In something of a reversal of the usual result of games that use live-action cutscenes, Human Head’s ambitious attempt to tell a story from the perspective of a deaf protagonist gets a lot more right about its video half than its game half. Its cinematics are technically competent – even impressive – at conveying characters’ emotions without sound, but the story it’s telling is uninspired and the playable third-person combat sequences are overly simplistic and repetitive. At times, The Quiet Man feels like it was made for network television, and the interactive elements are more of an afterthought.
The Quiet Man’s minimal use of sound does effectively add tension, making it difficult to look away from the screen for fear of missing some important plot point during the live-action sequences. The hero, Dane, exists in a nearly silent environment with little to no audible dialogue. This creative choice forces you to focus on the actors’ facial expressions in order to interpret what he or she is saying in a given scene – and the actors do an exceptional job of conveying their emotions. When someone is speaking to Dane, the only sounds are the haunting, ethereal noises that let you know he understands what’s being said. We also get muffled sound effects whenever he lands a punch or kick.
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The Quiet Man’s minimal use of sound does effectively add tension, making it difficult to look away from the screen for fear of missing some important plot point during the live-action sequences. The hero, Dane, exists in a nearly silent environment with little to no audible dialogue. This creative choice forces you to focus on the actors’ facial expressions in order to interpret what he or she is saying in a given scene – and the actors do an exceptional job of conveying their emotions. When someone is speaking to Dane, the only sounds are the haunting, ethereal noises that let you know he understands what’s being said. We also get muffled sound effects whenever he lands a punch or kick.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...