The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER (2014) was a very cool open world, narrative-driven, walking-simulator game-with touches of mystery, horror, crime, and the paranormal. Although this game is not that interactive as many other games, it's filled with stunning scenery, interesting story, and mysterious intrigue.

"Paul Prospero, a paranormal detective that receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter, a young boy who has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder after detailing many strange events in his village. Prospero quickly figures out it might not be the only local murder worth looking into..."

I want to say, first of all, the graphics are phenomenal and there are so many scenic locations it was hard not to wander and explore aimlessly, even when there is very little to find. Although I wish there was more interactivity (i.e. More collectables, objects etc) the game was still very memorable and unique, standing strongly on its own in the modestly new narrative/walking-sim genre. I really loved the paranormal mystery aspects of the game as well.

Overall, it had a very unique, dark feel and certainly held my attention long enough to finish it. The writing and story were very good, as well as its amazing art design and music. I found myself wishing it was longer, but boy it was a beautiful game. Overall, I was very pleased with this game and can't wait to check out others like it. Great game.

STORY: 7/10 GAMEPLAY: 9/10 GRAPHICS: 9/10 ART DESIGN: 9/10 MUSIC: 9/10 OVERALL RATING: 9.