• Home
    • About
      • Contact
      • Jobs
  • Reviews
    • 3DS
    • DS
    • PC
    • PS4
    • PS3
    • PSP
    • PS Vita
    • Xbox One
    • Xbox 360
    • Wii
    • Wii U
    • Switch
    • Video Reviews
    • Review Score Policy
  • PS4
    • PS3
  • Vita
    • PSP
  • Xbox One
    • XBOX 360
  • 3DS
    • DS
  • PC
  • Switch
    • Wii U
    • Wii
  • Apps
  • Board Games
  • Guides
  • E3 2019
  • Home
    • About
      • Contact
      • Jobs
  • Reviews
    • 3DS
    • DS
    • PC
    • PS4
    • PS3
    • PSP
    • PS Vita
    • Xbox One
    • Xbox 360
    • Wii
    • Wii U
    • Switch
    • Video Reviews
    • Review Score Policy
  • PS4
    • PS3
  • Vita
    • PSP
  • Xbox One
    • XBOX 360
  • 3DS
    • DS
  • PC
  • Switch
    • Wii U
    • Wii
  • Apps
  • Board Games
  • Guides
  • E3 2019
Home
PS4
(PS4) Reviews

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PS4) Review

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PS4) Review

Although released back in September of last year for PC, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has finally made its way onto the PlayStation 4. This updated console release adds Unreal Engine 4 support, giving this rendition of Ethan Carter a different feeling to the original PC release. Is it worth stepping back into Paul Prospero’s shoes for one last walk through Red Creek Valley, or is this one an aimless venture?

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter opens with the player assuming the role of one Paul Prospero, a private investigator that’s fond of the occult and supernatural who has been tasked with finding the titular Ethan Carter. While in his shoes which you won’t get to see, as there’s never an actual point where you get to see what the main character actually looks like, you’ll be taking a trip through Red Creek Valley to discover just what went down over those pas few crucial hours.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150714234241

Red Creek Valley is an amazing visual tour-de-force. You could stop at any point of exploring the valley and come across a spectacle worthy of becoming one of those motivational poster. If I were to create a poster based on what I had seen and experienced in Ethan Carter, it would probably be one word: perseverance. Even without a clear distinction about what happened to the missing Ethan Carter, the main character never gives up in his search, even amidst the serene beauty that hides something more ominous just out of sight.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150714234600

Second to the visual spectacle of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is the soundtrack, composed by Mikolai Stroinski. The soundtrack varies from calming ambient sounds and natural instruments to more gothic chants and tones not unlike those you’d hear backing a horror movie. Even as I pen this review, I have the soundtrack going on, long after I’ve finished the title simply because it’s such a great soundtrack to lose yourself and study or work to. Ethan’s theme is a somber piano tune that sets up the tone for the rest of the game.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150716132409

If you were to break down The Vanishing of Ethan Carter into the most basic of gameplay tenets, the bulk of the game is spent exploring the beautiful wilderness of Red Creek Valley in a fairly non-linear fashion. The numerous events and ‘side quests’ that dot the landscape are mostly optional and could easily be overlooked without a keen eye. By the time I saw the story to its conclusion, there were three unique stories that I had missed without having a watchful eye, including one that involved chasing an astronaut through the woods, something that would certainly be amiss in any other story.

When you come across a scene that proves to be something of interest, say a pool of blood and trails leading away from a set of train tracks, it’s time to put Mr. Prospero’s detective skills to the test. Points of interest have to be deduced and uncovered before the player can proceed. After discovering just all that transpired, next is to deduce how the events took place in a chronological order. Discovering the logical progression with advance bits of character dialogue and actions, so there is instant feedback where the scene abruptly ends if you choose the order incorrectly.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150716113845

What makes Ethan Carter’s story so charming and memorable is how non-linear the story is presented. Throughout normal exploration, very little of the story is fleshed out. Instead, it’s through the clever use of discarded notes or newspaper clippings that help to fill out some of the occult story. With events taking place out of chronological order throughout much of the story, it’s up to the player to decide upon just how Ethan disappeared and what happened in the times that followed.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150716130546

All is not as it seems in Red Creek Valley, as its evident quite early on in the story about some supernatural forces at work. An unknown force known as The Sleeper seems to have its grasps upon the residents of Red Creek Valley, driving them to madness at the complete loss of sanity. References to various occult groups and even the famous works of HP Lovecraft are easily seen in the influence for the story behind The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Even when I had thought that I had the gist of the story figured out, often a twist popped up out of nowhere that made me rethink my approach.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter_20150716120907

Where Ethan Carter falls short is ultimately with its length. Just as I was getting into the thick of the story and finally uncovering just what happened to the young Ethan Carter, the story hastily moved towards its conclusion. My trek through Red Creek Valley barely breached the five hour mark, even with looking to uncover the other puzzles that I had missed during my first round of exploration.

Overall, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a phenomenal detective story that will keep the player guessing. Even without the unique approach to storytelling and the search for the young Ethan Carter, walking through Red River Valley is an experience unlike anything else on the PlayStation 4.

  • Tags
  • Lovecraft
  • occult
  • PC
  • PS4
  • review
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
  • walking simulator

Previous article This Week's New Releases 7/26 - 8/1; Angry Birds 2, Lost Dimensions, King's Quest
Next article Dying Light's first expansion announced
Kai Powell

Kai Powell

FGC supporter, RPG grinder, FPS face-clicker. I'm always willing to jump into unfamiliar territory or help out a gamer in need. Feel free to come find me on PSN (DarkParodius) or XBL (SomeGuyNamedKai).

Latest Reviews
Aukey KM-G14 Tenkeyless Keyboard Review

Aukey KM-G14 Tenkeyless Keyboard Review

Movo VSM-7 Review

Movo VSM-7 Review

Movo UM700 Review

Movo UM700 Review

EPOS GSX 300 Review

EPOS GSX 300 Review

Aukey Basix Pro PB-WL03 Review

Aukey Basix Pro PB-WL03 Review

Latest News
Jan 19th 10:47 PM
PS4

New FIFA 21 Update Patch Now Available For Consoles

Jan 19th 6:45 PM
PS4

Fallen Legion Revenants demo now live for PS4 and Switch

Jan 19th 1:36 PM
Xbox Series

Xbox Game Pass adds The Yakuza Remastered Collection, The Medium, and more by the end of January

Jan 19th 9:56 AM
Switch

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning coming to Switch

Jan 19th 2:04 AM
PS4

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Gets Anniversary Update

Jan 18th 11:42 PM
PS5

Hitman 3 launch trailer released

Jan 16th 2:25 AM
PS4

Tennis World Tour 2 1.06 Patch Notes Arrive

Jan 15th 11:01 AM
Switch

Hitman 3 – Cloud Version launches January 20

Jan 15th 8:11 AM
PC

Nioh 2 – Complete Edition ‘PC Features’ trailer released

Jan 15th 5:55 AM
Reviews

Aukey KM-G14 Tenkeyless Keyboard Review

Find Us On: