When I first heard about this game and its tagline of being a "narrative experience that does not hold your hand" I was intrigued, but also very skeptical. I don't like to put too much faith in any game regardless of how cool the concept seems, especially one made by a brand new studio as their very first production. After beating the game however I can safely say that I very much enjoyed this product and it mostly stays true to what it sells itself as. First off, as you can probably gather from watching the trailer, the graphics are absolutely stunning. Red Creek Valley truly feels like a living, breathing place from just the first few moments within it, which is somewhat odd sounding given that the game is almost completely devoid of any characters whatsoever. Although many are probably going to overlook it, I'd also like to say that the sound design and score of this game are incredible, and both are perfectly understated and punctuated in every necessary moment. The story is that of Paul Prospero, a detective with the ability to see the dead which he uses at length to solve crimes. A young fan of his, Ethan Carter, writes to him, asking Paul for help in the wake of a grisly murder, and Paul shows up to find Ethan missing (hence the title). The plot basically dissolves down into a series of puzzles ranging in complexity from extremely simple to mildly challenging. Ultimately the puzzles themselves are not what is so engaging as is what you discover by solving them. I found it to be a very unique and well done narrative but many may complain about the ending, which I understand even if I don't agree with. The voice acting is okay. Paul Prospero's actor does quite well as the aged, grizzled, detective, but the others, particularly Ethan Carter, are lackluster. They aren't groan-worthy at least. Ultimately, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a very good game, and I recommend it to anyone interested in a unique story set in a beautifully rendered world.
Let it be said first and foremost that I own this game for the Nintendo 3DS and did not purchase it through GOG, so I will not and cannot comment on the game as a PC title, but will however, talk about it as a game in general. Should you choose to purchase this game, I do recommend it for the 3DS for the 3D and the convienience, but if that is not an option then frankly any version will be just as good. This is a truly wonderful game in every regard. The levels are difficult, but not unfairly so. The music is fantastic, standing toe-to-toe with even the most classic NES titles. The world is pretty standard fare, but it's filled with unique and interesting bosses and NPC's that will keep you entertained and surprised throughout the entire game. The upgrade system is simple but effective, although I will say that by the end of the game I had too much money to really care about most of them. Also I'd like to make special note of the story. It's a very simple, straight-forward affair (save the girl from the tower) but the ways in which Shovel Knight circumvents these cliches and uses them to create plot twists is truly amazing, and I have to say that the final cut-scene was far, far more emotionally touching than I expected it to be. It's not a masterpiece of the ages, but it's a damn good game in every regard, and for fifteen dollars, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining way to spend six hours.
