The Dark Pictures Anthology - Man of Medan - Xbox One

If your like me and the odd man out then this game is great to “play” with your family. It really reminds me of the choose your own adventure books from back in the day. There is a story line (not for younger audiences) which I enjoyed and whoever has the controller needs to make quick decisions in order to go through the game. My daughter had the controller and I held my beverage. It’s quick from start to finish in terms of a storyline game I’m told from my family of experts but I spent time with my kids and had fun.

This game is fun and it’s just like the rest of the series. Whatever choice you make, it matters. I really like how nice the graphics look, it’s almost like watching a movie

There's a lot to like about this first installment in the new Dark Pictures anthology. The game designers clearly have a strong eye for horror and the tale they tell in this game about mysterious happenings on an abandoned ship will please most horror fans. Unfortunately, the game design has some issues that detract from it a bit, though I'm still pleased with my purchase.Let's start with the storytelling, which I think is this game's strongest point. The writers clearly understand the horror genre and they managed to tell a story that, while admittedly full of established genre tropes, remains engaging throughout. Aficionados of Fortean history will appreciate the game's title and setting ("Man of Medan" is a rough translation of the name of the famed, and possibly mythological, lost ship, the Ourang Medan), though the story is entirely original and not based on the legend except in the broadest possible sense.The game's atmospheric environments paired with some chilling cut scenes and effective use even of some carefully-placed jump scares results in a great horror adventure. I use the word "adventure" decidedly because this game is in many ways evocative of the "choose your own adventure" books we all grew up reading, as choices you make even relatively early in the game can have repercussions later on. Refreshingly, though many of the game's scenes rely on linear movements, the game doesn't force everyone into exactly the same experience. The choices you make can and will affect the course of the narrative and even which characters live or die.Indeed, unlike in many games, if the character you're controlling meets an untimely demise, you don't get to simply restart at a checkpoint and try again. When a character dies, they're dead. This mechanic raises the tension in a way that seems quite fitting for a horror game, forcing the player to make important decisions real-time during a moment of panic. Unfortunately, where the game succeeds in storytelling, it also fails in game mechanics. Many of the character deaths are the result not of reflective decisions, but of accidentally hitting the wrong button (or being too slow to press a button) during quick time events. Used sparingly, this mechanic could be effective in a horror game, but Man of Medan seems to overuse it. I would have preferred if the story had depended more on roleplaying/decision making rather than these quick time events, though this is a relatively minor complaint.A larger complaint, also about gameplay, is that while the frequent changes of camera angle make for a great "cinematic" experience, they seriously impede a player's progress through the narrow corridors of the abandoned ship. The game probably would have been improved had it used a first person or a tighter third person perspective throughout.Reviews seem to be mixed on the character of "The Curator," the Dark Pictures Anthology's answer to the Crypt Keeper. This character shows up a few times throughout the game to comment on your progress and, if you want, provide some hints as you move forward. Personally, I like the character. His interludes provide a brief release from the game's tension and he seems like an intriguing character in his own right. I'm looking forward to seeing what else he has to say in future installments of the anthology.My biggest complaint is that the game seems a bit too short. Depending on how much exploration of side rooms you choose to do, you'll be finished with a solo play-through in a few hours. While the game does have some replay value, as you try to see what happens when you make different choices, this probably won't be a game you return to time and time again because once you know the ending (and have tried a few times, perhaps solo or perhaps playing cooperatively, to see what effect different decisions might have on the game's outcome), the scares will quickly become stale.As a side note, when I first started playing the game, I found the entire system would freeze at the end of the intro sequence. Power-cycling the console eventually solved the problem and I didn't experience any further glitches or issues with lag (and I don't know whether other players have experienced the same problem), but I thought it worth mentioning in the interest of completeness.Ultimately, I found this to be an enjoyable but flawed first installment in the Dark Pictures series. It was certainly good enough that I'm looking forward to the next game, though I hope the designers work out a few kinks in their future titles.

This game is fun as a single play or Game Night with friends!

This game is pretty good. It’s much shorter than Until Dawn but that’s to be expected with the first installment of an anthology. I bought it for $17 and it was def worth the money. My fiancée and I aren’t great at games but it spooked us and we both enjoyed it throughly!

This game was absolutely nothing like I was expecting. It takes zero skill to 'play'. Its very much like a choose your own ending book. The game was like watching a movie and it would give you 4 choices of what to do or what to say. I completed the story in 1 sitting so it's pretty short - that being said it is a fantastic story and has good graphics. If you're looking for something easy and different, I'd highly recommend. (It also made me jump 2 or 3 times)

This is my first horror experience that makes you decide on life or death scenarios. I never play until dawn, but loved watching it and thought if they could make a sequel on all platforms that would be great! And they did. I will admit this game is jumpscare heavy but the atmosphere and the lighting are spot on plus i like the dialogue options it makes you become more attached to these characters as you progress. The game starts off slow but I don’t mind that. It lets you build a bond and a relationship between the characters and more. I am excited to play through this game again and make all the bad decisions just to see what would happen.

This is by far the best game I've played in a while. I was wanting something multiplayer that was not FPS, MMRPG, or some other amalgam of rote gameplay. This actually takes some thinking and discussion among players, and while it's a bit dark, even my eight-year old was able to play along. Definitely going to check out the other titles in this series, too.