YMMV / The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Given that the entirety of the game is a Dying Dream, its unclear how much of Ethan's version of them is an accurate depiction and how much is built up resentment and anger in his dying moments.
• Awesome Music: As a double visual and audio-porn knockout it goes head-to-head with industry heavy-weighters like The Elder Scrolls; highlights include Valley of the Blinding Mist, The Alchemist, Forgetful Forest and Ethan's Theme.
• Heartwarming Moments: Prospero letting Ethan know that, despite his family's disapproval in his imagination, his creativity is what brought his own hero to life. Essentially, it's the creation expressing gratitude to his creator and (assuming Ethan does die in the fire) repaying him by comforting the poor boy in his last moments before moving on to the afterlife.
• Tear Jerker: At the end of the game, beside discovering the truth and the circumstances of Ethan's death, you can see his uncle Chad outside the burning house, devastated. His and Travis's mean treatment of Ethan has indirectly caused the kid's death (Missy accidentally dropped the lantern while telling them to stop teasing Ethan). The man's going to feel the guilt for the rest of his life.
• That One Level: The maze at the bottom of the mines is the most complained-about location in the game. You have to seek out five corpses scattered around the tunnels and acquire symbols from them, which are then used to open a mysterious gate. While doing this, you are being hunted by the lone enemy in the game, a Humanoid Abomination capable of sending you back to the start in an instant. It's also visually uninteresting and easy to miss, compounding the issue.

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