When it comes to turbulent game series, none does it better than Alone in the Dark. Having pioneered the survival horror genre, later entries into the series would see more and more fall off until the train wreck of a release that was Alone in the Dark: Illumination. Having strayed so far from what was held as a good series, THQ acquired the rights back in 2018 and has, since then, been cooking up to relaunch the series back to what it once was. The anticipation for the upcoming release of Alone in the Dark 2024 is palpable, promising to bring back the thrill and fear that made the original game a classic.
Alone in the Dark 2024, a reimagination of the original game, stands out with its unique features. In their remake, Pieces Interactive has taken inspiration from recent Resident Evil remakes, enhancing the story’s coherence depending on the player’s character choice. This fresh perspective promises new experiences, maintaining the essence of the original while introducing exciting new elements.
Alone in the Dark follows Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer) and private investigator Edward Carnby (David Harbour) as they travel to Derceto Manor, a mysterious mansion in the middle of nowhere for the mentally ill, while searching for Emily’s missing uncle, Jeremy. This is an interesting take, as Jeremy had already committed suicide by the time Alone in the Dark happened back in 1992.
“Combat feels primarily passable, with each of the four weapons feeling pretty distinct.”
While the story itself is pretty serviceable, it never does anything to really set itself apart, touching on themes that we have seen in other survival horror games that have done it much better. The theme of Carnbys alcoholism mixing with his mental health should be a focal point, as he clearly has issues. But instead, it goes pretty much unmentioned, especially if you go through his story first. This is a shame because I first played through his side of the story, wanting to save Emily for a secondary playthrough to sweep for collectibles.
Unexpectedly, Emily’s story unfolds with more depth and detail, her voice acting and character traits surpassing Edward’s. From the start, it’s evident that the characters in Derceto Manor show little concern for Edward, creating a sense of being forgotten rather than unwanted. In contrast, with her stronger ties to the main plot, Emily feels more immersed in the world of Alone in the Dark.
Assuming both characters’ stories would be similar, I initially didn’t think the order of gameplay would matter. However, for a more immersive experience, I recommend starting with Emily Hartwood’s side. Her story feels more organic and well-crafted, and it significantly enriches the lore of the Derceto mansion and its inhabitants, particularly Grace, a pivotal character in the narrative who goes mostly ignored on Edward’s side until a crucial moment later on.
“Combat feels primarily passable, with each of the four weapons feeling pretty distinct.”
Alone is the Dark’s combat, traversal, and puzzle solving, which can easily be traced to the more recent Resident Evil games. Even a bolt cutter sequence feels ripped right out of the Resident Evil 3 remake. Combat feels primarily passable. Over the course of the campaign in Alone in the Dark, you’ll accrue four weapons, each feeling pretty distinct.
However, being set in the 1920s, all of the weapons are older and quite clunky. The handgun and shotgun feel pretty standard and up to par with other survival horror versions of the same. It’s the Tommy gun, and the flare feels different. Mainly because I could never hit anything with the flare, but the spread and recoil on the Tommy gun felt realistic, even if it didn’t make the gun very fun to use.
On the enemy side, there are a few variations that each have their own mannerisms, but none of them except two late-game bosses feel that they are all that cool to deal with. Even the bosses, while having interesting designs and patterns, don’t land great when it comes to the biggest detractor of Alone in the Dark—the bugs.
“Alone in the Dark is a mixed bag, with some gnarly bugs and mediocre combat, but a fantastic setting and focus on exploration that genuinely feels great.”
Performance-wise, it’s a little hit-and-miss in Alone in the Dark. There are some framerate issues when enemies and gunfire really hit strong. My two most significant issues are there were times when I lost a considerable amount of time because of getting stuck in the environment. This came from either running to my next objective and trying to stop or having my character accidentally step on a bench and then get stuck on said bench. The other was when the game crashed on me roughly five minutes after losing all audio.
It was a weird experience that hampered my overall time with Alone in the Dark. But the craziest thing is what isn’t a bug that will turn some players off in a major way. This is how it handles the transition from Derceto Manor to other locations. There is no smooth transition. Instead, there are clear, hard cuts while you’re playing. There will be a minute when nothing is happening, and everything will pop in and change. It’s a weird feeling that disorientated me quite a few times.
It’s a shame because there are a few things in Alone in the Dark that Pieces Interactive handles really well. It’s a map and exploration. The map, noted up like a Resident Evil map, helps the player navigate the mostly safe environment of the Derceto Manor. A very smart implementation is that when you come across a puzzle, it is marked on your map, and when you have the tools to complete the puzzle, the notation will turn green.
It’s a shame that over the course of the game, areas will become permanently locked out, leading to some frustration, but this is why they push a second playthrough as your collectibles carry over. And there is also a secret ending for players clever enough to track down every collectible and finish the game twice.
Alone in the Dark is a mixed bag, with some gnarly bugs mediocre combat, but a fantastic setting and focus on exploration that genuinely feels great. It’s just a shame that the overall experience feels lacklustre. The good news is that this is easily the best Alone in the Dark game in decades, and with more time, Pieces Interactive could really focus its efforts on crafting an incredible survival horror experience.
