First Screenshots From The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Revealed

The Astronauts have revealed the first in-game screenshots from The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. All four shots are from the opening minutes of the game, and represent actual gameplay as there will not be any cutscenes.

According to an official plot summary, “In The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, you play as Paul Prospero, an occult detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter and realizes that the boy is in grave danger. When Paul arrives in Ethan’s home of Red Creek Valley, he realizes things are even worse than he imagined. Ethan has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder, which Paul comes to see might not be the only murder to investigate. Using both regular and supernatural detective skills, Paul must figure out what happened to the missing boy.”

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will be a first-person game in which players “explore and interact with the environment in order to discover the truth.” As described by The Astronauts, “Paul has a supernatural gift that allows him to visualize the final moments of anyone who’s been murdered. The more clues you discover, the clearer and longer Paul’s vision. Exactly how much you are able to discern from a corpse is entirely up to you. You might discover the motivation of the murderer, or find a hint of where to go next – or both.”

The story in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is described as “’weird horror,’ meaning our focus is on atmosphere, mood, and the essential humanity of our characters. With its mixture of a beautiful world with the haunting and macabre, this story is for adult players.” Similar to recent games like Gone Home, Ethan Carter will feature no combat, as the team wants “gamers to experience the story of Paul and Ethan at their own pace, and without the need for sedatives. It’s less about pure terror and more about clammy unease.”

The Astronauts is made up of eight people, including former developers from People Can Fly, creators of Painkiller and Bulletstorm. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter was first revealed back in February and is currently in development for PC, but the team is “we’re hoping to eventually bring it to next-gen platforms.” No release date has been announced, but when it will come is “a question of months, however, not years.” More information on the story can be gleaned from the prequel comic The Astronauts released earlier this year.

Look out for more on The Vanishing of Ethan Carter on IGN in the months to come.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

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