The short:

Artfully crafted, often whimsical, and thought provoking, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a great example of game as a narrative, visual, and audio storytelling artform. The game is short, but is definately worth picking up. There are a few small hiccups (occasionally it can be difficult to figure out how to progress the story) and a bit of a pacing issue in the mine, but otherwise this game is gem.

9/10

The long:

As others have said, this is a short game. 5 to 6 hours for most folks if you don't reference a guide. The closest thing that comes to mind to this title is the wonderfully artful Dear Esther, though this has more interactivity.

The texture work is EXCELLENT and greatly added to the immersiveness of the fairly closed world you have access to. The game is great looking, in other words.

The pacing is relaxed and at your own leisure except for part of the mine, which some folks complain about. Though not hard, the pacing of a portion of it is... very different / somewhat jarring and may detract from the experience for some. One or two other occasions had me not sure how to progress, but generally I could figure out what to do next.

This is a more accessable example of "a game as an artform." If you like games, art, or prefer your games at your own pace and NOT running around pointing a gun at everything, this is worth catching on sale.

The short: Artfully crafted, often whimsical, and thought provoking, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a great example of game as a narrative, visual, and audio storytelling artform. The game is short, but is definately worth picking up. There are a few small hiccups (occasionally it can be difficult to figure out how to progress the story) and a bit of a pacing issue in the mine, but otherwise this game is gem. 9/10 The long: As others have said, this is a short game. 5 to 6 hours for most folks if you don't reference a guide. The closest thing that comes to mind to this title is the wonderfully artful Dear Esther, though this has more interactivity. The texture work is EXCELLENT and greatly added to the immersiveness of the fairly closed world you have access to. The game is great looking, in other words. The pacing is relaxed and at your own leisure except for part of the mine, which some folks complain about. Though not hard, the pacing of a portion of it is... very different / somewhat jarring and may detract from the experience for some. One or two other occasions had me not sure how to progress, but generally I could figure out what to do next. This is a more accessable example of "a game as an artform." If you like games, art, or prefer your games at your own pace and NOT running around pointing a gun at everything, this is worth catching on sale.