Rating
Fade to Silence
As the player you take the role of Ash, a natural but tormented leader. In that role you explore a post-apocalyptic, frozen wasteland to gather the resources necessary to establish a refuge for survival. With dwindling resources, simple tasks like upgrading equipment and collecting materials quickly require an expedition to scavenge the necessary i...
Details
- Released
- April 30, 2018
- Developer
- Black Forest Games
- Genres
- Survival · Action · Role-playing (RPG) · Adventure · Open world
- Publisher
- THQ Nordic
How it plays
Similar Games
Fade to Silence Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
In my opinion, the game culminates into an expert combination of storytelling, survival, and community management, leaving me quite satisfied with the result. True, there are a lot of survival games out there, and aside from obvious clones, each is trying to find their niche to hopefully push their game, their story, into something more than the standard fare. For me, though not perfect, this game hits that goal. Well done, THQ Nordic.
For the flaws that it has, Fade to Silence is an ambitious game that provides a unique experience in a crowded genre. The world is stark, cold and unwelcoming, and there’s a discomposing atmosphere that always puts you on edge. Fade to Silence isn’t for everyone, but for those who want to experience a harsh, unforgiving world, this is just the ticket - just don’t rush into permadeath mode right away.
In my quest to find something to scratch an itch similar to my experience with the survival game The Forest, the newly released Fade to Silence popped up on my radar. Instead of a vast island with climes from tropical to northern tundra, you play as Ash, a survivor of some world-ending disaster who must brave the permanent winter blanketing the new landscape. What starts as small excursions into the unknown for food and fuel soon become full out expeditions in search of survivors, resources, and hoping to cleanse the world of the evil consuming it.
Fade to Silence‘s strengths definitely outweigh its weaknesses, though. Its unique setting makes you want to go out and discover its secrets. Its camp building elements reward you for seeking out other survivors and building bonds with them. And the survival aspects give the game depth and added challenge. It isn’t just a bog-standard adventure game with a frosty backdrop; in Fade to Silence, the weather is your biggest foe. Whether you’re a fan of action-adventure or survival games, Fade to Silence is well worth checking out.
There is a decent survival gameplay loop at the core of Fade to Silence. It's just that everything that emanates from that core is either cheaply cropped from another game or poorly executed in this one. I just kept coming back to this feeling I was playing disjointed parts of these other games, not a unified experience of this one.
Lackluster combat and poorly explained mechanics aside undermine the fact that Fade to Silence is an often decently crafted survival sandbox effort that neatly dovetails Lovecraftian themes into its design to often surprising effect.
Many considered the survival genre to be overcrowded, with numerous titles in the genre being released every year. Fade to Silence is the latest entry in the genre and it’s got some pretty ambitious goals but is it enough to stand out from the crowd?
Fade to Silence’s strong premise is marred by clumsy execution, poor writing, and painfully slowed pacing.
I'm sorry but this game is terrible. I always feel bad saying this as I know how much hard work goes into making a game, but really? From the graphics to the
A survival game that, despite a few interesting ideas, struggles to provide any reason to persevere with its overfamiliar gameplay and poorly handled storytelling.
– Matt S. Editor-in-ChiefFind me on Twitter: @digitallydownldPlease help keep DDNet running: Running an online publication isn’t cheap, and it’s highly time consuming. Please help me keep the site running and providing interviews, reviews, and features like this by supporting me on Patreon. Even $1/ month would be a hugely appreciated vote of confidence in the kind of work we’re doing. Please click here to be taken to my Patreon, and thank you for reading and your support!
Fade to Silence initially has interesting ideas in a world that should be interesting, but the story just doesn’t captivate or take advantage of that setting. It also doesn’t help that taking back infected areas is as simple as holding down X to cleanse the area. Sure, you’ll fight a few creatures a