Man Of Medan Review

Man Of Medan:

First episode of a horror / narrative game saga, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is eagerly awaited by fans of the genre. After the very good Until Dawn, released in 2015 exclusively on PlayStation 4, Supermassive Games has decided to collaborate with Bandai Namco so that the latter title is born on several platforms.

So, is Man of Medan the worthy successor of his big brother?

Story:

With Halloween just around the corner, Supermassive Games gives us the perfect activity for a Halloween party. After being infatuated with Sony for some well-known exclusives (Until Dawn, to name only one), Supermassive Games has approached Bandai Namco to create an anthology called The Dark Pictures.

The studio, master of the art of telling stories that are scary (or almost), intends to launch several chapters, starting with Dark of Medan. If it has all of a narrative experience like the others, this first segment makes the difference on the presence of a cooperative mode online or local (up to five participants). Man of Medan has some arguments to be at the heart of a Halloween party with friends. Between laughter (the characters are sometimes sacred heads to slaps) and dread, the game recycles an old recipe, but adds tasty ingredients. Beware of cold sweats.

Man of Medan presents itself here as an interactive horror game, which puts us in the skin of 5 young people (Fliss, Julia , Conrad, Brad and Alex) who decide to treat themselves to a little boat trip on the waters of French Polynesia. But after a meeting that will turn quickly vinegar, these holidays will become a nightmare. Our young companions will then live a real ordeal at sea.

Gameplay:

The game will not disillusion those who played at Until Dawn. Both titles share a DNA that forces to make the right decisions to avoid losing the heroes one by one (the goal being that they all stay alive). Very quiet, the story is based first of all on lines of dialogue to choose to influence the relationships that bind the group. Then, when the action is racing, press the button on the screen at the right time (the famous QTE). The timing is usually very tight and it is not uncommon to miss an interaction with a purpose sometimes disastrous.

Man of Medan is, as mentioned above, an interactive horror game. Our adventure will be based on QTE and interactions with the scenery, the latter allowing us to find more information on the mysteries that hover over the waters of the South Pacific, or to provide us with the necessary elements to our survival. Because yes, Supermassive Games takes the codes of its previous title and requires us to pay attention to the slightest detail to ensure the survival of our characters. The interactive title does not have a Game Over, so always pay attention to any choice you decide to make throughout your adventure.

We will have the right to exploration phases in closed areas that will sometimes give way to moments of action and panic, asking us to chain frantic QTE for the most part. QTE which also require great attention and instant responsiveness because some of them (often those taking place at the crucial moments) leave us only a few seconds to squeeze the key!

The gameplay of Man of Medan varies between exploration phases sprinkled with small QTE and great moments of stress with action galore. A rather strong pace therefore, which allows the player to soak up the atmosphere before putting him in situations of total discomfort. But not everything is perfect. The phases of exploration with your character can quickly become psychomotricity exercises as the latter is rigid in some of his movements.

Supermassive Games has reworked the interface to be more refined and clear. They also integrated a mini-game very well thought where the characters must control their heart rate against a complicated situation.

Another aspect not to be overlooked is the relationship between our characters. Indeed, even that can have big consequences for the future of our youth group. We must learn to know each of our friends and know how to act according to the person in front of us. To help us know our companions, we have at disposal the basic characteristics of these. Depending on how you play, the features may change. It is, for example, possible for you to make one of your characters more courageous than it was initially.