The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a finely crafted cigar box. It is art, it has a purpose, and its contents will bring you enjoyment.

About a boy.

When it comes to psychological scares, this whodunit of a ghost story introduces you to your own worst enemy: Being inside your own head. You may anticipate more horror than you'll actually run across, but that's a horrific thought in its own right.

An average story mixed with some great nuggets to experience, all of which takes place in beautiful backdrops and wonderful accompanying music.

What’s even more impressive is that you right from the start, you can wander anywhere you want without without a single loading screen to pull your out of the experience. Seriously, I can’t count the number of times I stopped moving and just lingered on a view throughout my three-hour journey. Sprawling valleys, shimmering lakes, and autumnal forests make Ethan Carter one of those games where I wa...

Spectral visions turn a cloudy tale clear in a supernatural mystery adventure.

Developer The Astronauts has proven that you don't need a AAA budget to create a game that is not only beautiful, but also thought provoking and atmospheric. The game's only pitfall is how short it can be if you are only interested in the main story, but I would say it is worth a second play-through to discover all of the hidden investigations and secrets. If you are into Lovecraft or Poe and appr...

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter may not be a long journey, but the breathtaking visuals and atmosphere are enough to captivate most anybody on their way to solving a number of mysteries that all play a part in the overall story.

As the credits roll on this brief but powerful experience, you'll realise a lot is left open to interpretation. For some, that's to be expected. For others, it'll be infuriating. Prospero rarely seems to be in a hurry – even when he bloody should be – and as such, his plodding pace is very much a gamer's Marmite; you'll either love it or hate it… but good grief is this a mystery worth solving.

Play it all the way through and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter gives just enough to make what players see make sense, and help them go back to finish the overall story and pickup story elements that passed them by. There's enough beautiful - and at times, outlandish - imagery and story to overcome the game's problems so stick with it. By the end, the narrative wraps up beautifully.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter might be less involved than a lot of mystery games, but it is by no stretch any less fascinating, beautiful or immersive. Its haunting atmosphere sucks you in with its unsettling vibe, but it’s the mystery that keeps you there until the very end. It may not be the longest game, but if the supernatural intrigues you even a little, then this one case worth taking.

There's more to The Vanishing of Ethan Carter that I've omitted for fear of spoiling the game's best surprises, but I will say that each of these moments is inextricably tied to the method this story is being told in — that is, as a video game. It is evidence of a kind of narrative that games can do better than anything else, as well as proof that games can work with a story that doesn't need to b...