The world of A Quiet Place has always been one that lived and died by its tension, silence, and survival against relentless threats. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, developed by Stormind Games, successfully conveys the atmospheric dread and central themes of the films. It grapples with pacing issues and occasional gameplay frustrations that ultimately affect its overall impact.
Set in the same universe as the films roughly three to four months after Day One takes place, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead immerses players in a post-apocalyptic world where sound attracts deadly creatures. The narrative follows Alex, an asthmatic and pregnant woman, after her boyfriend dies. It’s a real shame that there isn’t a ton of character growth or even change when it comes to Alex’s life.
Her asthmatic condition primarily serves as a plot device to heighten the stakes surrounding sound rather than contributing to her growth as a character. The story doesn’t stray far from familiar tropes of survival horror. Players are tasked with finding resources and avoiding detection. But every character’s arc lacks the depth seen in the films, which left me wanting more out of them.
“A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead immerses players in a post-apocalyptic world where sound attracts deadly creatures.”
The gameplay itself hinges on stealth mechanics, requiring players to remain silent to evade the attention of the monstrous creatures that roam the landscape. This focus on quiet navigation teeters between successfully reflecting the tension found in the films and being much of a crutch to pad out the overall levels. I found myself having to meticulously plan my movements, taking advantage of the environment to remain concealed and outsmart aliens, and that was when Alex didn’t have a seemingly random asthma attack.
The execution of the gameplay can sometimes feel inconsistent. While the AI of the creatures can be threatening, it occasionally leads to moments of frustration when you stay silent, and the aliens somehow hear you across the map. Moreover, Alex’s asthma condition, which is intended to amplify the stakes, often feels overly exaggerated. At times, the character’s sudden asthma attacks seem to occur at the drop of a hat, leading to it feeling that it borders on comical. As someone who has dealt with asthma myself, it felt almost like a cruel joke to have Alex trigger an attack just when stealth was necessary, drawing the attention of nearby threats.
One of the game’s most commendable features is its audio-visual presentation. The graphics in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead effectively make the desolate landscapes and abandoned environments characteristic of the A Quiet Place universe come to life. The meticulous attention to detail enhances the sense of immersion, allowing me to feel the weight of their surroundings. The art direction successfully captures the eerie beauty of a world that has been altered by disaster.
One of the primary challenges of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead lies in its pacing. Certain sections of the game can feel drawn out, leading to moments where the excitement wanes. The need to remain silent often slows down gameplay to a crawl, which, while thematically appropriate, can also lead to tedium. I frequently found myself waiting for long stretches before being able to progress, which disrupted the rhythm of the experience.
“The graphics in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead effectively make the desolate landscapes and abandoned environments characteristic of the A Quiet Place universe come to life.”
Sound design plays a pivotal role in establishing the game’s tense atmosphere. Ambient sounds, ranging from the rustling of leaves to distant, menacing growls, contribute to a constant sense of danger lurking just beyond the players’ perception. The strategic use of silence is particularly impactful; moments when the world descends into quiet can be just as horrifying as those filled with ominous sounds. This tension is, however, somewhat undermined by the frequency of Alex’s asthma attacks, which disrupt the flow of suspense.
Additionally, the game’s difficulty curve can be jarring. Some sections feel almost too simplistic, while others present spikes in difficulty that can be frustrating to navigate. This inconsistency in challenge and dying, having to restart entire sections just because the game decided I needed to have an asthma attack, really detracted from the immersion.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead presents an intriguing attempt to translate the franchise’s tension and themes into a video game, with its strong atmospheric design, but there are mediocre stealth mechanics and a story that essentially falls flat in a world where character depth and survival mean everything. The slow pacing, uneven AI, and shallow character development hinder its potential to accomplish what the film universe has done fully. While fans of the films may appreciate the expansion of the A Quiet Place lore and the immersive experience, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead does not reach the same heights as its cinematic counterparts.
