The game has an amazing atmosphere! I replay it from time to time just for that! Recomend it with two hands

I forgot about this game for almost 10 years, mocked it for being a walking simulator with GRAFIX(tm) that even though I played a bit, I was stumped on really what to do that it almost wanted me to not play it. I got goaded into streaming it for some friends a random night and guess what, after finally realizing what I needed to do, it was actually one of the most refreshing takes on an investigative game I've seen in a while. Not the best or ascending great heights but something different from the usual hum-drudge. I feel like this is one of those games where someone might say "don't look up anything about the game, just jump in" but I would say, "you are better off looking up a guide to find your footing".

I don't want to spoil anything at all, so if you do go blind just remember you have to collect a bunch of clues to get going.

Graphics, phenominal for a now 10 year old game, like it isn't crysis levels of wow instead it's better. It to me surpassed crysis in terms of technical ability only with one caviate: there little interactivity with the world. So it's not a physics masterpiece but more of an artistic/graphical masterpiece.

Sound is what you would expect: serviceable but nothing that blew me away, like a 6-7 out of 10. Nothing that ruined my experience but not life changing and it did what it was supposed to. There is sound design that is good but that's about it.

Controls are most fine, they do the job.

Give it a go if you can get it cheap, about 3-4 hours almost 100%. It's very short.

I play this every year in October, just too good of a tale not to share with friends!

Beautiful scenery, but it is hard! Not always obvious where to go or what to do.... Google is your friend lol. Ending was emotional. Would still recommend just for the experience.

I played this projected onto the wall in our living room with the entire family gathered around to watch. At first, it seems like it's a bit of weird one because the gameplay goes back and forth between sleuthing to solve gruesome crimes, solving increasingly stranger puzzles and lot's of walking in between. However, it's all worth it. The writing is great, the game is beautiful and the pacing is just right.

It's totally worth it!

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter spins a captivating mystery set in the off putting yet beautiful Red Creek Valley. With a storyline centered on Ethan's disappearance, the game keeps players engrossed through clever puzzles that unravel the mystery. While the ending delivers a satisfying conclusion, the ease of overlooking puzzles can denture from the overall experience. It's a solid 7 out of 10 for those who enjoy a good mystery horror at an easy pace.

A glorified walking simulator.

+ Nice visuals and soundtrack.

- Stutter.
- Bugs.
- Too much back and forth.
- Crap save system.

Well the game world is pretty big - could do with a map or some sort of journal at least. Pretty sure I explored the whole place but I can only take so much of a walking sim and the whole going back and forth seeing if I might've missed something. It's not easy trying to find specific objects in a place that huge either. The game is kind of broken up into a series of mini quests based on the achievements so I completed a few of them just not the game I guess but I've had my fill.

Really I think the whole 'the game doesn't hold your hand' thing is taken a bit far. Morrowind doesn't hold your hand, yet it at least gives your more than enough information to work things out for yourself. Dues Ex (2000) doesn't hold your hand either. This is purely just a guessing game - hope that you stumble across the right things and go in the right direction or something.

I became more lost than I was in the beginning before I'd even discovered my first clue.

How does that even happen?

I guess if you want a walking sim with some extra spice then go for it but I wouldn't pay full price and you'll probably end up being left feeling dissatisfied, unfulfilled and that you wasted your time/money, unless you have a ton of patience to spare.

bugged out multiple times during playing. got stuck in detective mode many times

Be warned: there are very few save points. It's possible to play for yhours and then not be able to save your progress. Good luck.

Paul Prospero is a supernatural detective, one of the rare few who can interact with the unusual, and has a spectacular ability to glimpse into the past by recreating it; solving impossible murders. Reading his fan mail, Paul gets a letter from a young boy named Ethan Carter who has a special ability himself - Using the ability to see hidden things and places in his home of Red Creek Valley, he’s stumbled on something weird, and reaches out for help. Recognizing the significant threat, Paul heads to his location only to find that darkness has already settled in the valley. Follow the trail of corpses, piece together what happened, and discover the fate of the missing Ethan Carter.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3215696588
4-5+ hours to complete, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a supernatural detective walking sim where you solve multiple murders and use a special ability to see into the past to piece the story together. Purchasing this game also gives you the updated redux version made in Unreal Engine 4, while the original was made in 3. Overall, I had a positive experience playing; the storyline, voice acting, graphics, writing, and exploration were pretty fun. In particular, I want to mention that the area is made with Photogrammetry; in which remote sensing is used to take multiple photos to make a digital map to create complicated 2D or 3D digital objects. For example, the mountain range shown is based on the Polish Karkonosze mountains. There is one easily avoidable jumpscare that gives you plenty of warning. The only cons I can think of are that some story sections can be accidentally skipped if you wander off, breaking the flow of the game when you have to backtrack, and that the game is autosave only.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3215696185