Man of Medan is an interactive drama survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published in 2019 by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game tells the story of a group of four friends who decided to go diving in order to find a submerged wreck of an old World War II airplane. What at first appeared to be an exciting adventure took an unexpected turn, leaving the group trapped in the middle of the ocean, far from anyone who could hear their cry for help.
Story
The story begins when a group of four friends meets on the Duke of Milan boat, about to leave the coast in search of an old plane wreck. As the boat’s captain arrives, they immediately set out and move towards the designated area. Soon enough, however, the peaceful diving trip is disturbed by a group of unwelcomed guests, who kidnapped the friends and made their demands. As a result of the unforeseen events, the group finds itself trapped on a shipwreck drifting in the middle of the ocean. As if that wasn’t enough, friends realize that the seemingly desolated place might not be entirely abandoned.
Gameplay
The Dark Pictures Anthology – Man of Medan is an interactive horror game that combines point and click playstyle with quick-time events. Most of the time is spent on watching the cutscenes and choosing the dialogue options, with added simple sequences of exploring the area you’re currently in.
The choices you make play a huge role in the title, and they may have disastrous consequences. Most of the time you will be able to choose between reason and emotions or to remain silent. The choices can also change characters’ traits, leading to different cutscenes and subsequent dialogue options later in the game.
Game Modes
Man of Medan game can be played in one of three different variants, with one being single-player experience (Solo Story), and the two others allowing to progress through the story with other people, either online (Shared Story) or in a local hot-seat mode (Movie Night Mode). Though the game can be played alone, it really starts to shine in multiplayer, where certain things can be seen by one player but not by the other, creating an unsettling atmosphere and making you feel like you are slowly going insane.
Reception
Man of Medan received favorable reviews and is considered a solid interactive horror option for those who seek a way to experience the thrilling adventure together with other players. Critics praised the unique approach to the genre. They also noted the unforgiving consequences of the choices players make during the game, as well as the title’s ability to scare the player in the most unexpected moments.
Key features
- Uncover the dark past of the long-forgotten ghost ship drifting secludedly in the middle of the ocean
- Make difficult choices and try to keep the party alive as they try to escape the damned place
- Your choice matters – craft your own unique story and live or die with consequences
- Test your reflexes during quick-time event sequences neatly woven into the gameplay
- Play alone or experience the story together with other players in multiplayer, where actions taken by one affect the others’ game
