The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

This visually stunning mystery adventure game won a BAFTA award for its innovation in the genre. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter moves away from the obsession with photorealistic graphics and focuses on a stylized and beautiful version of life. Following detective Paul Prospero, you explore the valley of Red Creek as you search for a missing boy in the wake of several brutal murders. So far, interesting, but not innovative. That comes in the way The Astronauts tell the story. Rather than focusing on dialogue and combat to drive the story, the developers let the player put the pieces together. Throughout the world, clues are littered in objects that Paul can pull images from, ordering them chronologically before playing out a complete memory. The puzzle element brings a satisfying complexity to the game. You must work to progress the story, and that makes it all the more interesting. You'll find yourself glued to every story element, every sparse line of dialogue Paul utters, and longing for more when the short experience is over.