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GAME REVIEW: 'The Quiet Man' a fascinating mess
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Game on: Japanese video game maker Square Enix releases an unconventional title: 'The Quiet Man', a dark mystery-thriller game. ( Courtesy of Square Enix/Human Head Studios)
A
fascinating mess would be an apt way of describing The Quiet Man, a new game published by major gaming studio Square Enix and Human Head Studios, the latter of which is not as big, though it is known for solid releases such as Prey.
The Quiet Man is built on a gimmick: The game's protagonist, Dane, is deaf. While a lot of intriguing ideas could have been built upon this gimmick – specifically those relating to how Dane's view of the world impacts his actions and the player's controls – the developer's only approach was to turn the volume down to mute.
Yes, the game does not do anything with Dane's deafness, aside from making every cut scene and action scene completely mute. In the many cinematic cut scenes that the game serves up, as well as regular action scenes, players cannot hear anything at all.
And it is not like these cut scenes are directed in such a way in which movements, mouth or body language could be "read" – no, they are the kind of regular cut-scenes you see in modern games, only with all audio inaudible.
Perhaps the game wants players to truly feel like they have Dane's condition and slowly learn to read lips, but there’s nothing in the game that indicates the need for this.
There seems to be something involving a kidnapping of a family member by a mysterious masked assailant, but the intrigue never builds.
It becomes extra questionable why there are not at least subtitles that provide some sort of context as to what is going on in these scenes.
For those thinking that all this confusion actually leads to some sort of insight, it doesn't. The game's story is difficult, if not impossible, to follow, resulting in a game that is never engaging in any way. Playing The Quiet Man simply never stops being a grind.
While it is never fun to bash a production team, there was a lot of incredibly baffling decision-making here. It does not help that the developers had also promoted the game with a promise of "high-production live action, realistic CG and pulse-pounding action game play".
On top of the lack of audible dialogue and story clarity, the rest of the game features equally ridiculous choices.
It is essentially a simple combat action game with players punching their way through it, though, again, it is never clear why and who we are punching in the first place. The enemies have the appearance of most generic video game villains, and that is the only cue to start mashing those buttons.
And mashing those buttons we do. The game's combat system is also unclear, with its mechanics never being made clear and Dane's attacks all looking the same. It truly becomes impossible to figure out any of the attacks, let alone the combos.
As such, it is astounding that the game hands out reward trophies for executing these inexplicable combos.
There is very little in the way of knowing how to do them or even realize you have executed a move amid the punches and kicks Dane throws at enemies that all look the same. One will beat up what seems to be the same thugs on several occasions throughout a playthrough, making the game feel like an early 1990s beat 'em up arcade game, only without the zany fun.
It does not help that the control feels clunky and sometimes the input feels like it does not register.
There is some challenge with the boss fights, though "some" is being kind. At the very least, these battles require some dodging skills. Alas, the bosses are as generic as their minions, never really offering any color or unique style beyond looking like a more buffed up than the regular ruffians.
If all of those things still does not dissuade players, then this will: the game does not have an ending yet.
The insane decision to have it delivered through a DLC the following week is so inexplicable that players cannot be faulted for wanting to throw their controllers or keyboard at their PC or PS4 console. (I understand that by the time this review is published this DLC might already be ready, but the decision to have this ending be a "surprise" is laughable).
While there is a chance that this ending will redeem the game, that possibility certainly is miniscule.
The game utilizes a lot of live-action cut scenes to lend off a cinematic feel, but this only results in a jarring disconnect between the game's animation and its live cinematic component.
Perhaps it is the wrong foot the game leads on, but even when these cinematic components look good, it is hard not to feel the pointlessness of it all. Why not focus instead on improving the gameplay? And what is with all the weird sudden flashbacks of traumatizing childhood memories?
Weird visual components notwithstanding, The Quiet Man seems like a good idea that truly lost its way somewhere down the line. It is a fascinating mess, but the mess isn't fun to play. (ste)
The Quiet Man
Square Enix/Human Head Studios
Available on PC and PS4
Reviewed on PS4
