The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
- August 30, 2019
Man of Medan builds on the solid foundation of Until Dawn. The decisions you make actively alter your experience, meaning you'll want to replay it over and over.
"Man of Medan" is a standalone horror game from the creators of "Until Dawn", taking place on a South Pacific diving trip. A storm leads to supernatural terror, and players must explore and make choices to save the five friends, as any character can live or die. The game promises a cinematic experience with deadly consequences around every corner.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Engaging narrative with multiple branching paths and significant player choices that enhance replayability.
- Atmospheric visuals and sound design create a tense and spooky environment, complemented by fun multiplayer modes.
- Some genuinely scary moments and jump scares that contribute to the overall horror experience.
- Numerous technical issues, including performance hiccups, frame rate drops, and control problems that detract from gameplay.
- Weak character development and a predictable plot that can make the single-player experience feel thin and repetitive.
- Pacing issues, particularly in the opening act, which can lead to a slow start and an unsatisfying conclusion.
- story21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story of "Man of Medan" is engaging and offers significant replayability through its branching narratives and impactful choices, making it particularly enjoyable in cooperative play. However, the single-player experience may feel lacking due to a slow start, predictable elements, and technical issues that detract from the overall immersion. While it serves as a strong entry in the Dark Pictures anthology, some players may find the story unsatisfying if they only experience it once.
“Man of Medan is a strong start to the Dark Pictures series, and more ambitious than it may first seem on the surface - while a single-player run-through took us 5 hours, the game is about trying that story again in different ways.”
“Man of Medan weaves a brilliant and compelling story punctuated by some genuinely creepy moments.”
“Man of Medan combines a strong cast with a memorable story, interesting choices, and co-op play to create an excellent interactive horror movie.”
“However, if you don’t like the idea of replaying a story-based game, then you may be left unsatisfied with just a single playthrough - as you certainly won’t have all the answers.”
“While Man of Medan has a decent horror story, a number of technical problems and inconsistencies derail the experience.”
“The format has a lot of potential, but this was undoubtedly the wrong story to showcase it.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Man of Medan" has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, bugs, and inconsistent visuals that detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers noted that these technical problems, along with janky gameplay and poor character development, hinder immersion and enjoyment, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. Overall, the game's optimization issues are a major drawback, leading to frustration and a recommendation to avoid it for those sensitive to performance problems.
“Some very noticeable performance hiccups and the framing of some scenes hinder gameplay a bit.”
“While Man of Medan can provide some genuine scares during a few segments, the rest of the brief story is held back by unlikable characters, questionable performances, and a few too many technical issues that can take you right out of the moment.”
“Avoid this game if you can't abide performance issues or slow gameplay.”
“Much of the content will be inaccessible due to these performance issues.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their excellence, featuring beautiful visuals and superb facial animations that enhance the overall experience. While some reviews note inconsistencies in performance and a less inspired setting, the engaging atmosphere and compelling character designs contribute to a captivating aesthetic. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, complementing the game's replay value and narrative depth.
“Graphics are excellent, with some superb facial animation and effects.”
“Engaging atmosphere, beautiful graphics, great replay value.”
“Gorgeous visuals.”
“The visuals and performance are inconsistent.”
“The setting isn't the most inspired.”
“The graphics are a little on the short side.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, driven by an engaging story, impactful choices, and multiple branching paths that lead to differing outcomes. Players appreciate the variety of game modes, multiplayer options, and the intriguing atmosphere, all contributing to a rich replay experience. While some minor pacing and gameplay issues exist, the overall consensus highlights a wealth of content that encourages repeated playthroughs.
“Engaging story with a ton of differing outcomes; your choices really do have a massive impact on how things play out. The characters and setting offer a large amount of replayability and multiplayer options.”
“Tense, spooky atmosphere. Multiple branching paths add a ton of replayability. Well-paced, intriguing mystery with a satisfying explanation.”
“An intriguing story and characters. Legitimately scary. Your choices matter. Two versions to play. Lots of replay value. Gorgeously animated. Awesome local and online co-op.”
“There are a few pacing and gameplay variation issues that hold it back from being excellent, but a plethora of game modes that all offer unique experiences and loads of replay value get the first game of the Dark Pictures Anthology off to a great start.”
“Engaging narrative premise and characters, seemingly endless replay value, small and meaningful innovations that fit into the formula, gorgeous visuals.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its chilling and tense qualities, enhanced by great lighting and beautiful graphics. Players appreciate the sense of danger and strong scares, which contribute to an engaging narrative and replayability through multiple branching paths and innovative cooperative modes. Overall, the atmosphere creates an enthralling and immersive experience.
“enthralling narrative, chilling atmosphere, co-op modes.”
“tense, spooky atmosphere, multiple branching paths add a ton of replayability, well-paced, intriguing mystery with a satisfying explanation.”
“engaging atmosphere, beautiful graphics, great replay value.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is marred by noticeable performance issues, including stuttering and bugs, which can hinder the overall experience. While there are various game modes that provide unique experiences and replay value, pacing and minimal gameplay variation detract from its potential excellence. Players sensitive to performance hiccups may find the gameplay frustrating.
“There are a few pacing and gameplay variation issues that hold it back from being excellent, but a plethora of game modes that all offer unique experiences and loads of replay value get the first game of the Dark Pictures Anthology off to a great start.”
“Avoid this game if you can't abide performance issues or slow gameplay.”
“Janky gameplay, bugs, and performance issues; the story can get predictable.”
“Pacing issues and minimal gameplay variation; stuttering gets frustrating in the latter parts of the game.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, particularly with mouse and keyboard controls, leading to a frustrating experience where character movement feels awkward and unresponsive.
“Very buggy, especially with mouse and keyboard; characters control like they've never walked a day in their lives.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its impressive quality and sound, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate how it complements the fun story and adds to the enjoyment of multiplayer options.
“The music is fantastic, enhancing the overall experience and immersing you in the game world.”
“The soundtrack is a perfect blend of catchy tunes and atmospheric sounds that keep you engaged.”
“Great sound design and music that elevate the gameplay and make every moment memorable.”
Critic Reviews
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan Review – Abandon Ship
The Dark Pictures Anthology is unfortunately off to a disappointing start. While Man of Medan can provide some genuine scares during a few segments, the rest of the brief story is held back by unlikable characters, questionable performances, and a few too many technical issues that can take you right out of the moment. The shared story online cooperative mode is enjoyable, but a weak story and incredibly slow first act make Man of Medan a game to skip if you’re planning on playing alone. Despite it’s shortcomings, the game is still somewhat entertaining, and I’m hoping Supermassive will knock the next entry of this spooky anthology out of the park.
50%The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan review
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan offers up fun frights and a solid choice-based horror experience - especially when played with others on the same couch.
68%The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan Review
Although it doesn’t quite hit the heights set by its inspirator Until Dawn, Man of Medan is a positive debut for the Dark Pictures Anthology thanks to an excellent narrative.
75%
