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ALONE IN THE DARK (PS5)
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Publisher: THQ Nordic.
Developer: Pieces Interactive. Released: March 2024. Genre: Survival Horror. Other versions: XSX; PC. Posted 12th January 2025. By Shane Battams © 2025 |
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The oft-forgotten grandfather of the survival horror genre, Alone in the Dark has endured its fair share of sequels and reboots that never quite competed with the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, both of which usurped this progenitor in the pecking order. The New Nightmare, while more influenced by competing horror titles, didn’t quite stoke the flames. A 2008 seventh-generation reboot was met with similar disinterest, and a 2015 online shooter was critically mauled. Nine years of radio silence and a change of IP ownership later, a third reboot would arrive in 2024. Reimagining the original game while adding Hollywood star power and ninth-gen hardware into the mix, it’s easy to look upon it with scepticism thanks to the recent glut of horror remakes and the series’ ropey track record. In all honesty though, this reboot proves surprising in how faithful it feels to classic survival horror: it’s a respectable effort.
Like its 1992 inspiration, Alone in the Dark allows players to journey into Derceto Mansion as either private detective Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood. The pair work to track down the missing Jeremy Hartwood, whose disappearance, combined with Derceto’s reputation as a haunted locale, makes for an interesting case. However, things soon take a strange turn as it’s clear things are not all that they seem. It’s an intriguing tale that takes a few surprising turns, solid writing and a plethora of enjoyable performances from both side characters and the main duo, performed in motion-capture by David Harbour and Jodie Comer for Edward and Emily respectively. Comer in particular nails the emotional highs and lows brought about by the supernatural goings-on in the story.
Alone in the Dark stands out from the competition thanks to its period setting and prominent puzzles
As either character, the game utilises the tried-and-tested over-the-shoulder perspective, as opposed to the static cameras of the original. Derceto Mansion serves as the primary location, as you gather clues and key items to open up more places to explore and get closer to the core of the mystery. If you were to take this game at a surface inspection, things are a little messy. There are a lot of janky moments, such as stuttering animations and perspective glitches, and combat only heightens these issues. Despite boasting solid shooting mechanics, jittery animations and awkward aiming while moving can make taking down the horror monsters trickier than is necessary. There’s melee combat, but this feels just as clunky with foes often able to counter you with a flurry of strikes while interrupting your combos. A dodge manoeuvre at least proves useful, especially for ammo conservation, though it’s not really needed on lower settings.
FOCAL POINT: HORRORS OF OLD
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Although it’s a touch messy on the surface, Pieces Interactive seemed focused on creating a faithful interpretation of classic horror games. Derceto Mansion is fantastic to explore: an unsettling gothic landscape replete with outlandish puzzles involving extravagant devices, satisfying secrets to uncover and a sometimes flexible approach where you can open certain locks to reduce travel time. Creepy expeditions to old memories including a Bayou oil rig and the French Quarter of New Orleans, while a touch more linear, ooze style and embrace the 1930s setting with gusto. Other touches, such as unsettling optional documents that reveal more of the twisted history of Derceto, a focus towards puzzling which is often enjoyable and a quintet of endings to uncover through thorough collectable hunting and special objectives, and it feels closer to old-school survival horror than other recent remakes. The only slight downside is a lack of scares, perhaps due to the slower pace and jankiness tainting some ideas it attempts.
Like the games it takes inspiration from, Alone in the Dark is fairly short. An initial run should see you playing for around six hours, depending on your thoroughness. There are two campaigns, albeit with quite a bit of crossover in terms of structure and key events. It also doesn’t really weave together, as the character you opt not to use plays a smaller role in the story. That being said, a unique section and dialogue seen only on one side of the campaign mean it’s not a total loss. Speedrunners can also have fun, as one trophy requires you to clear the game in less than three hours. A ranking system and unlockables might have sweetened the deal, though a harder New Game + mode was added to the game for free.
Despite some issues with bugs, the presentation here is pretty sharp. The motion-captured main characters look and animate fantastically, though secondary characters are not always afforded the same luxury and some can look quite jittery during cut-scenes. The environments are excellent, brilliantly lit, and capture the period with care while blending in eldritch horrors. Performance mode sees the game run smoothly for the most part, though certain moments can see drops though nothing major in fairness. The sound boasts quality voice-overs, an excellent soundtrack that mixes jazzy ambience with pure terror, and potent effects for shooting, actions like opening doors and monsters’ screeches. It’s a shame that some sound issues see music tracks overlapping if you restart a checkpoint, though this is rare.
Despite some issues with bugs, the presentation here is pretty sharp. The motion-captured main characters look and animate fantastically, though secondary characters are not always afforded the same luxury and some can look quite jittery during cut-scenes. The environments are excellent, brilliantly lit, and capture the period with care while blending in eldritch horrors. Performance mode sees the game run smoothly for the most part, though certain moments can see drops though nothing major in fairness. The sound boasts quality voice-overs, an excellent soundtrack that mixes jazzy ambience with pure terror, and potent effects for shooting, actions like opening doors and monsters’ screeches. It’s a shame that some sound issues see music tracks overlapping if you restart a checkpoint, though this is rare.
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Sadly for fans, Pieces Interactive would shutter just three months after the game’s release, due to its commercial failure. While far from a perfect game, mostly due to a thick layer of jank on top, Alone in the Dark proves a curiously faithful return for the innovator of survival horror. It reimagines the original with a next-gen sheen while encompassing multiple elements that defined titles from its time such as deep puzzling, exploration and opening up the Rubix cube of investigation that is Derceto Mansion. Coupled with a solid story and enjoyable performances, it should appeal to horror aficionados, especially those weaned on the classics from decades prior. Likely a tougher sell for the uninitiated, it’s nevertheless a shame we’ll likely not see a follow-up due to the volatile gaming climate it released into.
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VERDICT
"While it certainly isn’t perfect, Alone in the Dark proves a curiously faithful survival horror reimagining with deep puzzling, satisfying exploration and a solid story bolstered by enjoyable performances." OVERALL: 6/10 |
OTHER GAMES WITH AN EARLY 20TH CENTURY SETTING REVIEWED
Empire of Steel (1992, Mega Drive)
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Black Mirror (2017, PlayStation 4)
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