Developer: Stormind Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviwed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X |S
Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror
Publisher: Saber Interactive
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a horror adventure game. The game was developed by Stormind Games and published by Saber Interactive. This game is similar to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Life is Strange and many more. This review was done for Windows, but the game is also available on Xbox Series and PlayStation 4/5.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a single-player game that takes inspiration from the blockbuster movie franchise A Quiet Place. You play Alex, a young woman who is trying to survive in a world that has been invaded by deadly creatures highly sensitive to sound. Trying your best to survive in this apocalyptic world, you try to manage around locations, making zero to little noise unless you wish to meet your doom. The game tries to capture the eeriness that can be seen in thrilling movies.
The controls for the game are very straightforward when playing on the PC. You pretty much use your keyboard and mouse.
The controls for abilities or items are easily accessible. I quite liked how the tutorial and tips worked for this game. You slowly uncover mechanics as you progress through the story, and nothing beats the stealth mechanic the game has to offer. Through such chaotic environments, you are easily able to see interactable symbols and move with ease. Additionally, the hint option is great for guiding players to what needs to be done next without giving away too much, as the premise of the game is to thoroughly explore.
The game offers three modes that can be great for both inexperienced players and ones who enjoy a challenge. Easy Mode: more resources, creatures are less perceived to noise, focus ability to sense creatures position. Normal Mode: resources present in a decent amount, noises are perceived by creatures, focus ability disabled; Hard Mode: resources scare (do not waste), creatures are merciless, focused disabled.
The visuals of the game are so crisp and clear. Graphics by far are 10/10 in this game even; through several cutscenes, you can see the clarity in character/creature designs that are spot on. The only thing that was a bit off-putting at times was some lip movements were not synced with the voice-overs, but this did not take away from the experience much. The game does a wonderful job of creating detailed locations and areas with the effect of lighting, weather and sound. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead has a good balance between its gore elements but focuses on making the player feel trapped in an almost secluded world. Additionally, what flows so nicely with the visuals is the story and the acting that is seen between the characters. Though players themselves get to miss out on building actual relations with characters, they get decent glimpses of the bond they have with certain characters that work so nicely.
By far, the most captivating part about this game is the sound design because the whole concept is to stay silent after all. Personally, the music was good in terms of it was not overused in parts that did not need background music. For instance, the beginning of the game mainly relied on background sounds/noises to create the environment rather than playing subtle music. The Death Angels (the creature in this game) sounded so accurate to how you would hear them in the movie, which was astounding. Even getting close to one of the Death Angels and hearing the thumping heartbeat of Alex’s asthma flare-up made such a difference in making players feel extremely tense. The voice acting is done really well, which is suitable for each character. Everything about the game is done so well when capturing many details. The experience of the game is best played with headphones on.
There are several elements to the game that make it worthwhile. The first is the story, aspect, and how much lore goes beyond each setting Alex travels to. Besides the main cutscenes, players can delve into other hidden areas to find notes, drawings, and letters that talk more about what’s happening in the world. I think one of my favourite features was the Journal Alex possesses. The journal is most probably the handiest tool that will help you on this adventure. It highlights the key things that need to be done with silly illustrations that give the game some lightheartedness. What I did not like so much was that the story did not allow you to fully explore beyond it. For instance, when leaving the first building in the game, I wanted to go back to collect the missing notes, but it would not allow me to revisit my steps and would bring me back to continue the story. This just means that everything needs to be done before fully progressing through the story; otherwise, there is no turning back.
Another aspect of the game that was very fun was the development of Alex’s asthma. This made the game extremely excruciating at times where if you did not have enough inhalers, then Alex would go into an attack. I remember one of the scenes where her asthma had flared up so much and made me extremely cautious when escaping the hospital. Near the end of the escape, you get blocked off by the Death Angel, and as Alex has to slowly manoeuvre her way out, she gets really close to the Death Angel. In their ear, you can hear her heartbeat start to rise, and her breathing becomes shorter and shorter, almost leading up to an attack. Even trying to take an inhaler can be so excruciating because the puff noise can trigger the creature. Now, I had played the game in normal mode, and I found that the supply items were scattered around quite evenly, not making them too little or too much. Some people may complain that it may be an extensive amount of items supplied because you could pretty much use an inhaler without the worry of not finding more. After all, it is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and you would assume resources are limited.
Noise was the epitome of this game, as everything you needed to do had to be done cautiously. I found myself pacing my steps even in areas with secluded sounds because the game got me into a habit of slowly progressing. To make it even worse and make the game much more immersive, players can try noise detection, where any sound made in real life through your mic will trigger the creatures. I think this option would be great for people who get fully spooked by video games as you could trigger screams and quivers for noise cues, but for someone like me who played relatively silently, I did not see much happen through it. Even without this mode activated, the game does do justice in trying to get players to make accidental noise. For instance, when crawling through dark areas, bumping into a can that you may have missed would trigger a noise that would get you to freeze in place. Having the phonometer was really handy as you could see the amount of noise you made compared to the environment; it would help players keep track of themselves.
The main gameplay just includes getting from point one to point two without triggering creatures. I felt there was no real sense of puzzles as most just included unscrewing vents or pressing several button sequences. The game was slow-paced but not in a bad way, as you have to put great emphasis on your stealth. I quite enjoyed the game as it embodied the A Quiet Place franchise to some degree. You could feel chills crawl up your spine in dire situations where you would know that stepping through water, glass, and muddy surfaces could be the end of it all. What fully immerses the player is that when you become extremely quiet, sudden, loud noises will give you a real-life fright.
If you are looking for a horrific atmospheric adventure game in which you go through cautious strolling through various environments and embark on trying to find an actual safe haven whilst uncovering an emotional narrative, then this game is for you. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead offers an immersive sound design with stunning graphics that hooks the players to their seats. So be sure to check out A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead to step into a world of complete caution!
Overall: 8/10
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