The Quiet Man--A Game About Being Deaf--Lets You Replay The Story With Sound

Square Enix has announced that you'll be able to replay The Quiet Man--a game about a protagonist who's deaf--on a second playthrough with sound. The choice to do so is optional, according to Gematsu, but Square Enix's decision to add the feature is slightly puzzling, as it appears to undermine the whole point of the game.

On The Quiet Man's Steam page, Square Enix writes you "play as a deaf character, Dane, and experience the world as the character does--with very little distinct audio and no subtitles: it's up to you to make up your own interpretation of the story as your search for the masked man unfolds." The developer also adds that one of the game's key features is its soundless world. Experiencing what it's like for someone who's deaf to interact with the world seems to be the selling point of The Quiet Man, so it's a little odd that there's an option to replay the game with sound.

The Quiet Man made waves at E3 2018 with a reveal trailer that blended together live action cutscenes and animated gameplay. Despite the excitement, Square Enix didn't announce any further details about the game until early October, when a gameplay trailer revealed The Quiet Man's release date was a month away.

The gameplay trailer showcases Dane moving through a noiseless Manhattan, using his quick reaction time to respond to threats. Dane appears to have above-average strength, easily flipping around and delivering devastating beat downs on the enemies he encounters. The trailer also reveals the hooded man who serves as the game's primary antagonist. This mysterious villain kidnaps a songstress that Dane seems smitten with and desperately wants to save.

The Quiet Man launches on November 1 for PS4 and PC, and will release as a digital-only title. Square Enix advertised the game as an "immersive story-driven cinematic action experience" that can be completed in one sitting.