A Quiet Place The Road Ahead Review (PlayStation 5)

Rating: 8.4
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · November 4, 2024

A Quiet Place The Road Ahead Review is a single-player horror adventure game inspired by the critically acclaimed blockbuster movie franchise that highlights a unique survivor story after an invasion of deadly creatures. In this exclusive spin-off, experience the journey of a young woman who must endure a treacherous apocalypse in the midst of interpersonal family conflicts, all while coming to terms with her own inner fears.

A Quiet Place The Road Ahead Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
31.36GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Graphics settings – brightness slider, graphics mode (performance/quality), bloom, and film grain.
Controller microphone support (optional) you can set the minimum threshold and conversation sensitivity. Making loud noises through the mic can trigger the monsters.
Interface experience presets – simplified, standard, realistic, and cinematic. This adjusts hints, item callout signs, crosshairs, camera bobbing, etc.
Accessibility options – subtitle size and color, Colourblind support, steady aim, creatures outline, HUD and UI scale, phonometer awareness meter, and improved focus.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, deadzone sliders, and interaction sensitivity, and you can remap the buttons.
Extras menu houses concept art, and characters.
Three difficulties – Easy, normal, and hard. It affects how well your abilities work, how the resources are scattered, and how good the enemies are in tracking you.
Horror-laced adventure gameplay.
Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
A full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control.
Sound is very important and any noise can mean death.
The environment is the deadliest enemy of all, water, leaves, and anything like this can cause noise.
Very atmospheric.
Excellent music score, it’s used at just the right time.
Depending on your options, button prompts and interaction icons will show in the world.
Fantastic voice work.
PROS support is the system that like Uplay, links your account and gets free rewards and giveaways. Optional.
Customize the game to your liking with how you get interaction prompts or button icons, noise markers, etc.
The game is best played with headphones.
When you get to a door, drawer, or window you use the stuck to move the door at any speed you choose, you have full control.
It’s a game that has you on edge at all times.
Your journal fills in as you find notes or add diary entries.
Hidden mixtapes and toy Collectibles.
You have a handy hint button that will gently guide you towards your objective.
First-person view.
One of the most immersive experiences of my gaming life.
All cutscenes and interactions are in the game.
Seamless integration of cutscenes.
You can skip interactions and select cutscenes.
Find tools and items to help unlock alternate pathways.
Asthma stress is where your character’s lungs go from white to red, physical or mental stress will increase it and pills or an inhaler will reduce it.
Asthma attack minigame where your level is so high you have to press a button quick enough to avoid an attack.
It nails the atmosphere of the film and combines that with the tropes and set pieces it really does hammer home just how well this game fits into the narrative.
Despite all the tension it is a really good game to play and is smooth so it is accessible and approachable.

A Quiet Place The Road Ahead Review Cons:

Lining up interactions is a real pain, just doing simple climbing actions is tedious.
There is no way to turn off the swearing.
Slow starter.
Invisible to all kill the immersion and they are around a lot more than you would like.
The game is not as open as it makes you think and actually just guides you into situations and it all feels staged.
So much of the story is just picking up the many notes and reading them.
You don’t have a wide range of actions and play more like a walking sometimes running Simulator.
You are not always sure when it is saved, you cannot save it when you want.

Related Post: It’s Only Money Review (Steam)

A Quiet Place The Road Ahead:

Official website.

Developer: Stormind Games

Publisher: Saber Interactive

Store Links –

PlayStation

9/10

Graphics - 9/10
8/10

Sound - 8/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
8/10

Length - 8/10
9/10

Fun Factor - 9/10

8.4/10

Summary

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead offers a visually appealing experience with decent graphics and a manageable download size of 31.36GB. The game includes a variety of graphics settings, such as brightness sliders, performance/quality modes, bloom, and film grain, allowing players to customize their visual experience. The optional controller microphone support adds an immersive layer, as making loud noises through the mic can trigger the monsters. The game also provides interface experience presets, including simplified, standard, realistic, and cinematic options, which adjust hints, item callout signs, crosshairs, and camera bobbing. Accessibility options are extensive, featuring subtitle size and color adjustments, Colourblind support, steady aim, creature outlines, HUD and UI scaling, phonometer awareness meter, and improved focus. Controller settings are highly customizable, with inverted axis and sensitivity sliders, deadzone sliders, interaction sensitivity, and button remapping. The extras menu houses concept art and character information, adding to the game’s depth.

The gameplay is a horror-laced adventure with tutorial pop-ups to guide players. The full 3D game world offers 360-degree camera control, and sound plays a crucial role, as any noise can mean death. The environment itself is the deadliest enemy, with elements like water and leaves causing noise. The game is highly atmospheric, with an excellent music score that is used at just the right moments. Depending on the player’s options, button prompts and interaction icons will appear in the world. The voice work is fantastic, and the PROS support system, similar to Uplay, links your account for free rewards and giveaways. Players can customize the game to their liking, adjusting interaction prompts, button icons, and noise markers. The game is best played with headphones for full immersion. Players have full control over interactions, such as moving doors at any speed they choose. The game keeps players on edge at all times, with a journal that fills in as notes are found or diary entries are added. Hidden mixtapes and toy collectibles add to the exploration aspect. A handy hint button gently guides players toward their objectives. The first-person view and seamless integration of cutscenes make for one of the most immersive gaming experiences. Players can skip interactions and select cutscenes, and finding tools and items helps unlock alternate pathways.

However, the game has its drawbacks. Lining up interactions can be a real pain, making simple climbing actions tedious. There is no way to turn off the swearing, which may be a concern for some players. The game starts slow and features invisible walls that kill immersion, appearing more frequently than desired. Despite its open-world appearance, the game often guides players into staged situations. Much of the story is conveyed through picking up and reading numerous notes, which can feel repetitive. The range of actions is limited, making the game feel more like a walking simulator at times. Additionally, players are not always sure when the game is saved, and there is no option to save manually.

In summary, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead offers a highly immersive and atmospheric experience with excellent graphics, sound, and voice work. The game provides extensive customization options and accessibility features, making it adaptable to various player preferences. However, it has some drawbacks, such as tedious interactions, a slow start, and limited actions. Despite these issues, the game remains a captivating horror adventure that keeps players on edge throughout their journey.