Just finished The Quiet Man, and I... loved it.
I was expecting a weird game, and I surely got a weird game. It's a bit of a mess, but personally I like a game that dares to try something different. Besides that, I'm a sucker for games with FMV sequences.
I already saw plenty of negative comments and ridicule for the game because of a Giant Bomb play-through, which is a bit sad.
But, to be honest the game as it currently stands would never appeal to everyone, because pretty much all the game, except for the first couple of minutes, barely features any sound. It tries to put you in the place of its deaf protagonist, so you will mostly only hear or feel vibrations, some muffled sounds, and so on. That, and some minor soundtrack.
So, you will go through the game struggling to read the lips of characters, and sometimes wonder what the hell is going on.
A week from now, the game will be patched so that there's an option for second play-throughs to be played with full sound and dialogue, to help you understand what they call the "mysteries" of the story. It's a bold choice, indeed. But, at least for me it worked. I intend to replay the game when the new version drops.
So, what is the game.
Well, it's a mixture of live action sequences, and gameplay sequences.
The live action sequences are actually beautifully shot, visually very appealing. The gameplay sequences are mostly beat'em up sequences. The combo system is actually very decent, but there's occasional clipping of characters through objects, or some minor camera problems.
The visuals on the gameplay sequences vary in quality, between some rather impressive visuals that almost look like live action, and some sequences where objects and characters look a bit worse.
This is one of those rare games that makes you wonder: how in the hell a big studio green-lighted something like this?
It's a weird, risky project, because it's something that would never have mass appeal. I see some people completely hating it, and I also see it becoming a bit of a cult game for some.
Personally, I enjoyed my time with it, and will replay it when the upcoming update launches.
On a side note, the end credits theme is a great track by Imogen Heap, and the achievements on Steam all feature quotes from the lyrics of the song.