A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead PS5 Review

What I especially like about walking simulators is an element of surprise: I mean, you’ll be genuinely surprised if you come across an interesting title. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead turned out to be so absorbing that I couldn’t put the gamepad down. And a good thing too; I would have made some noise otherwise.

The game is based on the “A Quiet Place” film series. I don’t think that the franchise had a quiet release, but nevertheless I haven’t heard about it before. And, since the reviewer’s job requires sacrifice, I decided to watch the series before playing the game.

The films present the post-apocalyptic world invaded by creatures that are completely blind, but have exceptional hearing. They use their ability to localise and attack anything that produces even the slightest sound. People who survived the apocalypse adapt to conditions imposed by monsters, using sign language instead of speaking or laying sand paths to subdue footsteps.

The series explores an original idea, but the execution is far from perfection – at least in my opinion. There are many inconsistencies in the worldbuilding. Why aren’t waterfalls or trees attacked by creatures as well? After all, they do make noise. Moreover, if there are some potentially safe places, why don’t survivors settle there for good? Not to mention the pointlessness of their wearing guns – even if one creature is killed thereby, the shoot will attract other ones, won’t it?

The game tells a bit of a different story in exactly the same world. The main character, Alex, tries to stay alive, exploring the environment in complete silence. She discovers that she’s pregnant; and what makes things even more complex is that her would-be mother-in-law detests her (it thus poses a question what’s more problematic: pregnancy, creatures or mum-in-law).

I’ve come across the title’s reviews. Each and every opinion points to logical inconsistencies in the game’s worldbuilding. All right, but the same inaccuracies do occur in the source material as well. If so, who’s really in charge? Aren’t the universe creators to blame for this?

The game’s completion takes about eight hours. I think it’s enough to have a lot of fun and never get bored. It’s a linear experience – you go ahead, as the subtitle suggests, sneaking past creatures and remaining as quiet as you can. At times you solve environmental puzzles that also correspond to your main goal, which is simply going ahead. Indeed, subtitles don’t come from nowhere.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is more of an adventure game than a horror. Despite its tense atmosphere, the story remains slow-paced, so if you want an action-packed plot and jaw-dropping twists, look somewhere else. At the same time, the title is strangely captivating. I play a lot of games; none of the ones released in recent months engaged me so much. I suppose that amongst elements that make it so enjoyable are plain, but at the same time interesting, mechanics.

Alex doesn’t use weapons; yet, she carries some items with her. One is a sound level meter, which measures two parameters: the loudness of the environment and the noise produced by the character. The latter cannot be higher than the former; otherwise Alex attracts a creature, which kills her at once. By the way – my first encounter with a monster was a truly memorable experience.

Even a simple door opening proves thrilling in this game. I did it multiple times, but each time I held my breath, pleading not to hear the silent squeak. It was so great! Additionally, you may turn on the noise detection. This optional feature activates a microphone in DualSense, allowing creatures to detect every noise you make in your room. I like this option very much; it made the story highly immersive. Besides, once and for all it untaught me mumbling to myself when playing a game.

Other mechanics relate to the character’s asthma. This condition becomes worse in some situations, e.g. when Alex is scared or when she carries heavy objects. In such cases, the protagonist needs to use an inhaler or pills, which she finds as she explores the world. By the way, I applied an inhaler near a creature twice and in both cases it ended tragically. This is exactly how it should work.

The title looks more than good. I especially liked interior environments; observing light reflections on porcelain and other shimmering surfaces was a pure pleasure. Frankly, I didn’t expect it to look so fine. In terms of performance, the game feels smooth, though some stuttering is perceivable at times.

Final thoughts?

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead provides much fun in terms of gameplay. The game drew me in from the first moment and it kept my attention till the very end, which doesn’t happen very often. Moreover, it has beautiful graphics. On the other hand, some inconsistencies are discernible in the title’s worldbuilding, but they mostly come from the source material. All in all, I recommend this game.