The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Critic Reviews

Nothing is so simply put in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but to put it simply, this game is absolutely worth the $20 price tag. It’s not long (about four hours), nor is it particularly challenging, but through and through, this is a beautiful game of strange, twisted, and sometimes sick puzzles.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has a hauntingly beautiful, unnerving world, and when you leave it, it's like waking up from a very complex dream. The game is extremely pretty and demands some interpretation and asking of the right questions. The Astronauts' first game has many little details, and none of them are accidental. Everything is well thought out and the gameplay walks hand in hand with the story. There should be more games like this.

A stirring tale that walks a fine line between the human and the supernatural. As the layers begin to peel back, what you'll find is a story told with a level of cleverness and elegance rarely seen in games. It confirms the feeling you had from the first breathtaking view; when you enter into Red Creek Valley, you're in for something special.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter leaves you with several amazing memories; moments that you will want to talk to your friends about for hours and will take great pains not to spoil for other people. The fact it packs those so painlessly into a three-hour game while other developers create empty works that take ten times as long to complete speaks volumes.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a compelling interactive novella that draws players in with its beautifully atmospheric setting. The slow burn narrative doesn’t quite land the final emotional punch it’s aiming for, but it more than satisfies on every other level.

A singular experience, at times strange, astonishing and even bewildering, but always captivating. The mystery will keep you going, but what the game does best is surprise. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has a great story to tell, even if it's not the one you were expecting.

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys story and an immersive experience over gameplay mechanics and action, you’ll surely have a blast with this game, in spite of its largely straightforward puzzles, empty world and some other issues that prevent it from being a true masterpiece.

Subtle, atmospheric, beautiful, exiting. A fantastic thriller.

It's the visually masterfully realised translation of a Lovecraftian short story into something that is not necessarily a horror game and maybe not even a real video game per se. But be that as it may, I had two evenings of excellent entertainment, so there is little to complain about.

If you have the three or four hours to devote to it and care about the future of games as a storytelling medium, Ethan Carter is must-play.

One of the best games of the year. Developer The Astronauts has crafted a masterful mystery in an unbelievably beautiful and atmospheric setting, and raised the bar for what this kind of an experience can be. And, for an extremely reasonable price of admission, you, too, can find yourself never wanting to leave its well-crafted world.

An immersive, story-driven, supernatural adventure thriller, with enchanting and melancholic atmosphere and captivating storytelling methods that offer a genuine and personal experience to the player.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is one of the most beautiful and original adventure games of the year!

This fresh and visually pleasing supernatural detective story proves that adventure games are by no means a dying genre.

What happens when you put some classic adventure gameplay in a game like Dear Esther? One of the greatest interactive thriller comes out.

The melancholy tale is matched with some wonderful visions to make a game that really sticks in the mind.

An amazing achievement. Its story is powerful, its freedom is liberating, and its world is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever wandered around. Here’s to more games not holding your hand.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter could have been a much more exciting and violent game, and many would probably have enjoyed that more, but I like it how it is: quiet, relaxing, and pensive. The Astronauts understand that a little subtlety goes a long way.

Fans of puzzlers, horror and story driven games alike will find enjoyment from Ethan Carter as it manages to be compelling, challenging and terrifying, all at once.

Perhaps where The Vanishing of Ethan Carter succeeds most is in establishing a sense of place. This is the kind of game that you’ll want to get lost in.