Nintendo Switch owners are in for one heck of a treat as developer The Astronauts finally released a port for the horror adventure classic The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, now available as of today. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter first launched for PC back in September of 2014, followed by a version for the PlayStation 4 utilizing the Unreal Engine 4 in July 2015. A version for the Xbox One released in January of last year. Check out a trailer for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter below.
As narrative-driven horror adventures go, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a prime example of how storytelling in video games can work even under the pretense of a walking simulator. The game is mainly inspired by tales of the macabre and other oddities from the early twentieth century, with a deep focus on atmosphere and mood rather than a puzzle-driven experience.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter features Paul Prospero, a detective who specializes in the occult and the paranormal, who one day receives a very disturbing letter from a boy named Ethan Carter. Following the realization that the boy is in grave danger, Paul journeys to the Carter home in Red Creek Valley where he finds a scene of gruesome murder and Ethan nowhere to be found. The mysteries start to unravel as Paul realizes that this murder may not be the only one, and with his supernatural skill of communicating with the dead, he starts to pierce together the case. Also aiding him is his powers of observation, which will ultimately be needed to discover the mystery behind the trail of corpses and the roots of a dark ancient force lurking in the area, as well as the fate of Ethan himself.
“It’s always exciting to do something for the first time, so we can’t wait to hear from the players,” The Astronauts co-founder Adrian Chmielarz stated in a press release. “Switch is a completely different platform from the previous Nintendo consoles and it seems to get along well with The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Never before has touring Red Creek Valley under a blanket been so comfortable. And unsettling.”
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is now available on the Nintendo Switch, as well as the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
