When I first read that A Quiet Place was getting a video game, my first thoughts were: "Well, it has a lot of potential to be a game, but games based on movies aren't usually very good". When I watched the gameplay trailer, I got some hope that it could actually work, even if some issues were very noticeable.
Today I tried the game on PC. The optmization is not really impressive, but those things aside, I'm having a lot of fun. A lot!
The story is about a woman named Alex, who needs to survive an Earth infested by deadly creatures. Those monsters can't see, but they have very strong audition, so a simple noise could be your death. The game got the essence of the movies really well. And I should add that they did an excellent job at the sound effects. The soundtrack is usually silent, but everything, from kicking an can by accident, or stepping on puddles makes noise that may attract the monsters.
I finished the prologue and I'm currently at chapter 3. It's amazing how the game got me hooked. It's also very immersive, since so far I'm only walking slowly to avoid making noise, even in "safe" areas. And I only pressed the "run" button once. Yeah, it's scary.
You have some itens to help you, like the flashlight that requires batteries like Alan Wake, and since Alex has asthma, you can collect stuff to help her avoid getting an crisis. You can see her status at the corner of the screen. There's a lung symbol that goes from white (great) to red (danger). Think of it as your health bar. It decreases when you do heavy work, or get into dust. Seeing monsters also make her nervous, so you lose more health.
But my favorite item is the device that allows you to see how much noise you're making. It adds a lot of tension when walking and exploring. Stepping on things, kicking cans by accident, everything is detected by this device and all you can do is pray that there are no monsters around.
Also, another great thing (I haven't tried it yet, but it must be fun), the game can use your mic to detect real life noises and adds it into the game. So, if you want a even more immersive experience, go ahead.
So, yeah, this is a movie-based game done right. If you enjoy adventure games and survival horror with a lot of tension, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is the right game for you.
My score so far: 8.5/10
The Good: Amazing graphics and cinematics, cool story, great immersion on gameplay, variable difficulty levels (good for those waiting for a challenge, and for those who just wants to enjoy the plot), you can use your mic to add more tension.
The Bad: Not the best optimization (PC), some places are REALLY dark, so get ready to use the flashlight a lot.
