Inspiration – The Vanishing of Ethan Carter | Research

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You play the game as Paul Prospero, an occult-minded detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter. Realizing the boy is in grave danger, Paul arrives at Ethan’s home of Red Creek Valley, where things turn out to be even worse than he imagined. Ethan has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder, which Paul quickly discerns might not be the only local murder worth looking into.

Inspired by the weird fiction (and other tales of the macabre) from the early twentieth century, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter aims to significantly evolve immersive storytelling in games. While it features a private detective and quite a few mental challenges, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is not an especially puzzle-ridden game. Our focus is on atmosphere, mood, and the essential humanity of our characters.

Still, the discoveries won’t happen on their own, or without your help. Using both Paul’s supernatural skill of being able to communicate with the dead, and your own powers of observation, you will discover the mystery behind a trail of corpses, the roots of a dark ancient force lurking in Red Creek Valley, and the fate of a missing boy.

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The reason I find this game worth discussing before tackling my project is due to the nature of its design. Through out the gameplay, you encounter different scenarios that include man made objects that have been engulfed and altered by natural effects of time, one particular scene that springs to mind is when you explore and investigate an abandoned train. The contrast of a large man made machine against a more neutral background not only offers some juxtaposition, but it helps with the art style of this game. As the main type of design is realism, having two different types of materials against one another emphasises the textures, and make it seem more convincing. The fact the train is not pristine allows room for creativity, and room for imperfections that make the scene more realistic as a whole.
Here are other examples of the merge between nature and man made products in this game:
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Sources:

– The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. (2018). The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – Official Website. [online] Available at: http://ethancartergame.com/#ECabout [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].

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