The Quiet Place: Examining the Way Forward

After three films, it returns in video game form in the form of the Voiceless series, a show that effectively combines elements of narrative and suspense.

“Quiet night…”

Dream John Krasinski, famous for the TV series “The Office”, has grown without a voice into a very cute little French girl in recent years. In addition to the direct sequel published in 2020, it has also recently received a prequel story, and with The Road Ahead, the Monster Invasion series is now also trying to gain a foothold in the video game environment. While the first film received rave reviews from critics and viewers, the subsequent works fell further and further behind these standards, and it is important to point out right away that our attitude towards the parts of this cinematic trilogy largely predicts how much we will enjoy the film. An interactive experience in the world of horror and adventure stories.

For me, the American actor-director's debut effort was more at the concept level than an actual narrative cinematic experience. I saw a lot of imagination in aliens moving around and attacking based on sound, but I missed the convoluted plot structure, the characters that had more than one dimension, and the general emotional depth whose absence ultimately led to a somewhat sterile story. Superficial experience. The sequel was a clear step forward on these fronts, while the Michael Sarnosky-directed prequel became infinitely human and profound (similar to his previous work, The Pig), which was also able to successfully show something new in a horrific context: what Can he do it? Is the end of the world important if we are already doomed to die?

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The video game spinoff with the subtitle The Road Ahead is clearly closest in spirit and tone to the later work – and is not very popular with many. Those who prefer the visceral, simple experience of the first film will likely be disappointed, but those interested in human moments and flesh-piercing human drama will find the game an unforgettable experience. As a result, it is enough to know about the story in advance, that it focuses on a young girl named Alex, whose goal is to find a military zone that can provide protection from the army of monsters that have been terrorizing the world for months. .

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From a mechanical point of view, the game faithfully adapts the most specific aspects of the films – namely the vital importance of sounds and the need to recognize the environment – but at the same time, one cannot deny the obvious similarities compared to its counterparts in the genre, such as Alien: Isolation. In addition to the features of horror style, interior perspective, and the dominant role of stealth, the almost constant presence of an almost invincible entity – or more accurately entities – will keep us in awe. Through our mistakes, they will be able to limit us more and more, and the most we can do is try to outdo them from time to time, in the name of our survival.

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The importance of sounds can be seen throughout gameplay: when opening doors, cabinets and shelves, you have to tilt the analog stick forward in the subtlest possible motion to make as little noise as possible; We have to be careful to avoid various traps – which could even be a thrown metal can or a few pieces of glass lying on the floor – and we have to pay attention to the surface we walk on, whether it is a wooden floor, a carpet or a forest full of tall grass. Compared to this, snoozing is not like in other games: crouching is not enough in itself, because you can still make a lot of noise if you are careless.

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