If you haven't been paying attention to upcoming PC and PS4 game The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, now might be a good time to start.
Ethan Carter Shows Off At Gamescom
Polish developer and Ethan Carter creators The Astronauts released a 13-minute gameplay trailer for their exploration-based adventure game coming out Sept. 25. The trailer is narrated by designer Adrian Chmielarz and takes players through the process of supernaturally inclined detective Paul Prospero as he begins his investigation.
The demo starts out with a brief expositional introduction by Chmielarz: Prospero has received a mysterious note from a young boy named Ethan Carter, and he's now on the boy's trail. Along the way, Prospero begins to solve some peculiar murder mysteries. That's where the player comes in.
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The gameplay shown in the trailer revolves around exploration, and the developers have said that this theme drives the entire game. The play-at-your-own-pace feel is almost reminiscent of Kaitlin Greenbriar's journey in Gone Home. Players examine clues and piece together story elements using Prospero's detective instincts and unique powers. You'll have to watch some of the trailer to get an idea of what this means.
Though the game certainly features puzzle elements, The Astronauts has said that the environment and exploration are really the stars of the game. The game's pace depends entirely on the player, who can either drive through the story as a player with a purpose or take some time to explore the (quite frankly, stunningly rendered) valley before picking up his first clue. According to Chmielarz, the entire map is open to the player from the outset. They don't impose any limits on where the player can wander within the game.
The trailer goes on to become a 13-minute (surprisingly spoiler-free thanks to Chmielarz) look of what players can expect from The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. It would be difficult to refute that the game's environment is enticing, and for an exploration-based game, that's certainly a good sign.
