Ephemeris of the Mind (Game Review) The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Time to read: 2 min read
Game Cover
I know I saw something. It was moving in the shadows.
Platform played on: Xbox Series X
Review
This narrative-driven game follows a group of tourists in French Polynesia who stumble across an unmapped wreckage site for a WWII bomber. While illegally diving through the wreckage, they discover a map to a treasure known as Manchurian Gold. The group (with some unexpected company) decide to look for the treasure and stumble across an abandoned WWII freighter.
Friends exploring an abandoned freighter
The mystery story is very interesting and I like how the decisions the player makes drastically affects the plot. The story is also pretty short (around 3 hours) and the game is designed to be replayed to see the full story. The game also features an online co-op mode for the story where two players progress through the story together, with one player assuming the roles of characters not featured in the main story. The gameplay elements mostly revolve around exploring the massive freighter, making decisions, with the frequent quick time event sprinkled in. The acting is decent
Quick time event
The suspense and atmosphere are both phenomenally executed. Exploring the narrow and dark hallways of the freighter is terrifying, as one can never be sure where a jumpscare is just around the corner. This game definitely values form over function as while the overall experience feels like watching an interactive movie, the camera angles of the third-person exploring parts can be awkward and unwieldy. The motion capture for the characters are also decent; my favourite is probably Shawn Ashmore's goofy Conrad.
Exploring the ship
Conclusion
An enthralling survival horror.
Overall rating: 7.8
DLC Reviews
Curator's Cut
There is the only DLC for the game, and it allows the player to play the roles of the characters previously only available in online co-op. This makes it easier for completionists to view the whole story (and collect much of the collectibles) without having an online co-op partner.