As a seasoned horror game enthusiast with a soft spot for nail-biting suspense and a history of surviving countless encounters with terrifying creatures, I must say that A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead left me with a mix of emotions. On one hand, the visuals are undeniably stunning, with character models, environments, lighting, and shadows that would make any artist proud. However, on the other hand, the inconsistency in the creature’s behavior often left me scratching my head more than cowering behind a barrel.
It’s a bit astonishing how long it took for a video game based on the successful movie “A Quiet Place” to materialize, considering its success. Although the idea of evading sound-sensitive monsters isn’t entirely novel, Stormind Games aimed to capture the essence of John Krasinski’s groundbreaking franchise. While they largely achieved their goal, “A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead” stumbles in numerous other confusing aspects, almost squandering its potential.
100 days post the arrival of the mysterious extraterrestrials, the narrative revolves around Alex Taylor. She’s making do and gathering resources, much like other survivors of mankind, all while fiddling with a gadget to monitor sound frequencies. Characters besides Alex include Martin, her companion; Lara, Martin’s mother; Kenneth, Alex’s father; and Mark, who serves no significant purpose in the storyline.
The story has two main threads – the current situation and the past – which are briefly shown in two flashbacks. Unfortunately, these threads don’t delve deeply into the characters, but they do provide some useful information about hook ladders and shotguns.
Lara has strong feelings of disapproval towards Alex due to her actions on the first day of the invasion, which leads her to take a stance against Alex (though this isn’t always clearly shown in the writing). Despite the intriguing nature of these personal disputes during the early stages, they are largely ignored in the latter part of the game. However, they do become significant once again when we reach the climax, though its resolution is somewhat predictable.
In simple terms, the first movie has a clear plot, and one of its strong points is the relationships between the characters. Although the voice acting is good throughout, The Road Ahead doesn’t have many opportunities for interaction due to its brief running time. While Alex will engage in quiet discussions at times, her journal plays a significant role in revealing her character growth when she is out exploring.
Interestingly, it’s in the assorted notes and letters scattered around where we find the most captivating tales. From the tales of the pump station workers to the heart-wrenching story of a girl writing poetry as she battles an illness, these narratives seemed more genuine and engaging than much of what was presented in “The Road Ahead.” The narrative is divided into two main timelines – the current situation and the past – with the latter being briefly revisited in just two flashbacks. Unfortunately, these segments don’t develop the characters as much as they could have, but they do provide useful insights about hook ladders and firearms. It’s surprising how significant both of these elements turn out to be later on in the story.
In the game, those are just the initial elements of the intricate mechanics involved in playing it. It’s an immersive first-person experience that emphasizes movement, problem-solving, and sound management. To put it another way, since you need to move stealthily through most settings, it involves moving as quietly as you can, opening doors gently, creeping along surfaces, and avoiding various cans and containers strewn about.
“Though you have plenty of opportunities to walk on plain surfaces or sand, other surfaces generate more noise. If you push things too far, then a creature will arrive and kill you.”
It’s great that you have a noise-measuring device, which gauges the background noise and Alex’s noise level. I must admit, I still can’t fathom how she managed to assemble this gadget so seamlessly, while other tools, such as the flashlight, tend to malfunction after some use. Nevertheless, you can only hold one of these devices at a time in your left hand, and neither can be used when carrying items. Your right hand is reserved for administering inhaler doses, handling flares, and using throwables instead.
Indeed, as you’ve understood – yes, inhalers. Alex suffers from asthma, which can be triggered in numerous ways. From stepping into a dusty warehouse (she never seems to sneeze), lifting an empty box, navigating over hurdles, and even approaching creatures, even when they’re not initially visible – it’s quite surprising. However, the mystery deepens when she enters a room filled with dust and creatures, as this situation seems to significantly increase her asthma triggers.
When Alex’s vision turns red, she experiences darkness and the potential to cough, but a quick-time event can help suppress it. What’s funny is that each inhaler has just one use or they seem to appear everywhere. Regardless if this is a game, my ability to suspend disbelief has its limits.
Alex’s objective throughout his adventure is to make it to the National Guard. Typically, each segment focuses on a primary function, such as laying down and removing planks for crossing chasms, employing a multipurpose tool to disable sound alarms, scattering sand to disguise footprints (which seems more cinematic than practical), and hurling items to divert monsters. You can traverse smooth terrain or sand most of the time, but other surfaces produce noise. If you overstep boundaries, a monster will appear and eliminate you. Certain regions have elevated background noise, enabling faster movement or lenient behavior.
