I played these games in reverse chronological order, starting with House of Ashes and working backwards towards this one. I’d heard mixed things about Medan, but I personally enjoyed it a lot. There are some wrinkles that Supermassive have ironed out in subsequent releases, like the clunky controls, confusing fixed camera angle, and the fact there’s no indication of whether what you’re about to interact with is a collectible or progression through the story that locks you out of all other collectibles in that area.

I found the game genuinely frightening, with a good balance of atmosphere and suspense and effective jump scares. I also don’t mind the twist - being trapped on a stranded ship while being exposed to a hallucinogenic chemical that can cause you to see horrific things and hurt yourself or those around you is no less terrifying to me than actual ghosts, so it didn’t take away from the experience for me (looking at you, Little Hope).

These games have definitely gotten stronger as they’ve gone, with the exception of Little Hope’s ending which felt like a true step back to me. But this is a solid first entry for what is, on the whole, a really enjoyable and interesting anthology so far. Looking forward to The Devil in Me!

Having replayed this game a couple more times since my initial review, I’m increasingly frustrated that so many choices seem to have such a limited impact. Character relationships, unlike Until Dawn, seem to have no bearing on anything whatsoever. It doesn’t matter if Ryan prefers Dylan or Kaitlyn, he’ll always end up saying ‘neither.’ It doesn’t matter if Laura is a dick to Max and doesn’t care about his well-being, they’ll only be reunited in one very specific set of circumstances. Same with Jacob and Emma. Most characters don’t even see each other again before the end of the game, and there’s little to no reaction from characters following their friends’ deaths. It also has the usual Supermassive problem of some characters inevitably taking a more prominent lead role while others kick back and have virtually nothing to do towards the end. I really enjoyed this game on my first run through, and I still think it’s a lot of fun to play and the story is great, but too many loose ends are left untied by the time the credits roll. A proper ending rather than the abrupt ‘what they did next’-style sequence would’ve gone a long way. It’s still not on par with the greatness of Until Dawn, but a fun experience.