The Epic Games Store’s latest holiday freebie is The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, a first-person mystery title developed by The Astronauts.
Originally released in September 2014 for Windows, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter was later updated from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 4 as part of a remastered effort called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux, which was released as a free update for previous owners of the game. Epic Games Store users have until tomorrow (12/20/21) at 11:00 a.m. (EST) to get the game for free.
“You play the game as Paul Prospero, an occult-minded detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter,” reads the game description. “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.”
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is normally sold for $19.99. Its developer, The Astronauts, is currently working on a new project called Witchfire, a skill-based first-person shooter.
Source: Epic Games Store