The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR - Buyer's Guide

Explore The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR, a narrative-driven mystery game with beautiful visuals and immersive sound design. Worth playing for fans of the genre, but with caveats.
Fan-art of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR

Dive into the enchanting universe of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter in a whole new way with Virtual Reality, compatible with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The game offers two modes of play - Normal Mode for complete freedom of movement, and Comfort Mode for those prone to discomfort or new to the VR experience. Note: Ensure to enable ‘Unknown Sources’ in the Oculus settings! This first-person, narrative-driven mystery game puts you in the shoes of Paul Prospero, a private detective with an inclination towards the occult. Prospero interacts with the dead to unravel the mystery of a missing child and the sinister ancient force lurking in Red Creek Valley.

Should I play The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR in 2024?

The good

  • Immersive Graphics: The game retains its stunning visuals, making the VR experience breathtakingly beautiful and atmospheric.
  • Engaging Story: The captivating narrative remains intact, engaging players as much in VR as it does in the desktop version.
  • Atmospheric VR Experience: The game’s environment feels even more immersive in VR, enhancing the overall gameplay.
  • Affordability: The VR version is a reasonably priced add-on for those who already own the base game.

The bad

  • Locomotion Issues: The movement system, especially the turning mechanism, is highly disorienting and can lead to motion sickness.
  • Interaction Problems: Interacting with objects can be frustrating due to the finicky detection system.
  • Locked Comfort Modes: Players cannot switch between comfort modes during gameplay, which can be limiting.
  • Vive Compatibility: The game feels like it was an afterthought for Vive users, with several controls not optimized for this device.
  • Performance: Some users reported long load times and lower resolutions, affecting the gameplay experience.

Verdict

Should you still buy or play The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR in 2024? Let’s break it down:

If you’re a die-hard fan of the original game and are looking to immerse yourself in its beautiful world from a whole new perspective, the VR version could be a fascinating experience despite its flaws. However, brace yourself for some potential discomfort and frustration with the locomotion and interaction systems. If you have a strong stomach and the patience to deal with occasional bouts of motion sickness, this might just be worth your ten doll-hairs. 🎮🕶️

Ultimately, if you’re sensitive to VR motion sickness or looking for a polished VR experience, this might not be the best choice. Perhaps waiting for an updated version or patches to improve these issues would be wiser. 🌟

Remember, even the most beautiful rides can be dizzying if the wheels are a bit wobbly! 🚀🌀



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In-game Screenshot

Screenshot of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter VR

Top image is not real in-game screenshots. Fan-art made by Gamer.se. Some game metadata is coming from RAWG