If you haven’t seen the 2018 film A Quiet Place, you’re in for a treat when you do. This horror film captivated audiences with its ingenious concept, spawning a sequel, a prequel, and now a video game. The premise revolves around monstrous extraterrestrial creatures that arrive on Earth via asteroids. These swift and deadly beings, blind but with extraordinary hearing, begin a relentless killing spree. The survivors of the initial onslaught quickly learn that any sound can be a death sentence, forcing them to adapt to a life of silence.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is set in this universe, but it cleverly avoids featuring characters from the films, allowing for a fresh and independent narrative.
You play as Alex, a young asthmatic woman, six months into the disaster. While scavenging for supplies with her boyfriend, she discovers she’s pregnant. Tragedy strikes, and she finds herself back at the survivors’ base with her father, the group’s leader, who harbours resentment towards her. When the creatures attack the base, Alex ventures out alone to seek help and a safe haven for herself and her unborn child.
The story and narrative flow are compelling. I was fully invested in Alex’s journey and her struggles against both the monstrous creatures and the conflicts within the human survivors. The game effectively captures the film’s essence, particularly through the environmental storytelling and as you traverse the world, you encounter notes left for loved ones, diary entries chronicling life before and after the invasion, and poignant safe rooms where survivors have sought refuge. These details, such as children’s drawings and a silently played electric piano, add depth and emotional resonance to the experience.
This is a first-person stealth horror game and that means if you prefer action-packed gameplay with explosions and rapid gunfire, this might not be the game for you. Making noise or moving quickly can be fatal. For a truly immersive experience, you can even enable your microphone, which will detect any loud noises or speech in your real-world environment.
Exploration is necessarily slow and deliberate. Early on, you acquire a device that displays the decibel level of your actions, such as walking, opening doors, or using your inhaler. From there, every step must be taken cautiously, as the environment is littered with noise-making hazards like water, glass, and loose objects. Every move needs to be considered.
Managing Alex’s asthma is another crucial element. A lung icon in the corner of the screen indicates her respiratory state. If it turns red, she’ll start coughing, potentially attracting the creatures. Dust, climbing ladders, and proximity to the monsters can trigger asthma attacks, making inhalers and medication essential for survival.
The creatures themselves cannot be killed or attacked, so stealth is paramount. Sometimes they appear in your immediate vicinity, requiring you to slowly and silently manoeuvre around them or remain perfectly still until they leave. You can also use throwable objects, like bottles, to distract them. While this mechanic is generally effective, it can occasionally lead to frustrating and seemingly unfair deaths.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead boasts impressive visuals. The exterior environments are beautifully rendered, showcasing both the natural beauty of the world and the devastation wrought by the creatures. The interiors are equally detailed, with realistic lighting and meticulously placed objects. The level design is well-crafted, offering a balance of puzzles and stealth sections and the creature designs are effectively terrifying.
The sound design is crucial in a game centred on silence, and A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead excels in this regard. Every creak and clunk is amplified, creating a constant sense of tension. A sudden string sound indicates that the creatures have heard something, further heightening the suspense. And the subtle soundtrack complements the silence perfectly, helped by some superb voice acting, imbuing the characters with depth and conveying the ever-present sense of danger.
I thoroughly enjoyed my 7-8 hour playthrough of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. I have a particular fondness for exploring post-apocalyptic landscapes and piecing together the stories of those who came before, and this game delivers on that front.
The slow, deliberate pace and constant tension create a unique and immersive experience, and while some deaths feel unfair, that arguably adds to the game’s realism and challenge. The visuals are superb, the sound design is excellent, and the performances are top-notch. And the price is reasonable considering the game’s length and quality.
If you’re seeking a tense and atmospheric horror experience, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is an excellent choice.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead – Embark on a Terrifying Journey into the Heart of Silence – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead-embark-on-a-terrifying-journey-into-the-heart-of-silence/
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is revealed for Xbox, PlayStation and PC | First story trailer goes live! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead-is-revealed-for-xbox-playstation-and-pc/
Buy A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead/9NZLPG7P5KSS/0010
