The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan Reviews
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.
I feel like I've ripped on Man of Medan a lot which is odd considering I actually enjoyed it. Sadly, you can't help but compare it to Until Dawn which quite frankly did everything better. Man of Medan is over far too quickly and doesn't have the same impact of Supermassive's previous entry. It is, however, a short but sweet enjoyable romp which is way better when played with friends.
Man of Medan combines a strong cast with a memorable story, interesting choices, and co-op play to create an excellent interactive horror movie.
Overall I really enjoyed Man of Medan though and I’m looking forward to replaying it—and to whatever comes next for the series, as it’s pitched as an anthology.
The first game of The Dark Pictures Anthology is a step backward for the genre. The game needs a re-work especially in the structure of QTE and choices, but at this price and with multiplayer modes the overall value is good.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite how negative I may have seemed there, I do genuinely want The Dark Pictures Anthology to continue and succeed (the game even seems to tease the next entry in it, seemingly already in the works), as I loved Until Dawn and would love to see more similar experiences from Supermassive. But despite having the same solid mechanics as its big brother, Man of Medan starts the anthology off on a thoroughly "meh" note, thanks its unimpressive, poorly-constructed story.
A so-so debut for a promising series.
It is obvious that Man of Medan's gameplay inherits from Until Dawn, but the online multiplayer mode is impressive and interesting. Beside that, it is a underwhelming game with a bad story-telling pace.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Although there were some cringy-dialogue options and I feel as if I spoiled the entire mystery by asking the curator for advice, I enjoyed my time playing through the story and trying to escape with as many – or as few – survivors as possible.
Failing to deliver as an effective horror story, Man of Medan is interminably slow to get started, and when it does, the narrative and performances prove more laughable than scary. The best kind of horror is the stuff that really gets under your skin, but sadly, this barely even pricks it. A soggy first chapter in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Man of Medan is best left on the seabed to rust.
Man of Medan isn't a bad story, adventure game or honestly experience, it just has plenty of ways to improve. Between a slow burn leading to a quick fizzle at the end and performance issues, it's the type of experience that really requires a love for the genre or experience to have. You just have to ask yourself how much do you want to explore a largely linear world with seemingly limited choices to fight a threat that might not even exist and see how many of your friends make it out alive.
While the story didn’t live up to expectations, the actors’ performances are fantastic as Man of Medan delivers its quota of horror tropes in chapter one of The Dark Pictures Anthology.
Supermassive's next step into horror starts strong.
Man of Medan is a stellar example of how to push boundaries and innovate within genres that seem restrictive at first glance.
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.
I’m not entirely sure Man of Medan is the absolute strongest example they could have put forward to launch what they hope to be an ongoing successful series.
Bumpy horror adventure that is narrative, artisanal and technically disappointing.
Review in German | Read full review
The Dark Pictures - Man of Medan applies the Until Dawn recipe to a smaller and cheaper game, wittch cooperative features, and the results are very good !
Review in French | Read full review
While it feels like a not insignificant step down from the breakout hit Until Dawn, Supermassive Games' latest attempt at interactive horror still serves up some compelling thrills and chills. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan definitely gets better the deeper you get into its story, but traveling that path is fraught with technical issues and questionable narrative direction more often than it should be.
All in all, Supermassive Games is off to a strong start with to The Dark Pictures Anthology with Man of Medan. Although the company is yet to announce any details on the following games in the series, Man of Medan is a tasty appetiser for what's hopefully going to be a deliciously devilish meal.