The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
  1. PCWorld
    Aug 28, 2019
    70
    Man of Medan doesn’t tell the most unique story, and indeed you’ll probably unravel it long before the characters do. It’s unique in the telling though, and often that’s what counts more.
  2. IGN
    Aug 28, 2019
    70
    It's not easy to keep everyone alive in Man of Medan, and you won't necessarily want to, especially in 2-player co-op.
  3. Riot Pixels
    Sep 11, 2019
    65
    The second playthrough is better than the first — by then you already know that the story is not scary at all, the dialogue is stale and characters are boring. But still, there is some fun to be had by choosing different options and trying to help the ones you failed to save before.
  5. PlayGround.ru
    Sep 11, 2019
    65
    A good candidate for the title of killer of the evening. For more, unfortunately, Urang Medan did not have enough traction.
  6. Shacknews
    Aug 28, 2019
    60
    While Man of Medan isn’t the greatest game you’ll play this year, it does a good enough job of setting the Dark Pictures Anthology series out to sea. Unfortunately, the unevenly paced story, the out-of-tone voice lines, and the stiff animations make for a subpar experience that we will hopefully see improved in later iterations of the series.
  7. Hardcore Gamer
    Aug 28, 2019
    60
    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.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Polygon
    Aug 28, 2019
    An interactive horror game only works if it scares or surprises you, and Man of Medan does both. But while it makes sense to be unable to save characters in a movie, that can be frustrating in a game in which I’m supposed to have some say in what happens.
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Aug 28, 2019
    It’s a shame, too, that so much of the game takes place on the rusty, pitch black tug, because when the lights are on, it looks fantastic. Items and textures are impressive, and the acting is very solid. I rarely get to play interactive fiction with such strong production values, especially with all the variation and replay value on offer. I’m on board. I enjoyed this one, and if Supermassive Games continue on trend, I’m optimistic for the rest of the series.

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
100
#100 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 344 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 143 out of 344
  2. Mixed: 134 out of 344
  3. Negative: 67 out of 344
  1. barkerdylan17
    Aug 29, 2019
    4
    I played this on PC, as it's my preferred form of gaming. The first line of dialogue made me break out in laughter. Not because of a wittyI played this on PC, as it's my preferred form of gaming. The first line of dialogue made me break out in laughter. Not because of a witty line cleverly written by the creators, no. I laughed my ass off for 3 minutes because of how horrendous the acting, movements, emotes were. The graphics are up-to-par with any large release game like this but the character animations - good God are they absolutely awful. The controls are frustrating, the (supposed to be) cinematic camera movements are choppy. The story is boring. The characters have no personality traits. This game is one hell of an experience. At one point I quite literally tossed my hat across the room and slapped my forehead into the palm of my hand due to how frustrating this piece of garbage is. Even if this were a regular movie, it would still be trash! The acting, writing, story... It's all so boring and just uninspired. The concept of an interactive horror movie is great, sure, but if I continuously had the urge to browse r/DankMemes during the cut scenes due to boredom, you know it's not good. I wouldn't recommend this to my worst enemy.… Full Review »
  2. nofunaloud
    Aug 29, 2019
    3
    A few hours in and an original idea has yet to present itself. Cliche, trite, and unoriginal.
  3. Jamejarrs
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    I loved Until Dawn and was excited to give this game a go. While the DNA can certainly be felt in places, it doesn't quite live up to itsI loved Until Dawn and was excited to give this game a go. While the DNA can certainly be felt in places, it doesn't quite live up to its precedent. It does make some improvements to their formula, such as getting rid of the much dreaded "Stay Still" for a rhythm game that feels more skill-based as opposed to hoping the game doesn't think you nudged the controller.

    First of all, the game is shorter, lending itself more toward replaying for alternative choices, and I think the wealth of choices and outcomes is a huge plus in this game's favor.

    I started a second playthrough and it's impressive just how much character interactions can change based on past decisions, while the personality trait system of Until Dawn felt superfluous at times, you can feel its influence in moments. Saying something brash can make your character act more confident later on, as opposed to if you chose the other option and your character might approach the same conversation/scenario completely differently.

    Another neat moment I had was after finishing the game, I replayed the final chapter hoping to make a decision that would lead to something very specific happening. I was surprised when what I wanted to happen didn't happen at all simply because of one small thing I didn't do earlier, and I got to see a scene that a lot of people probably won't see playing through the game naturally.

    The main thing holding me back from an 8/9 score is the story, you will probably solve the game's mysteries long before the characters do. The characters can be hit or miss - Fliss appears to be the fan favorite and I can see why.

    Additionally there are small technical problems that might frustrate you such as dark, almost monochromatic environments where it can be hard to find your way forward. There were also a few times my character would attempt to walk forward and get caught on some part of the environment and I'd have to wiggle them off.

    Over all, I say that if you're a fan of Until Dawn or narrative-based games in general, it's worth a try especially if you can get it on sale. I will most likely be playing the next game in the anthology when that comes out.    … Full Review »
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