A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead has been released upon the masses. Is the game ready for prime time, or should you just quietly stay away from it?
Read our review to find out.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead takes players into the heart of the terrifying universe just after the events of A Quiet Place: Day One, offering a prequel experience set a few months before the first movie. The game captures the raw survival instincts that define the series, focusing on the earliest stages of the alien invasion. With its emphasis on stealth, sound-based tension, and minimalist storytelling, the game effectively translates the nerve-wracking atmosphere of the films into an interactive horror experience, though it leaves room for some refinement.
Gameplay and Mechanics:
The central mechanic of The Road Ahead revolves around navigating a world where sound can be deadly. As players take control of Alex, a young girls struggling to adapt to life in the immediate aftermath of the invasion, they must tread carefully through eerily quiet environments where any noise can attract the deadly creatures that hunt by sound. The use of sound as both an enemy and a tool is key—every action, from walking through debris-filled streets to opening a door, must be calculated to avoid detection.
Players must scavenge for resources, craft noise-cancelling tools, and set up traps to protect themselves. The sense of vulnerability is intense, as even the smallest mistake can lead to fatal consequences. The game’s audio system is integral to the gameplay—sound design is exceptionally immersive, with the tension building each time a floor creaks or a branch snaps underfoot. Players can use environmental distractions like throwing objects to lure creatures away or move silently to avoid making any noise.
While this sound-driven mechanic is thrilling, the gameplay does become somewhat repetitive as the missions progress, relying heavily on similar stealth scenarios. The absence of more varied creature types or enemy behaviors may leave some players wanting more diversity in terms of challenge and strategy.
Story and Setting:
Set in the early months after the alien creatures have decimated humanity, The Road Ahead explores how different survivors adapt to the sudden collapse of civilization. The game serves as a bridge between A Quiet Place: Day One and the first A Quiet Place movie, offering insight into the terrifying chaos that emerged after the initial attack but before the Abbott family’s struggles in the original film.
The narrative is deliberately sparse, emphasizing the harrowing day-to-day survival of its characters over complex dialogue or plot twists. While the game introduces new survivors, these characters are primarily vehicles for exploring the dangers of the world, and there’s limited emotional or character development. Instead, The Road Ahead relies heavily on environmental storytelling, with players piecing together the collapse of society through abandoned homes, desperate messages left behind, and the haunting silence that now rules the world.
Despite the minimalist story, there are moments of emotional depth, especially when Alex encounters remnants of the world before the invasion. However, some players may wish for more dynamic character interactions or a narrative arc that delves deeper into the relationships between survivors.
Graphics and Sound:
Visually, The Road Ahead delivers a hauntingly beautiful depiction of a world in ruins. The environments are atmospheric, with overgrown suburbs, derelict cities, and eerie forests painting a picture of how quickly civilization has crumbled. Lighting and shadow are used masterfully to heighten the tension, with players constantly on edge, unsure if danger lurks nearby.
But where the game truly shines is its sound design. Just like the films, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead uses silence and sound as its primary tools to build fear. The game’s audio is designed with incredible precision—every sound, from the wind rustling through leaves to the distant echo of a creature’s screech, keeps the player on edge. The lack of music in key moments adds to the overwhelming sense of dread, making the sound of your own movements feel like a potential threat. Headphones are almost essential to fully appreciate the layered soundscape and the intensity it brings.
Verdict:
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a chilling survival horror experience that successfully translates the unique tension of the films into a game. Set during the early months of the alien invasion, it captures the fear and desperation of a world being torn apart by creatures that hunt by sound. The use of stealth and sound as core gameplay mechanics is both innovative and true to the spirit of the franchise, although the game’s limited enemy variety and repetitive scenarios may leave some players craving more complexity and challenge.
For fans of the A Quiet Place series, the game offers a deeper look into the world before the first film and a tense, immersive survival experience. While it doesn’t break new ground in terms of story or character development, its gripping atmosphere and sound-based gameplay make it a must-play for those who enjoy stealth-heavy horror games.
The game excels in tension and atmosphere but could benefit from more gameplay variety and deeper narrative elements. It’s a solid entry for fans of survival horror and the A Quiet Place universe, offering a nerve-wracking journey through a world where silence is your only defense.
8
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead review code provided by publisher and reviewed on a PS5. For more information on scoring, please read What our review scores really mean.
