Alone in the Dark

Given how mishandled and mismanaged the Alone in the Dark series has been in it's 30+ years of existence (looking at you especially, 2008 game & 2015 Illumination), it's a miracle a much better game still got made. This 2024 remake / reboot / re-imagining pays homage and is very faithful & respectful to the 1992 classic original's spirit and flavor with modern gameplay & graphics. I've finished the game 7 times (4 as Edward, 3 as Emily), and the game's story, characters, atmosphere & 1920s rural Gothic noir setting are very alluring and engaging. Not overly familiar with either David Harbour or Jodie Comer, but they played their respective protagonist roles brilliantly.

Combat is no doubt inferior when compared to recent Resident Evil games, but still serviceable and enjoyable. Graphics and animation is often ridiculed as "PS3-era" quality, which I don't see as a negative given this is a "AA" game with far less budget compared to recent Resident Evil games or Alan Wake 2, and many games for the PS2 and PS3 eras still look great even now. Another criticism I find odd is the game being "too short", when majority of action or survival horror games tend to clock between 6-12 hours of story & gameplay. I spent 8 hours as Edward and just under 7 hours as Emily in most of my playthroughs. So it was time well spent for me. No inventory managing as well any sort of health or weapon upgrades is no doubt glaring shortcomings. But given it's limited AA budget, I guess more emphasis in AITD 2024 was placed in story telling, characters, atmosphere, setting locations, and visuals.

As for the step in the right direction, you have to look no further than the last 2 games prior to 2024 Alone in the Dark... 2008 game and Illumination. 2008 game had potential, but is a jumbled mess with too many styles and ideas mixed in like a certain Resident Evil 6 but much worse. As for Illumination, I've no clue why they greenlited such a game in the first place. It's just so bad, it seemed to effectively bury the series for good. So it's simply a pleasant surprise to see THQ Nordic revive this long forgotten franchise, especially when it's the pioneer of survival horror games. The same can be said for Outcast's revival (with "A New Beginning"), which is the pioneer for open world games. The latest Alone in the Dark does a lot of things right despite the glaring flaws, that it's provided a solid modern foundation in reviving the series going forward. I feel optimistic it will grow an audience in due time, since many gamers are always on the look out for an alternative to Resident Evil, and Alone in the Dark 2024 will deliver on that craving. It's just wonderful to see Alone in the Dark back with a great game that will serve as an ideal entry point for newcomers to the series.

My first playthrough as Emily Hartwood in the remake of Alone in the Dark proved to be a bit of a challenge, particularly against the final boss. Despite the struggle, the game had many thrilling moments and is well worth playing. One aspect that stood out to me was the game's self-awareness of its limitations, refusing to overcomplicate what worked. The game mechanics are simple yet effective, with three weapons at your disposal, including a shotgun, machine gun, and pistol/revolver, depending on your character choice. The melee attack system, which utilizes items you find, adds to the gameplay.

Jodie Comer and David Harbour's performances as Emily and Edward are fantastic, with impressive modeling, rigging, and motion capture. The story, however, is a bit disorienting, throwing you into the mysterious world of Derceto Mansion, a facility for the mentally ill. As you navigate the narrative, the lines between reality and the characters' perceptions become blurred, keeping you guessing until the very end.

The game's score and sound design are its strongest aspects, featuring a haunting jazz-like melody that sets the tone. The characters you meet along the way add to the sense of disassociation and confusion, making it difficult to discern what's real and what's not. The varied locations, from the streets of New Orleans to graveyards and Antarctica, make the game unique and compelling. The puzzles are engaging and sometimes frustrating, keeping you intrigued and invested in the game.

Overall, Alone in the Dark is a more straightforward survival horror game, likely due to budget constraints. Despite receiving mixed reviews, I believe the game has potential for a sequel, especially if Jodie Comer and David Harbour return. Their performances are a highlight of the game, and their characters' chemistry adds to the experience.

I wanted much more than this. This is just buggy mess. Story isnt something special, bad graphic. Game is around 7-8 hours long. I really have hight hopes about this one. There are plenty graphical and sound problems. Sometimes game looks like it is from mid 00's. I played as Edward Carnby, probably the game is same as if you play as Emily. The ending of the game is similiar to RE 7 but the feeling at the end isnt same. For me only good thing in this game are locations. Alone in the dark series deserves much better game than this one. At the end my suggestion is to skip this game or if you are a big horror fan as I am, buy it on big sale.

I would still enjoy this game without a star cast. It was buggy upon release as if they hadn't tested the game before. It has been updated but I still had an environmental bug that I had to reload a save from. If you're looking for a scary horror game this isn't that. It's more of a gothic horror suspense thriller! I enjoyed the puzzles, and only had to look up walkthroughs once or twice cause I couldn't figure it out. The combat is light, which I enjoy it not being a total shooter game. I like that they added New Game +. I think they nailed what they were going for, but the game deserved to be polished up a bit more. Characters feel clunky at times and the graphics seem lazy in some parts. I really enjoyed the Louisiana Southern Gothic feel of the 1920s-30s. Everyone says it's 1920s and I would agree but I found an item stating The Great Depression, which the market crashed in 1929. At the end of the day I think people are dwelling on that too much. Also yes the story switches between "reality" and "places" which I didn't find confusing at all. Its part of the story and is supposed to be whimsically off putting. Perhaps people don't enjoy an unreliable narrative which we get when playing as Emily. I will agree at times the building had people to talk to and then randomly at times felt vacant, whether or not that's intentional I'm unsure.

I did find the switch to "Egyptian vibes" confusing as it had voodoo elements at first, but it's a small detail to the story, so in the end it makes sense.

I will be playing this game again, and looking forward to additional titles being released.

This game oddly reminds me of (or plays similarly to) Resident Evil Village and The Last of Us, but feels below the bar those games set. I also felt like this game was a marketing fail, I'm just now hearing about it a year later.

In conclusion if the game had polished its graphics, and tested better before release I'm sure it would have been 10/10.

Solid story, good acting for the most part and a stellar setting! Absolutely loved exploring all the locations and the great detail put into those locations. Combat was a bit janky for me. Struggled especially against one small enemy that would consistently glitch under the floor on PC. Frustrated me greatly and is my biggest knock on this fun game.

I completed the Edward Carnby run in about 11 hours which is probably a bit longer than average. I encountered a few other glitches (like getting stuck on objects and walking on air instead of descending a stair case). Overall, I had a mostly good time and recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of old-school horror games as it has some good references to the original in here.