The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (PS4)

All aboard the ghost ship

Man of Medan is the first entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology, a series of interactive horror stories from the creators of Until Dawn. Like its spiritual predecessor, it leans heavily into cinematic storytelling, player choice, and branching paths, but with a smaller scope and a more experimental structure.

The story follows a group of young adults on a diving trip in search of underwater treasure. What begins as a lighthearted adventure quickly spirals into a tense and terrifying tale aboard a mysterious, abandoned WWII freighter. As with most horror stories, not everyone will make it out alive and who lives or dies is entirely up to you.

Man of Medan is more of an interactive drama than a traditional video game. There’s very little in terms of conventional gameplay. Instead, you’ll explore environments, make dialogue choices, and react to quick-time events that determine the fate of your characters. Reflexes matter, but so do relationships.

How characters feel about each other changes based on your decisions, and those dynamics directly influence later outcomes. It’s a smart system on paper, though the emotional weight of those choices sometimes feels undercooked—especially when the characters themselves aren’t particularly engaging.

A single playthrough takes around four hours, making Man of Medan a brief experience designed for multiple runs. The branching structure encourages replaying to see different outcomes, but the story and characters may not be compelling enough for everyone to do so.

Despite its multiple endings, the overall narrative lacks the tension and polish that made Until Dawn so gripping. The horror elements are there but often predictable, and the atmosphere doesn’t fully take advantage of the freighter’s eerie potential.

Man of Medan is an interesting concept and a decent first outing for The Dark Pictures Anthology, but it feels more like a proof of concept than a fully realized horror experience. It lays the groundwork for better things to come but doesn’t quite deliver on its own. For fans of interactive storytelling, it’s still worth a look.

Final Rating: 6.5/10

Pros:

• Unique interactive storytelling format
• Atmospheric setting
• Short and digestible
• Playable solo or with friends

Cons:

• Weak character development
• Limited replay value
• Predictable horror beats