The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is a 2019 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the first game of The Dark Pictures Anthology. Man of Medan is set in the South Pacific Ocean and follows four college students and their boat captain who embark on a diving expedition to find a sunken World War II plane. Pirates hijack their vessel and strand the group aboard a ghost ship, where they must survive visions of ghostly figures. The game features gameplay elements, including quick time events, two single-player and two multiplayer modes, and collectables that allow the player to see visions of possible future events. It also has a multilinear plot where decisions can alter the trajectory of the story and change the relationships between the five playable protagonists; some lead to their permanent deaths. The developers drew primary inspiration for the premise from the urban legend of the SS Ourang Medan, a fabled ghost ship. They also looked to films, including The Shining, Ghost Ship, Triangle, and Insidious, to establish the game's psychological tension. Supermassive built the game on Unreal Engine 4 to facilitate a multi-platform release and expanded the branching narrative scope relative to their previous game, Until Dawn. Shawn Ashmore, who plays a member of the diving group named Conrad, was marketed as the game's leading actor. Jason Graves composed the soundtrack, designing the music to reflect the swaying waves of the sea. Man of Medan was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 30 August 2019, to mixed reviews. Critics commended the cooperative multiplayer modes and the adaptable branching narrative, but directed criticism towards its technical shortcomings, controls, and plot developments. The second game in the series, Little Hope, was revealed in a teaser trailer at the end of Man of Medan and released on 30 October 2020. Versions of Man of Medan for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released in September 2022, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in May 2023.