After shaking off the nostalgia for the original game I can safely say that this is the better version. Not a lot has changed, but the few things that have are enough to even out some of the rough edges of the original. List of positive changes: + The graphics have received a healthy makeover, most textures are now displayed in a much higher resolution, some effects have been altered and the lighting was subtly enhanced + You can now choose between three difficulty modes, the hardest of which is only slightly tougher than the original + Shops have been added where you can now buy the formerly free combos in addition to other abilities and collector's items + "Challenges arenas" have been introduced in all of the levels where you have to defeat three waves of romans each before a set timer runs out - this is a fun and at times truly challenging addition to the game + The postcards are now scattered around the map + Magic potions during battles have become more scarce + There is now a difference between health points and shields + You can switch between the protagonists' comic book design and their redesign for XXL/XXL2 + A lot of other small things have been streamlined, some levels have been slightly changed, most notably the boss fights which are now a lot more challenging List of neutral changes: : The x6 and x10 helmet multiplicators have been removed from the game entirely, the x3 multiplicators can only be received during fights, meaning you will not try to collect them while exploring anymore : Diamond helmets do not alter your helmet counter anymore, helmet count overall has been significantly rebalanced : No new content has been added List of negative changes: - The cutscenes have not been remastered - The menu and some of the UI looks uninspired - The collectable figurines are not animated anymore - Why does this 15 year old game have to cost 30€?
The premise is simple. Find Ethan Carter, a boy who has vanished somewhere in an abandoned mining outpost called Red Creek Valley. As you explore the small settlement, the woods and mountains surrounding it, you will immediately find that nothing about this case seems right. You will encounter strange and supernatural occurences, echoes from the past telling of a bloody hysteria ensuing among the locals, the lines between past and present, here and there, dissolving. It's a modern adventure game. Most puzzles aren't challenging but the game doesn't play itself either. Like with many so-called walking simulators, which Ethan Carter is decidedly one of the better of, the biggest challenge you are faced with is putting together the pieces of the overarching narrative in your mind. The game does not take you by the hand though (It even tells you this very clearly). If you want to entangle the mysteries that bind Ethan Carter to this place you have to pay attention to the details and stray from the beaten path. You won't be given a truckload of exposure at any point either. Some questions remain ambiguously unanswered til the very end. Both sound and graphics are among the best you will ever see in a videogame. Stunning visuals and soothing melodies (written by Witcher composer Mikolai Stroinski) draw us into the lovecraftian world of Red Creek Valley, realistic sound design and well-written dialogue make us stay there. A lot of the assets are at their core scanned copies of real world objects or buildings, artistically retouched to create this pinnacle of surrealism. If any of this sounds appealing to you, you should not wait any longer. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, at a playtime of around 5 hours, is short but worth its money and a perfect first game for the Astronauts. The Sleeper must not wake!
