Check out our review of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, a brand new survival horror game based on the hit film franchise…
We’ll take a look at the gameplay, graphics, story and more to help you decide whether you pick it up.
Transcript
So another week, another day closer to Halloween, and another horror game to check out while trying not to poop my pants. This time, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead.
Let’s be honest, video game adaptations of movies are practically an endangered species. Once upon a time, you couldn’t release a big film without some pixelated companion game tagging along. And, most of the time, they were forgettable at best (not you, Aladdin on the SNES. You’ll always be my favourite version). But here comes A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, and suddenly we’ve got a film-to-game adaptation that’s actually making people curious again. Why? Because if there’s any horror movie concept screaming (well, whispering) to be turned into a game, it’s A Quiet Place. A world where even breathing too loudly could get you killed? Now, that’s got potential.
So, how does The Road Ahead translate all that quiet tension into a video game? Well, it’s a mixed bag, but let’s start with the premise. You play as Alex Taylor, a young woman trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world that’s gone silent. You’re not alone, though, your boyfriend Martin tags along, but, true to the film series, there’s no room for chitchat. The world has been overrun by aliens with super-sensitive hearing, and one wrong step (or one loud cough) could get you killed. Oh, and Alex has asthma. Just in case the whole “stay silent or die” thing wasn’t stressful enough.
But what’s cool here is that the game doesn’t just focus on the external threats—there’s a lot of emotional baggage in play. Alex’s relationships with Martin and her family are woven into the story, making this more than just a monster-hunt survival game. It’s about keeping it together mentally as much as it is about staying quiet physically. It’s genuinely quite a moving narrative, at least more so than your usual horror game affair.
When it comes to gameplay, The Road Ahead is all about stealth. You’ll sneak, hide, and pray that you don’t step on anything too crunchy. At its core, this is a classic survival horror setup. You throw objects to distract enemies, tiptoe around danger, and use the environment to your advantage. One of the coolest tricks is spreading sand across your path to silence your footsteps, a nice little nod to one of the key elements of the movie. But the standout feature of the game is the way it plays with sound, or rather, the fear of making any.
However, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. The game introduces a phonometer, a device that measures how much noise you’re making. At first, this seems like a neat addition, but as the game progresses, it starts to feel more like a babysitter than a helpful tool. Instead of relying on your instincts to gauge how loud you’re being, the game constantly tells you. It’s like it doesn’t trust you to figure it out on your own. And in a game that’s built on tension and atmosphere, that’s a bit of a letdown. You want to feel the weight of every step, not have a metre remind you, “Hey, you’re getting loud!”.
Still, that’s not to say the game doesn’t deliver on the suspense. When you’re creeping through an abandoned barn, the floorboards creaking underfoot, knowing that one wrong move could summon an alien death machine, the tension is real. I couldn’t help but hold my breath in sync with Alex, hoping that sound doesn’t carry too far. And when it does, when you accidentally knock something over or step on metal, the panic was enough to make me drop the controller and ‘nope’ out of the room. These moments, when the game trusts you to be quiet and stay alive, are where it really shines.
Visually, The Road Ahead nails the eerie, abandoned world vibe. The environments are haunting, with just the right amount of decay to make you feel like this world has been over for a while. Shadows play a big role, and the lighting is perfectly set to make you second-guess every dark corner. Are the graphics groundbreaking? No. But they’re effective, and that’s what matters in a game like this. You’ll feel the weight of every empty room, every broken-down house, as you carefully navigate your way through the world.
What really stands out, though, is the sound design. In a game like this, sound is everything, and The Road Ahead makes you hyper-aware of every noise. The way different surfaces react – gravel, metal, wood – creates an underlying tension that never quite lets up. Walking on sand is blissfully silent, but step on a piece of glass, and pants will be soiled. The sound design is layered and intricate, making the world feel alive, even when it’s so, so quiet.
But, the game sometimes fumbles what should be its strongest feature. In a world where sound is lethal, some of the sound effects feel overdone. There are moments where the volume of certain actions, like pulling a lever or opening a door, don’t seem to match the danger they’re supposed to create. You expect the aliens to come barreling through the door the minute you make a loud move, but sometimes they just… don’t. It’s jarring and breaks the immersion a bit, especially when the rest of the game is so focused on precision.
The story, though, is where The Road Ahead gives you something more than your average horror game. Alex’s struggle isn’t just about the aliens, it’s about surviving herself, her asthma, her relationships, and the guilt she feels for the things she’s lost. It’s not often that survival horror games dig into the emotional psyche of the protagonist, but here, it works. Her asthma plays into the gameplay too, run too much or panic too hard, and you’ll need to stop and use an inhaler, adding yet another layer of tension. The narrative isn’t just about jump scares and stealth; it’s about living through the worst parts of yourself while also dodging monsters.
Unfortunately, though, not every emotional thread hits as hard as it could. There are moments where the game sets up what should be a gut-punch of a scene, only for it to feel a bit… muted. There’s emotional potential here that isn’t always fully explored. You’ll want more from Alex’s relationships, more from the backstory, but sometimes the game just leaves you hanging. It’s still richer than most survival horror games, but it’s not an all-timer like The Last of Us or God of War.
So, what’s the final verdict? A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a solid horror game with moments of genuine tension, some emotional depth, and a world that feels properly eerie. It does a lot of things right. The stealth mechanics are well-designed, the sound is (mostly) on point, and the atmosphere will keep you on edge. But it also plays things a little too safe. The phonometer, while interesting, feels like a missed opportunity, and some of the more dramatic moments don’t quite land the way they should.
At its lower price point, it’s worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of the films. It’s not a game-changer for the genre, but it’s a solid, atmospheric experience that will keep you quietly on edge. Hehe, edge.
But what did you think of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead? Please let me know in the comments below—I’d love to hear your thoughts. And while you’re down there, don’t forget to like and subscribe for plenty more on all things gaming. Check out our movie channel, UDS Films, and head over to upsidedownshark.com to keep up with everything else we’ve got going on.
Until then, my name is Tom, this has been UDS, and I’ll see you next time!
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Tom Baker
I like Star Wars, heavy metal and BBQ Pringles.
