The oddhorrormovie has showcased the bold choice of being shot from a first-person perspective, such as 2012’s Maniac alongside found-footage entries The Blair Witch Project and Lake Mungo. The handheld camera technique undoubtedly enhances the chilling nature of these classics, and this style has also propelled theOutlastfranchise into the video game’s Hall of Fame for its frightening approach.
A straightforward, first-person perspective, however, is standard for shooters these days among modern horror games, particularly those set inthe Backroomsand June’s Still Wakes the Deep release. On paper, viewing the sinister expanse through your character’s eyes screams total immersion, but for someone with a sensitive equilibrium prone to motion sickness, I hate the feeling of being trapped inside the protagonist, and I’ve, therefore, shelved A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead before its release day.
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I never expected The Office star John Krasinski to helm a horror, and the first 2018 A Quiet Place movie instantly turned into a favorite of mine. It’s what I would call a perfect film. A unique and expertly paced survival premise with investable characters and an excellent use of (or lack of) sound to build heart-racing tension. I was not surprised to see this groundbreaking story branch into a franchise, but I didn’t have a video game on my bingo card.
Developed by Stormind Games under Saber Interactive, The Road Ahead is labeled an “exclusive spin-off”, following asthmatic (a horror trope I could have done without) college student, Alex, and her boyfriend, Martin. While navigating the end of the world and silently evading the deadly monsters, Alex will also have to face “interpersonal family conflicts” and, ultimately, her fears, but since The Road Ahead is set from a first-person perspective, the only time we’ll be able to see our protagonist is during cutscenes.
I am disappointed this title was robbed of a third-person experience that would have mirrored the three-movie franchise better, established a better connection with the main character, and provided a heightened focus on in-game actions through navigating your surroundings better.
I should be grateful The Road Ahead wasn’t announced as a co-op shooter or an asymmetrical multiplayer likeDead by Daylight,because there are enough of those in existence, andhorror fans celebratedThe Road Ahead as a single-player experience. However, I am disappointed this title was robbed of third-person gameplay that would have mirrored the three-movie franchise better, established a stronger connection with the main character, and provided a heightened focus on in-game actions through navigating your surroundings more efficiently. Since The Road Ahead will involve stealth mechanics and firearm combat, a third-person scope would have been a great asset - 2019’sBlair Witchgame would also have benefited from this approach.
Third-Person Mode Can Hopefully Become The New Norm
I was extremely grateful when Capcom included a third-person mode within theResident Evil VillageDLC. A first-person perspective doesn’t come with a human’s peripheral vision, so navigating Lady Dimitrescu’s house was a chore, and keeping tabs on enemies in the snowy expanse was the equivalent of being on a rollercoaster - ironically, not a fun time. Switching to third-person improved my spatial awareness with a wider field of view, refined my aim, and even created a higher involvement in gameplay, and I think these elements are important to have in A Quiet Place game. Adding both first and third-person perspectives is a mammoth task for developers, which I appreciate, but I do hope more games offer both options in the future.
Switching to third-person improved my spatial awareness with a wider field of view, refined my aim, and even created a higher involvement in gameplay, and I think these elements are important to have in A Quiet Place game.
Rejecting first-person games because of motion sickness or personal preference is a subjective choice, albeit a disadvantage, as many gamers enjoy this style of gameplay. I often cast these titles aside, muttering “sucks to be me” and move on. Some games I persevere with, likeCyberpunk 2077, because that’s a rich world to miss out on, but in The Road Ahead’s case, I genuinely believe that the gameplay would have thrived from a third-person perspective. Thankfully, I still have Krasinski’s first movie to infinitely revisit instead of giving myself a headache with Stormind’s project.
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