Coming from Supermassive Games, The Dark Pictures is a new horror-adventure anthology series that serves as a spiritual successor to 2015`s Until Dawn. Hosted by the enigmatic Curator, an omnipresent and unnerving narrator who consistently hints at the inevitably grim circumstances of each tale, your choices will decide the fate of each story`s key players. The first episode of the series is called Man of Medan, and it focuses on a group of twenty-somethings who find themselves trapped on the high seas with a crew of pirates on board a haunted ship.The original Until Dawn was a notable success due to its way of reworking mostly tired horror film tropes and cliches into a choice-driven narrative that felt all your own. Whereas the previous game felt more like a self-aware Wes Craven-style take on the slasher sub-genre, The Dark Pictures feels more in line with horror-anthologies like Creepshow or Tales from the Crypt. These separate episodes are stand-alone in nature, yet are tangentially related in some way thanks to the ever-curious Curator. However, there`s one significant change compared to Supermassive`s previous game. In addition to the traditional solo story, you can now experience the plot with a friend online or in a Movie Night mode that allows for local play with two to five players.In Man of Medan`s prologue, which is set during World War II, you and a friend take control of two GIs on shore-leave in the South Pacific. What follows is a grim encounter on their battleship with supernatural forces, setting the stage for the main cast of characters decades later. This cold open serves as an ominous intro to the spooky story, yet it`s also an effective introduction for the pacing and approach to co-op play. Just like in Until Dawn, you`ll control one character, engaging in dialog sequences and quick-time events. However, The Dark Pictures puts a greater focus on the perspective that each character has. So while you`re focused on what your character is doi ...
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