Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

A Haunting Battle to Survive in The Way Out

The Way Out is a collection of three short audio dramas, all focusing on the unlucky and unfortunate adventure of Fortune’s Favor. It’s part of the Warhammer universe but with a special horror twist.

While traveling through the Warp, Fortune’s Favor takes significant damage, all but stranding them in the middle of nowhere. Conveniently, there’s a watch station in close proximity. Without thinking twice about that coincidence, the crew heads in, hoping for help.

Warhammer Horror has become a recent obsession of mine. The world of 40k is shockingly well suited to portraying some of the most horrifying experiences out there, all while still having a semblance of elegance. It’s a unique combination but has become iconic for the franchise.

Writing

Rachel Harrison wrote the Way Out, and it does an excellent job of providing a quirk and terrifying tale. There is no wasted time, no wasted descriptions. Everything that Harrison brings up is done with purpose.

Despite that, the story itself doesn’t feel rushed. We got to know the characters exactly as much as necessary before seeing the horrors they were about to face. And if we’re being honest here, that was the true focus this entire time.

This audio drama had so much going for it. It is atmospheric and dark, unafraid to show what a fracturing mind looks like or the graphic nature that it can bring with it. It was haunting and chilling and about a dozen other adjectives.

What I loved about this horror story is that, even though fans could guess what would happen, it was still so compelling. It was twisted in nature, and yet I couldn’t look away. In that sense, this story does fit in nicely with the greater Warhammer Horror universe.

Narration

The Way Out is an audio drama. That means that it was more than narrated. It was performed. The performers include Grace Andrews, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, Corla Medonca, Collen Prendergast, David Seddon, and David Sibley.

Together, they brought the characters and creatures of this haunting tale to life. Each one gave it their all, infusing their words with the horror and other complex emotions they were dealing with. Additionally, having so many voice actors did go a long way in helping to make each character unique right off the bat.

There were additional audio elements to enhance this story, naturally. Some characters had voice modulations, for example. Likewise, certain scenes had this subtle…sound…mixed in that enhanced the tension. The sort of sound that makes your spine tingle.

Conclusion

That leaves the question, is The Way Out an experience worth diving into? If you’re a fan of Warhammer Horror, the answer is absolutely. If you’re not a fan, you might find some elements confusing, while other elements will probably be even more shocking. Either way, it’s worth checking out.

It’s worth noting that The Way Out was part of an event that happened last year (Digital Horror Week), which means there are a few other stories to dive into if you find yourself liking this one. Also, if we’re fortunate, we’ll get another week of horror this year.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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