A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review

As a dedicated fan of the A Quiet Place franchise, I eagerly anticipated The Road Ahead, developed by Stormind Games. With high expectations and memories of the nail-biting tension from the movies, I dived into this post-apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, what I found was a linear walkthrough that felt more like a stroll in a park than a harrowing survival horror game.

On October 17, ‘A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead‘ was released by Saber Interactive; however, this game was actually developed over several years by Stormind Games, a studio based in Italy. As an extension of the existing cinematic universe, ‘The Road Ahead’ delivered an intense and suspenseful experience that is intrinsically tied to the fundamental elements of ‘A Quiet Place.’

The final output from the team was essentially a simplified, straightforward tour through a visually appealing yet overly survivable post-apocalyptic world that lacked the intended harshness and difficulty.

Read on to check out my full A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead review.

Light on the Survival

A Quiet Place: The Journey Continues smoothly with a well-tuned rhythm. It intertwines present-day apocalyptic events and flashback scenes that effectively paint the picture and establish the setting. While The Journey Continues can be appreciated independently, it’s likely that if you’re here, you’ve already watched one of the films.

As a devoted fan, I’d say the narrative isn’t overly captivating from the get-go, but it maintains a steady pace that keeps me hooked. From the outset, it’s filled with tension, and as the story unfolds, unexpected twists about Alex Taylor, our main character, make me feel deeply involved in his journey.

As a ‘survival horror’ game, The Road Ahead is light on survival and moderate on horror.

Throughout the game, there are numerous jump scares that require careful navigation. The constant requirement for silence can be quite nerve-wracking, but it effectively slows down the pace of the game. If you manage to avoid being startled or killed too often by the formidable creatures, the game lasts approximately six hours.

The survival aspects of this game are virtually non-existent. Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, there’s very little to scavenge or ‘pick up’, and offensive abilities are scarce. Additionally, the game offers a lot of guidance, especially if you choose the ‘easy’ setting. On its lowest difficulty level, the game is practically a walk in the park, which seems intentional.

Instead of finding the game’s guidance helpful, it became bothersome and disruptive as it was overly explicit. Pressing a button would reveal your tasks, holding another would light up the creatures pursuing you, interactable objects were highlighted in yellow, items that could be used to create noise were marked red.

Sure thing! “I have to be honest; because I was pressed for time, I opted not to play the game on its challenging mode. Could you give it a shot and share your experience with me?

Hardly Innovative

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead Review

In “A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead”, players can employ a realistic sound detection mechanism using their microphone. Any noise produced in real life will cause the monsters within the game to detect it.

Indeed, that provided me with the liberty to recreate the poignant scene from the initial A Quiet Place film, where John Krasinski’s character makes the selfless sacrifice. Spoiler Warning: I met a very untimely end.

Additionally, this implies that just one sneeze or burp could trigger an onslaught of discomfort for you. Over time, I grew weary of the function, despite it being adjustable so it’s not overly sensitive. I recall a similar functionality in Dead Rising 3 from 2013, which enabled shouting into a microphone to attract zombies.

With a two-year-old son, it’s impossible for me to go very far while my microphone is being supervised or watched.

Apart from some tricky sections and confusing areas, The Road Ahead game isn’t overly challenging. It has an attractive visual appeal, and while the sound effects may be repetitive, they blend well with the surrounding, atmospheric sounds. The voice acting is exceptional, but overall, I believe it could have been more polished to reach its full potential.

As a fervent admirer, I can’t help but express my conviction that this title would have truly shone in the virtual reality (VR) realm. The immersive nature of VR could have significantly enhanced the horror elements of the game, making the experience even more chilling and memorable.

Verdict: Wait

If you enjoyed A Quiet Place, you’ll appreciate the intricate world-building and immersion – though the journey may not veer too far from established paths. The creatures are thoughtfully crafted and realistic, and the tension is palpable until you find your footing, but the narrative might not be robust enough for a deep, absorbing experience.

After mastering the fundamental elements of the game, survival becomes quite manageable most of the time. You’ll often find yourself moving sideways cautiously in a confined space, aiming to steer clear of a lethal creature that could end your life instantly if you so much as brush against a bush or step on an empty tin can.

In my opinion, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead doesn’t seem to justify its $29.99 price, so it could be more beneficial to hold off until there’s a discount, especially if you’re not keen on the series.

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