October 23rd 2024.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a game that is inspired by the popular movie Alien Isolation. Set in the same universe as the Quiet Place films, this console game is a truly authentic experience. When it comes to new video games, there are always red flags to watch out for. However, being based on a film or TV license is no longer one of them. In the past, there were many cheaply made tie-ins that were churned out for any movie with even a hint of action. But now, most licensed games are carefully crafted and rarely direct adaptations. Instead, they are based in the same fictional universe.
The Road Ahead is one such game, and it is said to be canon with the existing three Quiet Place films. However, it features a whole new set of characters. With the movies' premise of avoiding monsters attracted by sound, this game has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, there is a more reliable red flag to consider: the publisher did not provide any review copies before its launch. Moreover, despite being based on a well-known property, the game is half the price of other major titles. This is not an act of charity towards the fans, but rather a surprise considering all the ill omens surrounding the game.
Despite all this, The Road Ahead is actually a very interesting game. Unlike some movie tie-ins that require prior knowledge of the films, you don't need to have seen the Quiet Place movies to understand this game. The premise is simple: the Earth has been invaded by blind, heavily-armored aliens that hunt by sound. However, this straightforward concept translates to a slow-paced gameplay, as the aliens are nearly impossible to kill.
But the game's concept is not far from that of Alien Isolation, as it also has a similar first-person viewpoint. You play as Alex, a young woman with asthma, whose breathing problems add an extra challenge in avoiding the monsters with super-hearing. The plot is also straightforward, as Alex embarks on a journey with her father, boyfriend, and other survivors, in search of a safe haven.
While this may sound like Alien Isolation, in practice, it is very different. The Xenomorph in Alien Isolation can spot and hear you, but its sense of hearing is not as good as the Death Angels in A Quiet Place. This means that in The Road Ahead, you have to be cautious not only about your movements but also about making noise. From opening a door to simply walking, any normal speed can alert the monsters, making it a slow-paced game. However, the game's dedication to its premise ensures that it is much more tense and interesting than it may sound.
Alex's journey is filled with obstacles similar to those in the movies. You have to avoid stepping on dried leaves, unnoticed paint cans, squeaky doors, and rusty pipe valves. Early on, Alex constructs a phonometer, which shows how much noise she is making and gives her a few chances before the monsters are alerted. However, later in the game, the monsters develop a special ability to sense any noise, regardless of what else is happening.
To make things more challenging, Alex also has a torch to navigate through the dark. But she can only hold one at a time, similar to the game Doom 3. This adds tension and difficulty to the game, and while it may feel contrived, it adds to the overall experience.
As with most stealth games, you can also use items like bricks and bottles to distract the monsters. Sometimes, these can even help you trigger traps or knock down walls to create a path. You can also scatter sand to move quietly, and there are difficult QTE sequences to complete if Alex has an asthma attack due to stress or physical exertion.
In The Road Ahead, sand is your friend. There's even an option to activate the microphone on the DualSense controller, so if it picks up any ambient noise in the real world, the monsters are alerted. But that may be too much for some players to handle.
The game is approximately eight hours long, and even if you enjoy its slow-paced gameplay, it starts to become repetitive towards the end. The level of contrivance also increases, with the wilderness areas looking like popular fly-tipping spots before the invasion, with lots of man-made debris lying around.
The story's progression is predictable, especially if you have seen the films, and it can be a slog of misery for Alex. As a player, it may not be as bad, but it does require a lot of patience to get through the whole game. However, we can't help but admire the game for sticking to its guns and accurately simulating the movies.
Although we can't say that we had a lot of fun playing it, The Road Ahead is a tense and occasionally scary experience. Despite some frustrating bugs, it fully utilizes the potential of the source material. So, if you enjoy stealth games and want an even slower and more challenging experience, then A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is the perfect game for you.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review Summary:
In short, this game is too authentic to the rules of the film. Despite its slow-motion gameplay and contrived scenarios, it is challenging to imagine a better Quiet Place video game than this. Its strengths include being a thoughtful adaptation of the movies and maintaining a variety of gameplay through clever gimmicks. However, the slow-paced and repetitive gameplay, along with increasing contrivances and bugs, are its weaknesses. Overall, we give it a score of 6/10.
This game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, priced at £24.99. It is published by Saber Interactive and developed by Stormind Games, with a release date of 17th October 2024. The age rating for this game is 16.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead - At least it can't see you.
We hope you enjoyed our review of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email us, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter. You can also submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features easily through our Submit Stuff page.
Sign up for all the exclusive gaming content and latest releases before they're seen on the site. Privacy Policy: This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
