Alone in the Dark Review (Morboth)
Thank you Pieces Interactive, just thank you.
When I saw that a new Alone in the Dark was about to be released, I was all but excited: the original Alone in the Dark (1992) was, alongside Wolfenstein 3D and Doom one of the very first games I ever played. I relished Alone in the Dark 2 and 3 as only a fanboy can, yet with the turn of the century came the first Alone in the Dark reboot with which I never connected. Then came the second reboot in 2008 which I never bothered to play. Thus, I was highly sceptical of any new entry in the series, and I had little hopes that this would be any different.
Now, having done every single achievement in this game all I can say is: thank you, Pieces Interactive, for offering a nostalgia trip like none other.
As befits a proper Alone in the Dark reboot, we play as either private detective Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood – motion captured and voiced by none other than David Harbour and Jodie Comer respectively – who make their way to Derceto Manor in Louisiana to look for Jeremy Hartwood, Emily's uncle. What ought to have been a routine visit to check up on the elder Hartwood turns into a search as the pair learn from the mansion’s cadre of suspicious characters that Jeremy has gone missing and is nowhere to be found. Soon, our protagonists find themselves in the midst of an interweaving plot involving them, the missing Hartwood, the unlikely inhabitants of the mansion and twisted entities from beyond that plague the mansion. For true to its predecessor's fashion, Alone in the Dark 2024's Derceto is filled with monsters that are either heavily inspired by Lovecraft's writings or directly taken from the late writer's lore.
Enemies invariably takes us to combat, which draws heavily from the Resident Evil series – themselves arguably disciples of the original Alone in the Dark. Thus, ammunition is a scarce commodity throughout the game and much more so are medicinal canteens that replenish your lost health. Melee weapons have a limited durability before they break, which makes it impossible to melee your way through the game to save ammo. Some reviewers have found the combat to be rather clunky, which I do not entirely deny. Rather, I make a case for it being spot on with the game’s overall feel, for making it a seamless shooter would have utterly detracted from the nostalgic feel of the game.
For the game is all about nostalgia: it is filled to the brim with references and nods to the original games ranging from collectibles to easter eggs and secret endings alluding to the original games which, while not entirely following the original storyline, do ground the newest game’s story on that of its illustrious predecessor (these nods find their apotheosis when the tree comes to life at the game’s grand finale and starts meting out destruction left and right, something which filled me with childish joy). Even the weapons are a throwback to the original Alone in the Dark titles, albeit the game arguably draws more from the second, rather than the first game of the series in this regard. There is, finally, something that I cannot put into words, which is the overall feel of the game: Derceto and the whole story truly feels like an Alone in the Dark title, from the puzzles, to the aesthetics of the mansion, everything reeks Alone in the Dark. For those of us feeling extra nostalgic, there are also the DLC included in the Deluxe Edition which allow us to swap our character’s skins for their 1992 equivalents and even includes an 8-bit filter to make the game look straight out of the ‘90s. If anything, my biggest complaint is that we should have had a DLC that swaps the current OST with that of the original game (the monster theme from the DOS version is something I seriously missed in this game!) and we could also have used ‘90s skins for the monsters as well (there is no beating those skeletons walking with their arms stretched).
That is not to say that the game is perfect: as stated, combat feels a tad stiff at times and there is the occasional frame drop every now and then. Graphics have also been heavily criticised, albeit unfairly: the game might look like a title from the early PS4 era, but that is nothing wrong per se. First, not all games need to be AAA lookers to deliver a solid gaming experience. Second, Alone in the Dark 2024’s price tag accurately reflects this. My only qualm would be that, while I did find the game’s length to be spot on, I ended up wanting for more (I would not have extended the main story, but I would definitely like to have a DLC of sorts at some point). Yet ultimately, none of these aspects detract from the game’s enjoyment.
For in the end, Alone in the Dark (2024) is the ultimate love letter to a genre-defining classic: it is a touching, beautiful tribute to all of us who hold the original game dear in our hearts. Many may claim my review to be biased and written with rose-tinted glasses; a case could be made indeed for my being lenient with the game’s weaker aspects out of nostalgia for the original 1992 instalment. Yet the opposite holds true: I was (and still am) absolutely critical of every Alone in the Dark title that came after the original trilogy and my bar was impossibly high in terms of what I expected of a new instalment in the franchise. Yet Alone in the Dark 2024 delivered far beyond what I dared to expect: for the 20 or so hours that took me to 100% this game, I journeyed back in time to my kitchen’s PC, sitting on my father’s lap while my mum cooked dinner behind us, completely oblivious to the hardships of adult life; a journey back to a happier time; an easier time. And for that I cannot help but be grateful to the developers.
9/10
TL;DR: Nostalgia trip like no other. Will transport you to the ‘90s and hard. Has some minor technical issues that do not significantly detract from the experience.