Also, please be aware that this is my personal interpretation of the game – you are free to make your own. For me that is a clear characteristic of a great game.Ī fair warning! If you haven’t played the game to the end and intend to do so, please do not read on!.
You explored something completely new, and your experience, paths chosen and memories taken were your own. The overall experience may last between 3-5h, and your mileage can vary greatly depending on your capability to find the important areas soon enough without getting frustrated.īut having finally reached the end you will feel a bit like an astronaut. But the pacing and openness of the world also dictate your speed. Sound and world design can compete with AAA titles, yet alone put many of them to shame. The game mechanics are all solid enough to hold the game together and keep you interested through the whole journey. There are so many details to find and theories to craft that each player will get an experience of his own. Let me conclude this review with a few statements that put the negative points in perspective: “Vanishing of Ethan Carter” is a beautiful work of art. Who was Ethan Carter? The story is told in small pieces, spotting small details and putting your theories together is part of the experience. You’ll more than often find yourself stopping to marvel at a scenery. With the landscape and ambient sound effects being so meticulously put together, walking around and exploring the world is a reward by itself. On the other hand, if you take the time to play this game with the right moodset and a healthy amount of curiosity, you might discover new places and interesting side-stories that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. Whatever the case, be prepared to bring a lot of patience if you don’t want to resort to reading a walk-through. considering the huge size of the area.Īll slow pacing issues left aside, the mechanics and riddles are sound and logical for the most part. If you missed something way back and didn’t complete the puzzle you need to walk there yourself, which can take up to 10 min. This can lead to frustration and backtracking, stretching the game’s lenght unnecessarily as there is no fast-travel option or any other means of quick transportation. While learning pretty quickly that areas you encounter usually have the solution nearby, hints are not always conveyed in a transparent way. Many game elements resemble the old “Myst” titles, with puzzles and solutions that may not always be easy to follow.
This is a very slow-paced and classical adventure in both the best and worst sense of the word. Vanishing’s undirected way of storytelling means that the pacing highly depends on your ability to find the next areas of interests and make the right decisions. Every scene looks detailed and almost photorealistic. The sceneries and areas of “Red Creek” valley are nothing short of gorgeous. This is also the main mechanic in the game and you will have to use your special gift several times until you unravel the horrible truth behind Red Creek Valley. After puzzling the pieces together you can put the happenings in order and get hints on where you need to go next. Luckily your abilities allow you to reconstruct the cause of death of a person, given that you find all the other evidence involved. Most of the population is missing, and the few beings you find are deceased and won’t be able to tell you a lot.
Most of the story is told in inner monologues and pieces of information you find inside the vast, highly detailed and fully explorable area.īut the stunning beauty of the scenery is very soon overshadowed by the small dark signs and story pieces you unravel, most of which telling a story of things gone horribly wrong. Aside from that you won’t get a lot of hints during the game, and there’s not much of an in-game UI to guide you along. Your task is to unravel the mysteries behind the eponymous Vanishing of Ethan Carter – the same person that called you in to solve the mysteries abound. Impersonating “Paul Prospero”, a detective with supernatural abilities, you’ll find yourself within a beautiful scenery placed nearby a small settlement. The reconstructed scenes are well-acted and voiced. The core mechanic of the game is reconstructing the cause of death of the deceased you find.