Watch This Before You Play A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead | Review
Check out our review of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, a brand new survival horror game based on the hit film franchise.
We'll take a look at the gameplay, graphics, story and more to help you decide whether you pick it up.
#AQuietPlace #HorrorGame #Review
Tip UDS: https://ko-fi.com/upsidedownshark
UDS (Upside Down Shark) is the home of alternative pop culture. Focusing on video games, movies, TV shows and more, expect reviews, features, video essays and more on this channel, hosted by Tom, Craig, Dobbie, Neale and Drew.
Founded in 2017, we champion DIY talent, independent creators and promote the things we're passionate about.
Check out our channel dedicated to music: / @udsmusic1151
Listen to our weekly entertainment news podcast - UDS Radio: https://upsidedownshark.com/category/...
Listen to our podcast where we rank every episode of The Simpsons - Simpsons Showdown: https://upsidedownshark.com/category/...
Email: [email protected]
upsidedownshark.com
Transcript
So another week, another day closer to Halloween, and another horror game to check out while trying not to poop my pants. This time, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead.
Let’s be honest, video game adaptations of movies are practically an endangered species. Once upon a time, you couldn’t release a big film without some pixelated companion game tagging along. And, most of the time, they were forgettable at best (not you, Aladdin on the SNES. You’ll always be my favourite version). But here comes A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, and suddenly we’ve got a film-to-game adaptation that’s actually making people curious again. Why? Because if there’s any horror movie concept screaming (well, whispering) to be turned into a game, it’s A Quiet Place. A world where even breathing too loudly could get you killed? Now, that’s got potential.
So, how does The Road Ahead translate all that quiet tension into a video game? Well, it’s a mixed bag, but let’s start with the premise. You play as Alex Taylor, a young woman trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world that’s gone silent. You’re not alone, though, your boyfriend Martin tags along, but, true to the film series, there’s no room for chitchat. The world has been overrun by aliens with super-sensitive hearing, and one wrong step (or one loud cough) could get you killed. Oh, and Alex has asthma. Just in case the whole “stay silent or die” thing wasn’t stressful enough.
But what’s cool here is that the game doesn’t just focus on the external threats—there’s a lot of emotional baggage in play. Alex’s relationships with Martin and her family are woven into the story, making this more than just a monster-hunt survival game. It’s about keeping it together mentally as much as it is about staying quiet physically. It’s genuinely quite a moving narrative, at least more so than your usual horror game affair.
When it comes to gameplay, The Road Ahead is all about stealth. You’ll sneak, hide, and pray that you don’t step on anything too crunchy. At its core, this is a classic survival horror setup. You throw objects to distract enemies, tiptoe around danger, and use the environment to your advantage. One of the coolest tricks is spreading sand across your path to silence your footsteps, a nice little nod to one of the key elements of the movie. But the standout feature of the game is the way it plays with sound, or rather, the fear of making any.
However, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. The game introduces a phonometer, a device that measures how much noise you’re making. At first, this seems like a neat addition, but as the game progresses, it starts to feel more like a babysitter than a helpful tool. Instead of relying on your instincts to gauge how loud you’re being, the game constantly tells you. It’s like it doesn’t trust you to figure it out on your own. And in a game that’s built on tension and atmosphere, that’s a bit of a letdown. You want to feel the weight of every step, not have a metre remind you, “Hey, you’re getting loud!”.
Still, that’s not to say the game doesn’t deliver on the suspense. When you’re creeping through an abandoned barn, the floorboards creaking underfoot, knowing that one wrong move could summon an alien death machine, the tension is real. I couldn’t help but hold my breath in sync with Alex, hoping that sound doesn’t carry too far. And when it does, when you accidentally knock something over or step on metal, the panic was enough to make me drop the controller and ‘nope’ out of the room. These moments, when the game trusts you to be quiet and stay alive, are where it really shines...
