While more recent entries in Bandai Namco and SuperMassive Games’ the Dark Pictures Anthology have been launching simultaneously on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, it is the first two entries in the franchise, The Dark Pictures: Man Of Medan, and The Dark Pictures: Little Hope that have been left stranded on the last generation platforms of the PS4 and Xbox One. Today that changes with Bandai Namco having stealth launched next generation versions of the pair of games.
The pair of next-gen ports, both boasting enhanced visuals are free for players to access with the PS5 and an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S through free upgrades on the PS5 and smart delivery on the Xbox Series X|S side. As is the norm for anyone who previously owned the games physically, if you wish to access these next-gen versions you will simply need to insert the disc into your new console and the game will authenticate it and enable play.
The press release from Bandai Namco reads:
Man of Medan started off the entire Dark Pictures Anthology series and Little Hope followed closely afterwards. These games marked the start of the Anthology series featuring horrific tales from the Curator’s own collection of stories. Today, all owners of one or both of these titles can download a free update that will improve several aspects of the game giving an even greater immersive experience.
While there are technical updates that are exclusive to the newer generation platforms, all versions of the game are getting some additional love, Man Of Medan in particular. These inclusions are:
- New difficulty settings & QTE warnings,
- Improved UI & interactions,
- Updated bearing art & event triggers,
- Increased walking speeds,
- More accessibility options, including subtitle sizing,
- Additional Bonus for Man of Medan: discover a previously unseen chapter called “Flooded”, introducing new gameplay and new deaths to the climatic ending of the game.
Meanwhile, PlayStation store skimmer PlayStation Game Size has reported on the file size of The Dark Pictures: Little Hope, the game clocking in at 27.639GB on the PS5.
All of this timing is convenient given how close we are to October, the month renowned for scares with Halloween, and the impending launch of the franchise’s fourth entry, The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me. The Devil In Me is currently slated to launch on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on November 18, 2022 and will serve as the concluding chapter in “Season One” of the Anthology. What happens to the franchise beyond this point, whether there is a hiatus of this season finale is simply a pivoting point for the IP, is currently unknown, but in February five other titles for titles in The Dark Pictures Anthology were leaked. These titles were,
- The Dark Pictures: Directive 8020
- The Dark Pictures: The Craven Man
- The Dark Pictures: Intercession
- The Dark Pictures: Winterfold
- The Dark Pictures Presents O Death
For now, we have a few weeks to enjoy some brilliant horror titles as a zero-dollar upgrade!
