recently reviewed. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (web / steam) is not one of these games, it's different. This game has a clear focus on story and ambience and I would thus - if at all - classify it at best as a horror game similar to Silent Hill. The game also lacks any action whatsoever so I think for some people this game might not be the right one. The main goal in this game is exploration.
You have to look very carefully, search for and then skillfully combine clues. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but actually this is what takes the already great story to the next level by telling it in the most interactive way and keeping it exciting to the last minute.


And while the game on the one side withholds you for example even the ability to jump, it is most generous in giving you one of the most beautiful environments, complete with a perfectly fitting soundtrack, I have ever dwelled in. The realism in this game, the natural feeling of the sun endlessly setting in the area surrounding a small barrier lake together with its dam, some old houses, even a mine and more, is simply incomparable!

In my opinion, the developers, The Astronauts and especially the writers Tom Bissell and Rob Auten, who also worked on parts of the Gears of War, Battlefield and Uncharted franchises, deserve a lot of credit for this master piece. This game, that I think would even be a bestseller in form of a book, shouldn't be missing in any serious collection. I am definitely looking forward to become Paul Prospero - the "gifted" detective - again, although I am afraid the game doesn't have multiple endings,... which is maybe one thing it misses.

Play more! Immerse more!