The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is similar in many ways to Supermassive Games' previous work, Until Dawn. Players control one of five characters depending on the chapter and game mode, with three potential means of control. These three means of control affect the path of the story and, ultimately, its end.
Gameplay elements[edit]
Decision-making[edit]
The given character will occasionally be prompted to respond to other characters in conversation or perform an action using three choices, two of which provide further dialogue or bring about an action from the player character, and one of which is to say or do nothing (the latter of which can also be done by letting the timer run out). The two dialogue or action choices are classified as head choices or heart choices, with the former represented by a brain icon behind the choice and the latter represented by a heart icon. Either choice will affect the player character's traits and their relationship with other characters, a consequence which comes into play once control of that character is lost. On the other hand, choosing to say nothing will most often have no effect on traits or relationships, but this isn't to say that it will have no effect on the story. Choices must be made wisely in order to avoid the demise of the player character and the characters that surround them.
An additional challenge provided by an achievement/trophy is to clear the game once by using all head choices and once by using all heart choices. In this case, when only head or heart choices are provided, the character will have no choice but to say nothing. It is recommended that these playthroughs be done after having beaten the game once, as it is recommended that the player make their own choices, regardless of whether the heart or head classification is attached to them.
Exploration[edit]
In exploration, the given character can walk around the environment and interact with other characters or objects that have a sparkle on them. Interacting with other characters will lead into a conversation phase. Objects may come in the form of Pictures, which hang on the wall and foretell a story event when interacted with. Black framed pictures act as a warning, while white framed pictures show a favorable outcome. The characters' choices and performances in action sequences will ultimately lead to one outcome or the other. Other objects that can be interacted with may yield Secrets, which provide hints concerning the game's mystery. Finding Secrets will also contribute to the characters' understanding of their situation, allowing them to come to more informed decisions.
Some Pictures and Secrets can only be found in specific game modes, requiring at least one replay. See the modes section below for more details.
Action[edit]
The final means of control presented to the player is in action sequences. These sequences consist of QTEs, with failure of the QTE having varying consequences depending on the situation; sometimes they provide a minor inconvenience, and sometimes they lead to the demise of a character. Oftentimes, choices must be made while in the midst of an action sequence. These choices hold the most weight in determining the characters' fate. Successful QTE performance and correct choices will ensure the characters' survival.
Modes[edit]
Man of Medan has a variety of modes that allows for more varied replayability. These modes are as follows:
- Solo Story is the game's single player experience. The characters that are played in this mode are dependent on which "cut" is chosen.
- Theatrical Cut is the game's default mode for both Solo Story and Movie Night, and thus should be played first.
- Curator's Cut is a bonus mode that allows the player to see different perspectives, providing opportunities to find Pictures and Secrets that couldn't be found in Theatrical Cut. This is also the second player's perspective in Shared Story. Initially, the Curator's Cut was only available as a pre-order bonus, but became available to everyone a year after the game's release as free DLC.
- Movie Night is the game's couch co-op mode, allowing for multiple players to engage in the story locally. Each players claims characters before the game, and the controller must be passed between players when their character's turn comes up.
- Shared Story is the game's online co-op mode, in which each player's characters are controlled concurrently. Sometimes these characters will share a scene, but sometimes they will be separated, providing an experience in which one player is blind to the other's actions.
The completion of each mode (Solo Story, Movie Night, and Shared Story) is required for achievement/trophies that correspond with each. After beating the game, scene selection becomes available, allowing the player to restart the story from a specific scene. This is helpful when attempting a different outcome or picking up missed collectibles. However, take note that the game must be beaten in each mode separately in order to unlock scene selection in each, as each mode has separate saves.