Game Review: Alone in the Dark (Xbox Series X)

The Alone in the Dark franchise is one of the most hit and miss game series’ going. So, the initial announcement of a new game was hardly anything to get excited about, especially when this new game was to be a reimagining of the original 1992 game. You know, the most beloved franchise entry of all.

Risky business, but developer Pieces Interactive went ahead, and the end result turned out to be much better than expected. In fact, as far as survival horror goes in the modern times, Alone in the Dark is a strong effort with plenty of things to love about it. The experience is marred by some technical flaws and bugs, but for the most part, it’s a mighty fine experience. Especially if you’re a fan of old-school survival horror gameplay.

The story, a rich and detailed one, surrounds Emily Hartwood who has hired a private investigator named Edward Carnby to accompany her to an isolated home for the mentally fatigued called Derceto Manor. Emily received a worrying letter from her uncle Jeremy, who is a resident at the place, and has travelled to check on his wellbeing.

Arriving at Derceto Manor, Emily’s concerns about her uncle deepen when the staff reveal that he has gone missing. She and Edward set about investigating his disappearance, but also begin to uncover a dark mystery hidden within the walls of Derceto Manor. One that threatens more than just all those within.

It’s a deeply engaging story with eccentric twists and turns, steepED in Lovecraftian atmosphere, and with brash moments of horror (some that are quite extreme too). A story that is made stronger thanks to a fantastic voice cast (Jodie Comer and David Harbour are brilliant in the lead roles), tons of documents/clues that add backstory, and an ever growing sense that things are spiralling out of control.

Depending on which character the player choses to play as too, there are details and plot threads that differ, five endings to uncover, and some sections that are wholly unique to each character.

Alone in the Dark is a game, where to get the full picture, you’ll want to play it through with both characters. Especially as there are more subtle differences that change up gameplay too.

Gameplay that comes from a third-person perspective and mixes horror, action, stealth, exploration, and puzzle solving. Think back to the likes of the original Resident Evil, where you explored the mansion to find keys and solve puzzles to progress. Whereas danger lurked around every corner in Resident Evil, it’s the shadows that create the sense of threat in this game.

The action side of things comes from the solving of puzzles that allow the character to enter parts of Jeremy’s mind. Where darkness has invaded, and with it, a whole host of grotesque monsters await. Both characters begin with a pistol, but more weapons can be found as the game goes on. Melee weapons that break, a powerful shotgun with a horrible reload time, a devastating Tommy Gun… the ammo for these weapons though? That is sparse and you’re going to have to think about every fight. Sometimes, it really is just smarter to run, or at least try to sneak past some of them.

Action is not Alone in the Dark at its best, made worse by some of the games technical problems, but it never feels like a focal point of gameplay. Especially as the game’s best moments often come when there is no action at all.

Exploring Derceto Manor, solving puzzles, drinking in the atmosphere of a foggy New Orleans, wandering through a dark swamp, exploring the trenches of war, uncovering secrets in an Egyptian tomb, these are the things that stand out about Alone in the Dark. These are the things that make it such an enjoyable game. It’s not open-world either, in fact it’s mostly quite linear, but with a variety of locales and different challenges, it feels bigger.

It’s impossible to not be taken in by how much atmosphere the game has, something that is helped by some really amazing visuals too. There will be many moments where you just stop and marvel at the lighting and attention to detail.

Which is important, because there are many times when the game does everything possible to make you dislike it. As stated at the start of this review, the game comes with a lot of issues, and while a recent patch (as of the 28th of March 2024) has solved a lot of them, it’s simply not acceptable to release something with this many issues. These companies are hell bent on doing everything possible to make sure it’s simply stupid to pick up a game upon release.

So, what issues existed for those unlucky enough to pick it up early?

You had to save often, because the game had far too many moments where a reload is necessary. This includes the main character getting stuck on things and trapped, but worse of all, involves a set of keys disappearing from your inventory completely. The game also suffered, and continues to suffer, from cutscene pop-in and lag, delayed sound effects, character models looking a bit ‘off’, and more.

These issues build up, and for some, may be hard to overlook, especially as the game doesn’t have the most inspiring of ‘canon’ endings and it is a bit short overall. It’s better, post-patch, but regardless, it does lower the overall score.

Does enjoyable survival horror gameplay, a great story, and tons of dark ambience make up for this though? Absolutely. Alone in the Dark is very good game, and fans of modernised old-school horror will get a hefty kick out of it. The hope now is that this is the reboot this franchise needs to become a powerhouse again.