With Until Dawn, the developer Supermassive Games has achieved a surprise hit. The Dark Picture Anthology aims to meaningfully advance the genre. But how does the first part of the new series, Man of Medan, compare to Until Dawn?
Why was Until Dawn received so positively? The setting of Until Dawn corresponded to the teen horror films of the 90s and was filled with clichés and stereotypes that showed that it didn’t take itself too seriously. Furthermore, while the game was characterized by little challenge, it scored points with an exciting story.
However, the catch was the myriad of decisions that had a significant impact on the life and death of the protagonists. These decisions not only led to nasty surprises but also provided a high replay value, as there were 38 different death sequences to “discover.”
What does The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan have to do with it? With “The Dark Pictures Anthology,” Supermassive aims to tell new stories in several episodes that are thematically separated. Man of Medan is the first part of this series but is regarded as a spiritual successor to Until Dawn.
It’s time to compare the two titles and highlight what changes Supermassive has made in Man of Medan to meaningfully advance their interpretation of the horror genre.
Fewer friends, but more deaths and decisions
How it was in Until Dawn: In Until Dawn, players could alternately navigate a total of eight friends through the horror night in the cabin in the woods. A total of 38 different death sequences could be “witnessed,” even ten different ones in just one playthrough.
What Man of Medan wants to do better: The diving trip, which turns out to be a horror trip on a ghost ship, is accompanied by only five instead of eight friends. Despite the smaller number of protagonists, there should be significantly more death animations, namely a total of 69.
You can see a maximum of nine of these in one playthrough, as Pete Samuels revealed in conversation with Playstation.Blog. So you’ll have to play through several times to really see all possible constellations.
The increased number of death animations goes hand in hand with even more branching decisions and consequences, as we were able to ascertain in an initial demo session. The significance of some decisions is not immediately clear, which increases the challenge of seeing all sequences or even saving all friends.
Shorter playtime, but more replay value
How it was in Until Dawn in terms of playtime: With an average of 7 to 9 hours, a playthrough in Until Dawn was set. Those who are already familiar with it can also complete it a bit faster.
This is how the playtime differs in Man of Medan: Man of Medan takes about 4 to 5 hours of gameplay, as Game Director Tom Heaton revealed. Those who already know the game will likely get through a bit faster. The reduced playtime is not only due to the smaller number of protagonists but is also intended to increase replay value.
More death sequences and a greater variety of decisions are intended to encourage players to replay Man of Medan more frequently, whether solo or with friends!
Man of Medan features co-op modes
How it was in Until Dawn: In Until Dawn, you could only scare yourself alone. While viewers could observe your actions, they could not actively intervene. This is different in Man of Medan.
Man of Medan offers two co-op modes: In Man of Medan, you have two options to play with friends:
- Shared Story – Play the horror adventure together with a friend. Depending on the situation, you take on different roles.
- Movie Night – Play with up to four friends in a couch co-op. Each player can assume the role of a friend. Whoever dies is out.
The reduced playtime positively affects the co-op modes. Thus, Man of Medan can easily be completed in one evening.
Focus on multiple horror genres
Until Dawn as a tribute to teen horror: The abandoned cabin in the woods, eight overzealous friends, the parallels of Until Dawn to films such as “Scream” or “I Know What You Did Last Summer” ran like a common thread throughout the game.
Man of Medan with more horror influences: Unlike Until Dawn, Man of Medan aims to cover more and above all newer horror genres. In addition to classic ghost horror, home invasion elements (Panic Room) will also be used.
How broad the range will actually be and how pronounced the various elements will be can probably only be assessed after the release.
What do you think? Do you believe that Man of Medan will be better than Until Dawn?
