Entertaining mystery adventure with bombast graphics

With "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" makes the Polish development studio with his debut almost everything right. Built on the Unreal Engine 3 graphics investigated currently, especially in this genre, hard something equivalent. Seldom one has seen such a beautiful, atmospheric and dynamic acting game world (moving treetops in the wind, swirling around leaves), except perhaps in games of "Far Cry" - or the "Crysis" series. Only at the lack of vitality wooded gaming world something. One would calm can fit a few more wandering animals (eg, cats, deer, insects). That would put the visual attention to detail even the crown.

The story is quite exciting and the resolution at the end of the game is surprising and unexpected. Only the very observant would have been able to glimpse under vague hints throughout the game. While as equipped with post cognitive forces detective investigates the disappearance of the little boy Ethan Carter, you stumble in from the outset freely accessible game world via numerous gruesome murders that possibly could be related to and of which you must make clear culprit and sequence of events.

Here we come but already the first point of criticism of the game. The elucidation of the murders is not particularly difficult, and always follows the same pattern. All in all the puzzles in "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" thus quite meager as they are limited to just the right simple-minded investigation of these murders. A more sophisticated education that requires more detective skills, incl. Deduction, similar to the Sherlock Holmes games have, the whole is still somewhat upgraded and given to the course of action even more depth. But mere placing of objects to clearly designated places and the right juxtaposition of fragments that reflect the sequence of the crime, is not such a big challenge. Only the portal puzzles in which a dilapidated house, bringing some variety to the puzzle design of the game. Here I would have liked some more puzzles this and other similar expressions.

As a second point of criticism I have to say the playing time that has fallen very short in my eyes something here. I would have liked a little longer lingers in the picturesque Red Creek Valley. After only 4 hours of mystical walk will unfortunately already be the end, so that the price of 19 euros but then something is already overpriced. 15 Euro I see here as an upper limit.

Nevertheless, I thank the developers for this wonderful atmospheric experience and hope that there will be more such games in the future. A star deduction there is as I said because of the lean puzzle design and the brevity of the game.