Alone in the Dark

Alone In The Dark is an ambitious reimagining that does little to differentiate itself from the games it's inspired by. While it's clearly taking inspiration from both Resident Evil and The Evil Within to be a survival horror powerhouse, the flat feeling combat and timid horror elements stop it from standing above the games that inspired it. Despite this, a unique take on the story and the strong setting makes it well worth a look for horror fans.

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.

Alone in the Dark was a fun adventure that scratched an itch I always have. It is a solid survival horror game that sometimes suffers under the weight of its own technical shortcomings.

Alone in the Dark returns with a solid atmosphere and engaging story, but falls short in gameplay execution, particularly in puzzles and combat. Despite its commendable presentation and character design, the repetitive puzzles and unsatisfactory combat mechanics hinder the overall experience. It's a game with potential, but ultimately struggles to deliver on its promises, leaving fans hoping for future updates to address its shortcomings.

An old-fashioned Lovecraftian action-adventure game rather than frenetic Survival Horror, Alone in the Dark allows itself an interesting re-imagining of the founding episodes. Nostalgia unfortunately collides with obsolescence: even the hardcore fan of the license will have difficulty getting past systems that are too archaic. We would have appreciated that, freed from the chains of AAA with huge budgets and the need to necessarily do better than its competitors, the Pieces Interactive title tried more things, did things differently, allowed itself a certain radicality. It is not so. An adventure with a capital “AA”, imperfect in its substance as in its form, but sincere in everything it undertakes.

Alone in the Dark is back, and frankly, it may have been better left alone. THQ Nordic's revival isn't a bad game — we enjoyed chunks of it especially towards the beginning of the adventure — but it doesn't stand out in any meaningful way, and ultimately feels a little pointless in the end. We'd recommend keeping an eye on that launch patch to see how the game is shaping up on release, but it's best not to expect a Resident Evil-level reimagining from this Alone in the Dark reboot - even if it stands as a serviceable third-person adventure.

As buggy as the bayou, Alone in the Dark is a disappointing return for the classic horror franchise. Derceto Manor has corners worth exploring, and the puzzles are smartly designed. However, the clunky combat, lack of scares, unengaging story and drab voice acting sully the overall package.