When comparing Mind: Path to Thalamus vs Ether One, the Slant community recommends Ether One for most people. In the question“What are the best Exploration games on Steam?” Ether One is ranked 18th while Mind: Path to Thalamus is ranked 30th. The most important reason people chose Ether One is:
The way the story is told matches it's overarching plot of dementia, so that the story is giving in pieces and not in order requiring the user to make the investment to piece it all together and come to their conclusion.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fantastic visuals
A surreal looking world that is a dream state of the main character stands out as the best aspect of the game. From the slight movement of the weather to the different structures make for a fantastic looking environment that never allows the player to know what is coming next.
Pro Fragmented story the player must figure out
The way the story is told matches it's overarching plot of dementia, so that the story is giving in pieces and not in order requiring the user to make the investment to piece it all together and come to their conclusion.
Pro Deeply layered
While there is little in the way of interaction, what is presented to the player is a deeply layered town with many areas to explore. It gives a sense of "realness" that makes for an experience much in the way art or music does, sometimes visceral sometimes eliciting past memories.
Cons
Con Poor story
The voicework of the game is survivable but the story it tells is quite ridiculous. A storm chaser who lost his sister to then become one himself who then lets his daughter of the same name as his sister also take part in the work. Not only is it obvious and contrived but it feels like some poor writing from a low quality cable show.
Con Side quests are relatively hidden from the player
For those that go into the game blind there is little in the way of explanation that there are side quests hidden in the game that relate to certain objs=ects as one explores. This means that many players will miss a large portion of the title.