The Astronauts is a new Warsaw-based studio comprised of former People Can Fly employees (the folk who brought us great shooters like Bulletstrom and Painkiller) who are finally ready to reveal their very first game: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an immersive horror title to be “played at night, alone, and in headphones.” It is inspired by macabre story of the early 20th century and follows a detective with the supernatural ability to visualize scenes of crimes as if he was actually there. The investigation in the center of the game’s story involves the kidnapping of a young boy (presumably named Ethan Carter), a beautiful mountain area and several mutilated bodies.

“What we care about the most is that the players feel like they’re really there. Immersion is our number one priority”, said the game’s designer, Adrian Chmielarz. “It’s a game about exploration and discovery. We’re not abandoning the gameplay – on the contrary: we’re trying to strip it down to the bone and make sure it’s always meaningful and truly makes the experience better.”

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is being developed on the latest version of the popular Unreal Engine 3, as well as “exciting new technology,” about which we’ll learn in the upcoming months.

The reveal came with a new in-engine teaser trailer, which you can see below. As of now the game is set for for release on PC in 2013 via digital distributors only.


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