The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan Reviews
At its best Man of Medan delivers a confident and well crafted horror experience with a genuinely clever two player mode. But it's unbalanced pacing has a little too much opening filler and an unsatisfying conclusion.
The uninteresting story has plenty of dull moments, but isn't enough to kill the thrill of trying to keep all of the characters alive, especially when played with friends
Supermassive Games is quickly proving that they have a knack for high budget adventure projects that many studios simply do not. I have no idea when the next "Dark Pictures universe" entry is coming, but I'll be waiting for it.
Despite its technical shortcomings, Man of Medan is a decent maiden voyage for Supermassive’s new Dark Pictures Anthology series.
Mad of Medan looks and sounds gorgeous, but it's spoiled by some technical issues and, depending on your choices, characters doing stupid things just so the plot can continue, both of which break the flow of what could have been a decent horror story. It's an excellent night or two's entertainment with a bunch of mates in a dark room and plenty of beer, though playing by yourself or online with a chum is an altogether more muted experience. This is a fair start to The Dark Pictures Anthology.
Early disclosure of the story and awful save system are disappointing, but a great cast of characters awesome graphics, atmospheric scenes and interesting integration of online cooperation are able to bring you the pleasure for a couple of evenings, if you decide to check all consequences of your decisions.
Review in Russian | Read full review
At its best, Man of Medan is every bit as gripping, beautiful, and giddily silly as Until Dawn, but technical issues, a rushed story, and a confusing approach to player choice betray the limited resources the game's creators had to work with. Man of Medan is currently the best option for those desperate for more Until Dawn, but I'm hoping Supermassive Games can scare up something a little more substantial for future The Dark Pictures titles. The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Man of Medan starts out well enough but just falls apart towards the end leading up to a pretty anti-climatic ending thanks to a twist that was given away at the very beginning of the story. It's not terrible but it's not nearly as good as Until Dawn. Still, as a fan of Until Dawn, I still enjoyed the story for what it was but I didn't really have a desire to go back and play through it again after finishing it the first time.
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is a solid beginning to what I hope becomes a memorable selection of virtual horror outings. The setting here didn't do much for me if I'm perfectly honest, but the memorable characters, razor sharp pacing and well-placed scares make it excellent fun with a few friends by your side.
While Until Dawn was a serving of shlocky horror served up with a self-referential grin, Man of Medan has less personality, in part because it's a smaller slice of story. That said, its online modes will be game-changers for the rest of the series.
Man of Medan brings a strong multiplayer focus to the cinematic horror of Until Dawn.
Supermassive's next step into horror starts strong.
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.
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.
Supermassive Games proves that lightning can strike twice with Man of Medan, which (mostly) successfully carries the torch handed down by Until Dawn while adding a clever co-op twist.
Although Man of Medan isn't exactly scary, its Co-op mode provides a nice twist to the experience besides the replayability presented by the alternative scenarios and it shows some potential to do better in the next episode.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Supermassive Games have managed to again tap into what makes a good horror tale. If you can forgive some of its cheesy narrative moments and glitches, Man of Medan shows promise for a future franchise. You just have to play with a friend to fully appreciate it.
Despite having a decent story-line and a well-structured choice system, Man of Medan is a typical narrative experience ruined by a medley of messy controls. It does not present you with any moral dilemma, however, it may bring about horrifying premonitions. Therefore, one must tread carefully on uncharted territory and ponder whether probing deeper will have any inadvertent consequences.
Bad acting and not that great of a story plus some control issues, really feels like at least one or two steps down from their previous successful game. If Supermassive Games wants to make The Dark Pictures Anthology a great franchise, they need to make big changes because Man of Medan leaves a lot to be desired.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Ultimately, Man of Medan is a decent experience, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. But it does feel more like a single episode (which it is), than an entire game.