The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Astronauts, a studio founded by Bulletstorm creative director Adrian Chmielarz and some fellow former People Can Fly employees, have announced their first project - The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

"Inspired by the weird fiction stories and other tales of macabre of the early 20th century, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a game to be played at night, alone, and in headphones. With The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Astronauts - a team comprised of People Can Fly (Bulletstorm, Painkiller) veterans - aim to evolve immersive storytelling in games. It's set for release on PC via digital distributors in 2013."

The press release is very light on gameplay details, but the player will assume the role of a detective with supernatural powers whose attempts to save a young kidnapped boy takes him to an area ruled by some ancient force.

"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."