I haven’t played any of the previous Alone in the Dark games. So, let’s just get that out there at the beginning of this review. I have heard of them before just never got around to playing them. Fast forward to 2024 and I can finally say that I have played an Alone in the Dark game, the seventh instalment but neither the less. I have been assured that no prior knowledge of the franchise is required to fully enjoy this title but have read on the official website that people who did play the originals back in the 90s will recognize quite a few things.
I do love a good classic horror like the original Resident Evil games. I have fond memories of playing these back in the day and with the recent success of the remakes I feel like it has brought a lot more love for the classic horror experience and that’s why we have a reimagined Alone in the Dark. One of the main things that drew me to it originally when I first saw the trailer was that they had David Harbour play one of the protagonists.
I do love his work and couldn’t wait to see his performance in Alone in the Dark. Thanks to THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive I managed to get a hold of a copy before lunch and experience my first Alone in the Dark game.
Reimagined THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive have brought back Alone in the Dark with this love letter to the originals. A classic horror-style game set in a gothic American South, you play as either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood as you explore, fight monsters, and solve puzzles while at the same time uncovering the true secret of Derceto Manor. While bringing a new original story to the franchise, you will see some familiar characters, places and themes that have come from the 90s original trilogy.
You discover that Emily Hartwood’s uncle has gone missing and with Edward Carnby, make your way to Derceto Manor. The manor is home for the mentally fatigued. Upon entry, you are thrown into a world of mystery, nightmarish worlds, and dangerous monsters.
Right at the beginning of Alone in the Dark you get to choose between Emily or Edward as the main character, on my first playthrough I decided to play as Edward. Right from the get-go you get this feeling of mystery and suspense as you arrive at the Derceto Manor, and no one appears to be home. After your first little puzzle (getting into the Manor) you quickly realise something is off.
Even though Alone in the Dark takes place within the Manor there is a lot to explore and when you revisit memories and get dragged into different worlds it quickly fleshes out the gameplay and story. While in the Manor you will need to solve puzzles and find items and clues to help progress the story along. I love all the different puzzle types, there is enough variation to make each new puzzle feel different from the last.
It feels a lot like the original Resident Evil games the way it plays out. Needing to find keys to access certain rooms and areas or find missing items or pieces of pictures to find clues and gain access to other things.
Equip yourself with various melee weapons and guns that will help you fend off against the monsters. Melee weapons don’t last forever and can break so make sure you are ready for a fight before jumping in. The melee combat does feel slightly off. It feels slow and sluggish and sometimes even though you feel like you’re within hitting range of a monster you don’t land a hit.
This is one of the reasons I favour firearm combat, but ammo can be thin on the ground and like all horror games every bullet counts. I liked that you were able to find more guns as Alone in the Dark progressed as later in the story a pistol might not cut it.
The storyline does a good job of keeping you guessing. I found myself invested in the mystery as well as wondering why Derceto Manor was shrouded in horror. The addition of playing as two different characters gives you two sides of the story and another version of how the story unfolds. It was nice to have the option to play as the two characters as it allowed for more game time and further storytelling.
Graphically Alone in the Dark looks good but does have some performance issues. I did have a moment where one of the monsters decided to clip through the wall, but it was more comical than game-breaking. The homage to the original 90s trilogy is a nice added touch. The time period (the 1920s) is perfect for the setting and the gothic American South is a brilliant backdrop. I love that we have Jodie Comer and David Harbour playing the big two protagonists Edward and Emily.
They elevate these characters amazingly and deliver quality performances. The rest of the voice-acting cast pulled through and rounded off a compelling performance. The rest of the atmosphere is quality but I was hoping for a Dead Space level of horror and jump scares but that wasn’t the case. It still had tense moments, but I wouldn’t say there was a time when I got a good fright from the monsters.
Alone in the Dark doesn’t hold much replay value. Once you have played through the story from both protagonist’s points of view, the only other thing I can see myself doing is trying to collect all the collectables. There are different camera filters you can put on, which adds to the experience, but it doesn’t offer anything truly spectacular. Because Alone in the Dark revolves around puzzle and mystery, once you have solved the puzzles and mystery, it won’t have the same effect the second time around.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Alone in the Dark (2024) is a solid instalment and a good modern classic horror experience. Pair this with A-list actors who do a fantastic job at bringing Emily and Edward to life then you are onto a winner. However, the graphical and gameplay bugs can be annoying. I had the game crash on me at least twice and force close itself and then I had it where the whole UI wouldn’t work, and you couldn’t interact with anything.
Other than this the Lovecraftian vibe, third-person perspective camera and incredible monster designs helps bring this 90s classic horror style to the modern era and further shows why this style of horror game is loved by many.
If you are on the fence about whether to pick Alone in the Dark up or not, or just want to dip your feet in the pool you can download a prologue for free now ready for the game’s release on the 20th of March 2024. For my first Alone in the Dark game, I would say that I had a blast and truly enjoyed the experience and for those reasons I’m giving it a score of 7 out of 10.
Alone in the Dark Trailer
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