Despite my annoyance with its two-sided character, I acknowledge the need for silence during routine investigations when the guidelines are steady. However, it’s a bit tricky because a gentle step could often be allowed, but step on a hidden twig while walking over grass, and you might as well be doomed instantly.
In a nutshell, “A Quiet Place” offers a more leisurely experience, but “The Road Ahead” pushes this concept to its limits. Initially, I found the atmosphere intriguing; however, as every action isn’t necessarily about minimizing noise, the core gameplay loop can become tiresome. Most areas are designed linearly – yellow paint is used extensively, even on the first day, to show where a crate should be placed. But there’s also red paint to mark items that will create noise, such as cans or movable barrels. It’s worth noting that objects that won’t make noise if you touch them aren’t painted red.
In a game like Alien: Isolation, it’s reasonable to expect the creatures to add excitement and unpredictability to the gameplay. While they do create suspenseful instances, such as moving cautiously when one is nearby or being careful not to make too much noise, you don’t find yourself consistently hunted by them throughout the game.
In two situations, they become apparent: either when they’re noticeable or when they’re triggered by faint sounds nearby, although in this case, you may hear them without seeing them. Often, their presence is a consequence of excessive noise. When detected, Alex will freeze in place until the creature appears from some hidden spot to attack her suddenly, like an unexpected RKO maneuver.
As a fan, I find myself perplexed by its binary ruleset, yet I can still acknowledge the necessity of quiet during explorations if the regulations were uniform. Tiptoeing is generally acceptable, but stepping on a hidden twig while traversing a grassy landscape can be lethal? It’s quite odd and becomes even more peculiar when observing how the creature reacts. In such instances, Alex, due to her asthma struggles, might cough slightly, yet it remains unfazed.
Given that these beings possess echolocation abilities since the beginning, what prompted them to withhold its usage for such an extended period across numerous chapters?
The AI seems overly predictable in certain scenes. For instance, when you’re cautiously moving away from the monster into shallow water, it persistently guards that narrow passageway until you find a way to bypass it. Once you do, it modifies its path, only circling the immediate area. Minor sounds, such as splashes, catch its attention, but it charges swiftly towards the sound from an object thrown far away. At one instance, the monster dashed straight towards where I was adjusting a valve and quickly moved off, regardless of any minimal noise produced.
Beyond these instances, certain scenes show Alex seemingly tripping or generating a great deal of ruckus, causing the creatures to be on high alert. Interestingly, despite these circumstances, she manages to respond appropriately and evade them, or in one scene, dart into the pump station (with the creatures not forcing their way through walls to chase her). While I acknowledge that movies sometimes have plot inconsistencies, these instances disrupt the suspension of disbelief, and the lack of consistency only amplifies this issue.
In the second part, the game’s tempo becomes uneven as the characters make use of their echolocation or vibrations. This additional element of suspense makes navigating noisy environments more challenging, as players are advised not to move (although rotating is allowed, strangely enough). However, this feature tends to slow the pace even more, particularly when the creatures repeatedly use it excessively, creating a frustrating version of “Red Light, Green Light” that I’ve rarely encountered in my gaming experience.
As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but ponder this: If these characters possessed echolocation abilities throughout, why was it only utilized much later in the story? It feels as though the game designer intentionally made the latter stages less challenging, perhaps due to the abundant ambient noise or shorter durations. This could be their way of extending the difficulty level even more.
Isolation” or “Amnesia: The Bunker,” it might be wise to look for it on sale.
One comforting aspect is the high-quality visuals. The Performance Mode on PS5 operates at 1440p/60 frames per second, albeit with some minor pixelation in distant details, it’s consistently smooth. Character models, settings, lighting, and shadows are all intricately designed. Although creatures may appear inconsistent at times, the premonition of their entry on-screen through shadows is quite thrilling.
Though the sound effects are generally well-executed, I eventually found the repetitive bass drops, which played every time a creature broke through a wall, landed on a roof, or when it was revealed that a thrown object wasn’t a new victim, to be grating. These frequent attempts at startling moments felt excessive and tiresome.
Isolation” or “Amnesia: The Bunker“, it might be worth considering as a less expensive option. However, playing this game may only serve to enhance your admiration for those titles.
This game was reviewed on PS5.
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2024-10-22 17:41