Why I Love... Man Of Medan

Everyone has their own point of view, and Man Of Medan exploits this fact to haunting effect

I’ve always been a fan of cheesy horror movies. You know the kind I mean; the sort of films you watch late at night on a channel you’ve never heard of, the sort of films that involve teens terrorised by a werewolf/vampire/ghost or maybe even all of the above. It’s no surprise that I picked up Man Of Medan on the strength of its B-movie premise alone then, but what was surprising was the rich story and themes I found lurking below the game’s surface.

The game (the first instalment of The Dark Pictures Anthology) features five young adults intent on locating a plane wreck somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Of course, the gang find much more than they bargained for when they end up boarding a ghost ship, all whilst a group of evil fisherman terrorise them from the sidelines. Players must navigate the ship, discovering secrets, enduring scares and making dialogue wheel decisions that will either save or condemn the cast. There are also plenty of quick time events which, if missed, can result in gory deaths.