Survival horror has had somewhat of a revival as of late, not only seeing some of the most creative indie titles in some time pushing the genre into new places while maintaining the edge of nostalgia, but also big names coming back with modern remakes.
It’s no surprise then to see the progenitor of 3D survival horror Alone in the Dark coming back with a full reboot.
This isn’t the first time Alone in the Dark has had the reboot treatment. In fact, this is the third attempt to revive the name and with such a hit-and-miss track record, there’s a lot to prove.
Going back to its roots of a creepy mansion with interesting characters and Lovecraftian elements, this iteration has pulled in cinema heavyweights David Harbour and Jodie Comer to play the game's iconic protagonists Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood in an effort to stand out.
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Not unlike previous attempts, this reboot manages to get so much right and yet stumbles on its own (gum)shoelaces in other spots, making for an interesting experience that is definitely worth your time, as long as you can look past some of the rougher edges.
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The game opens on your journey to Derceto Manor, a mansion-turned-mental facility in the Louisiana bayou that’s home to Emily Hartwood's estranged uncle Jeremy. After sending her a letter telling her to stay away at all costs, she of course wants to know more, so hires Edward Carnby as backup.
Shortly after arriving, it’s clear not only is Jeremy missing but there’s some strange goings-on at Derceto. Perhaps hiring a detective wasn’t such a bad call after all.
As you explore Derceto, you’ll slowly find yourself entangled in a mystery of mental illness, cult worship and voodoo magic, which quite honestly had us intrigued and desperate to know more with every beat.
The setting of Derceto is perfect in tone. it’s dripping with tension at every step, with almost every room filled with curios and puzzles set to the backdrop of some stunning sound design that keeps things taut. With creaky floorboards, chiming clocks and more weird sounds, you’ll want to push on but always feely slightly hesitant to do so.
You won’t be cooped up in Derceto, however, as you’ll find yourself slipping between realities, often at a moment's notice after walking through a door you might have used a hundred times before – leading to the fog-soaked streets of New Orleans, the mysterious deserts of Egypt or elsewhere.
This is where your first taste of combat occurs, and your first introduction to the creatures of Alone in the Dark is one of the more memorable moments in horror gaming for some time.
Unfortunately, it’s when you first experience the combat you start to see the game struggle, both conceptually and technically.
First of all, the combat itself is fairly basic. You’ll have a pistol and perhaps one or two more guns further in the journey and that’s really it. You can pick up breakable mêlée items in certain areas, but they’re more useful for breaking barriers than crushing horrors from the bayou.
In a sense, it adds to the tension: you never quite feel tooled-up enough to take on the enemies around you. After all, no one expects a 1920s detective to have a bigger arsenal at his or her disposal than a Navy SEAL.
However, you’ll quickly catch on that in areas where a battle can occur, you’ll find throwable bricks or Molotov cocktails mysteriously littered all over the map. So any tension over whether there’ll be a fight or not is immediately dispelled.
From a technical standpoint, this is where we found the most bugs in our gameplay. The audio of gunshots and even the animations are out of sync with each other and the damage taken by the monsters around you. We had enemies ice-skating along the floor, unable to be hit by anything let alone our small supply of bullets, and the camera would on occasion get stuck in some weird spots, making it impossible to see or dodge attacks.
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While these sound like minor bugs – and certainly nothing game-breaking – in the later chapters that rely on larger groups of enemies to ramp up tension, it’s just more frustrating than anything else.
Thankfully, combat isn’t the biggest part of the Alone in the Dark experience. Puzzle-solving and clue-gathering is the real bulk, as you uncover where Jeremy has been and who the mysterious ‘Dark Man’ is that haunts the many realities you’ll travel to.
As you travel back and forth from these areas, your character getting more erratic with each experience, you’ll meet the other inhabitants of Derceto, each with their own strange story to tell.
These moments are what Alone in the Dark does so well. It was a joy listening to David Harbour's delivery change as he became more and more disturbed by what’s going on, and as he became frustrated with the other inhabitants of Derceto having no idea of what he’s going through – or at the very least, doing their best to brush it off.
Alone in the Dark is a tight experience, coming in at around 18 to 20 hours for a playthrough, but it’s a game that warrants going back in for another go. Edward and Emily go through a very similar experience at its core, but depending who you choose to play as, there are some slightly different twists along the way and different treatment from the other guests to experience.
There are also multiple endings to unlock, depending on what collectibles you pick up along the way. Lagniappes are curios and collectibles that are grouped in themes of three. Each will unlock more of the game's lore, but some will also unlock new objectives to complete or items to use which can change the path the story will take at the end.
You can’t get them all in a single playthrough as some items are exclusive to Edward's or Emily's run.
Alone in the Dark isn’t a perfect experience or a five-star return to form. However, the game really nails the tone, and it is just a joy to explore Derceto and drink in the spooky vibes of this Lovecraftian detective thriller. There’s enough twists and turns to have you hanging on until the end, even if the latter half of the game feels a little too reliant on action that isn’t quite up to snuff.
Platform reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Alone in the Dark is out on March 20 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
