The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

I first played the game by myself and I thought it was ok, but super short. Then I got a group of my friends together and we played it and we had a great time. Playing with friends you can either see them fail or have a great time yelling at each other to press buttons faster and make different choices. After Until Dawn it's definitely a let down but I don't mind that this is becoming an anthology series.

Five friends set sail on a holiday diving trip with a rumoured WWII wreck to find. As the day unfolds and a storm rolls in, their trip soon changes into something much more sinister. Who will live? Who will die? It's down to you. Can you save them all?

Man of Medan kicks off The Dark Pictures Anthology elegantly and subtly chilling with a solid, entertaining horror experience from Supermassive Games. Whilst the game isn't as emotionally impactful as Until Dawn, and the characters not nearly as interesting and fleshed-out the game makes up for with gripping, beautiful, and giddily silly horror. Technical issues, a rushed story, and a confusing approach to player choices halt the game from reaching the same levels as Until Dawn. Overall, Man of Medan is a fun, entertaining horror experience but I'm hoping Supermassive Games can scare up something a little more substantial for future The Dark Pictures titles.

'The Dark Pictures: Man Of Medan (2019)' is the first of eight (planned) games in an anthology series from the makers of 'Until Dawn (2015)', followed by 'Little Hope (2020)' and the upcoming 'House Of Ashes (2021)'. It's a narrative-driven adventure game in which you take control of five characters and, in turn, try to help them survive the events they're forced into. It's a choice-based experience that mostly consists of dialogue options, quick-time events and split-second decisions. There are segments in which you walk around the environment in a more traditional manner, finding secrets to flesh out the story, but most of the thing is like an interactive cut-scene. That's not a bad thing, though; it's the style of the game. Though it's sometimes a bit clunky (both narratively and mechanically), it's ultimately an atmospheric and engaging experience. The piece nails its realist aesthetic, with nuanced animation bringing to life the motion-capture performances that drive each character. The game's choices feel like they have impact, even if some are inevitably red herrings, and the action/ suspense sequences get you on the edge of your seat. The ending is a bit of a let-down, primarily because it feels a bit rushed and underwhelming (there's no major climax, really). Plus, some of the characters' reactions to certain events - including deaths - are unbelievably subdued. Having said that, the game is enjoyable pretty much all the way through. It allows you to uncover its mystery, which is satisfying; however, the characters never confirm their own theories, which is unsatisfying. As you can see, the piece is a bit of a mixed bag, but it's entertaining and that's the most important thing. It also features an apparently fantastic co-op mode that I haven't had a chance to play myself. In the end, it's a solid narrative adventure. 7/10.

While it is not clear from one playthrough, the plot uses the gameplay to involve the player in the story and its consequences in a remarkable way. I found it moderately enjoyable the first time through the story, and found it to be much better than I initially thought after seeing clearly how the pieces fit together.

The game is good don't get me wrong, but it isn't like Until Dawn. In Until Dawn you became very attached to the characters, which is something Supermassive missed the mark on here. The story of Until Dawn also felt longer and developed characters more. Personally I think using more established actors would have helped make people more involved with characters. Part of what made Until Dawn feel amazing was you had NO IDEA what was going on, while Man of Medan feels a bit too straight forward. The nice thing about Until Dawn was that it was drawn out for suspense, while Man doesn't have as much. Another problem was that Man felt really confined and direct , oppose to the dark and long forest trails in Until Dawn which could harbour collectibles in any corner. On the positive note the graphics were cleaner especially on PC and the multiplayer movie function was a great idea (albeit needs a little tweaking). In the end the game is good and fun to play, but don't expect any GOYT edition. In the future Supermassive needs to work on character development, a more open feeling environment, and return to the horror movie cliches that we all know and love.