I picked up this game on the Steam sale and noticed that it comes with the original game and a "redux". My question is pretty simple. Is the Unreal Redux actually a better looking version or is it one of the increasingly common group of games which are actually slightly worse off in one way or another than the original? It seems like the lighting is different as is the water but I can't really judge from screenshots since they are so compressed so I come for opinions!

I only played Redux, but to my knowledge it is simply a graphical overhaul of the original game with a new engine. I say play that version.

Yeah, the Redux is the same game made in Unreal 4. The original was Unreal 3.

In my opinion, play Redux.

The Redux version does have a few non-graphical improvements (points 3 and 4 below are somewhat vague to avoid late-game spoilers) :

http://www.theastronauts.com/2015/09/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter-redux-out-now/

What new features does the Redux offer?

1. A new save system. The UE3 version saved only entire solved areas. This was not the worst solution imaginable for this particular game but it was confusing. Now the game simply saves the state of the whole world right after most player actions, so you can exit the game at any time and when you come back the world will be restored as expected.

2. Invisible or barely visible streaming of new areas. You can run from one corner of Red Creek Valley to another nearly without a hitch. In the UE3 version, the streaming could freeze the game for a second or so, depending on the PC.

However, this comes at a cost. UE3 version is quite low-end PC friendly, and does not have demanding hardware requirements. UE4 version requires a 64-bit Windows and minimum 6 GB of RAM. If that’s not what your system has, we recommend playing the UE3 version. Again, story is exactly the same in both versions.

3. No more backtracking. Some PC players complained about the need for backtracking at the end of the game. It’s not always the case, but it’s hard to explain why without spoiling the game. Let’s just say that we believe the problem was fully eliminated in the Redux version.

4. Some PC players found a section of the game too scary and/or too exhausting. We have tweaked a few things to make sure that it flows better – without compromising the original vision.

Thanks everyone, looks like Redux it is!