Something old, something new

Alone in the Dark has had a weird history. The original game was one of the first to popularize the survival horror genre. Since then, it has made several attempts at returning, heck the series has been rebooted so many times, this is the third game just called ‘Alone in the Dark.’ This latest entry attempts to take a more classic approach focusing more on puzzles and story than combat. While it does have some tense moments, the clunky combat and some technical issues hold it back from being a true classic, still I had a lot of fun discovering the mysteries with my favorite protagonists Edward and Emily.

This entry takes place in the deep south as Emily Hartwood’s brother Jeremy has gone missing. She then hires our favorite detective Edward Carnby to help her find them. The entire game takes place at Decerto Manor, an old house located deep in the bayou. This place is now home to mentally fatigued patients, and upon arrival both Emily and Edward realize things are not as they should be.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99

Right from the start players are asked to choose a character. Think of it like classic Resident Evil titles. Whoever you pick will be the main character, with the other serving more as a side character. Both paths tread a lot of the same ground, but there are exclusive areas only available for each character. The game will also have various interactions with the people of Decerto Manor that will deliver exclusive cutscenes and dialogue. It is a neat way to encourage replay, and with the core game only lasting about eight hours, it isn’t a huge time investment.

The developers managed to get two well-known actors to play the roles of the main characters. David Harbour assumes the role of Edward Carnby, I am sure most know him from his role on Stranger Things. He delivers a solid performance, but some of the reaction lines are a bit repetitive. For Emily Hartwood we are treated with Jodie Comer, who I recognized from Free Guy, but has had a list of familiar roles as well. She also delivers a great performance with the exception of the repetitious lines.

The main game basically breaks down into two sections. When exploring the house itself, I was mostly completing puzzles, finding clues, and talking to residents trying to uncover the mystery. Every so often things would shift, and I would move into the dark world where I was figuring out what happened to Jeremy, but this is also where the combat comes into play. The game goes back and forth with these two styles at regular intervals and keeps things fresh while moving the story forward.

The puzzles are a mixed bag. Some of them are extremely clever, requiring players to pay attention and listen to what is said, while also sifting through some notes picked up to discover clues on how to solve them. Others simply present an issue, walk a little bit, and pick up the item to solve it. There was only one that stumped me and in the end, it was because I did a few things out of order. I like that the game allows this, and it actually made me wonder how many times it happened throughout my journey.

The combat is kind of a mess. It is a traditional third-person style. There are only a handful of guns, mostly standard fare, and the ammunition is definitely limited so making bullets count is paramount. Sadly, the aiming system feels jerky. There is also a weird hitch when first firing a bullet that causes issues. Some of the later enemies are also very jumpy, making hitting them a chore. The final boss is where the combat completely broke for me. I got stuck multiple times in a corner, getting juggled in hit animations and dying over and over until I simply got lucky. Thankfully the game is light on combat overall, otherwise I might have given up earlier. It simply feels bad at times.

Visually the game has its moments. I liked the setting mostly as very few games take the horror to the swamp infested deep south. There are plenty of locales to visit even though the game takes place in one area, no spoilers. There are some technical issues though. As I mentioned earlier the game feels like it hitches on certain audio cues. They happen a second or two late which makes me think it is loading them from memory and running a little behind. There are also some parts that slow down and some generic textures across the board. It is not an ugly game, but its budget certainly shines through. The performances are mostly good and the music ambient, but nothing that will light the world on fire.

Alone in the Dark was a fun adventure that scratched an itch I always have. It is a solid survival horror game that sometimes suffers under the weight of its own technical shortcomings. This is a game anyone who grew up with the likes of the original Alone in the Dark or Resident Evil games will enjoy, just not sure it is worth the asking price. I might wait for a sale on this one, but don’t sleep on it entirely. It definitely has its moments, and I enjoyed the story as a whole.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.