Alone in the Dark is the latest game in the franchise that is reviving a fan-favorite franchise from the 90s. Developed by Pieces Interactive and published by THQ Nordic, it is a good effort at reviving a horror franchise. The early trailers looked rough but the final product does things better. Players will uncover mysteries at Derceto Manor which houses mentally fatigued persons. It is a Southern Gothic-style mansion with a weird doctor. There are a lot of mysteries to uncover and the game will make sure that players are actively engaged in solving these mysteries.
It is a survival horror mystery game with more emphasis on mystery through puzzles and investigation. Players have to figure out the mystery by piecing together different pieces of puzzles. It caters to fans of both survival horror and detective games because there is a lot to investigate here. The game stays true to the name Alone in the Dark as things can get really weird when alone. All this makes you wonder, “Is Alone in the Dark Worth It?” let’s find out.
Premise and Setting
In the beginning, you will be given the choice of either play as Emily Hartwood portrayed by Jodie Comer Edward Carnby portrayed by David Harbour. To get to the full story you have to play as both of them. Each has a completely different experience than the other. In a sense, for the full deal, you have to play as both. There is even an extra alternative ending as well.
Emily receives a letter from her uncle Jeremy Hartwood who fears for his safety. She hires a private, investigator Edward Carnby to assist her. Early on there is not much choice to move around as the game goes in a single direction for both of the plots. Different cutscenes and dialogues for the two plots decide how the residents of the mansions view them. Emily is familiar with the people so in her version of the events people are kinder to her. Edward’s rough nature leads to more intense cutscenes and less help from people.
Alone in the Dark is set in 1920 and you will visit different locations of Louisiana through interesting mechanics. One of the things that feel odd about the game is that it does not go into racial inequality of that time despite having characters of color. The main focus is on Emily searching for her uncle. Early on a painting will affect your characters as one will see the things that the other will not. It is interesting to see how both scenes play out.
To unlock the secret ending you will need to find the Lagniappe set which also acts as a collectible. Finding the set will also unlock lore and secrets. Collecting Lagniappe motivates you to explore the mansion beyond finding ammo and health.
Investigate and Solve Mysteries
Playing as Edward is different than Emily in the context that things are more complete for Emily. At its core, it is a survival horror with puzzles thrown in the mix which is evident on both normal and hard difficulties. On easy difficulty, Alone in the Dark becomes more action-oriented with little focus on puzzles. There is a feature that lets you turn on direct hints on where to go and what to do.
Most of the puzzles are easy enough but tough enough to make you feel clever without making your head explode with frustration. Puzzles vary from moving around pieces of broken dishes to find patterns to moving paintings to unlock stuff and things like that. Some puzzles do stick out compared to others so not all puzzles are stale.
UI is good enough to see what information is needed for an investigation. Edward is a seasoned investigator which makes him better at figuring things out and makes the investigation easier. Emily is new to all this investigation stuff and tries harder to piece things together.
Combat
Shooting is decent and moving around is decent enough. Aiming is precise enough that make it good unlike some other games though it is not on par with modern shooting games. At times, your character can turn at a fast speed which makes it harder for the aiming speed to keep up.
There are multiple weapon types to unlock which adds variety to combat. Ammo is extremely scarce on normal and hard difficulty. On easy mode, you can just run and gun around. Melee is slow and enemies will not always react to hits. You can stun them if they are not too far off in animation that they become unstunable. You can take damage if you go for melee kills to conserve ammo in Alone in the Dark.
On the D-Pad you have the button to heal which is a booze bottle that you will find scattered throughout the game. One thing to keep in mind is that there is no upgrade system so when you get something, it is going to stay that way for the entire game.
Clicking the right stick will turn on the flashlight that is tied to your chest though it won’t run out of battery like some other games (Aalan Wake 2). It is not as intense as other survival horror games due to its more forgiving nature, especially on easy difficulty. You will rarely feel close to death. There is also a quick time event in which you have to mash the dash button to get out. At times, a small enemy will fly around and you have to press the dash button a couple of times to get away from it.
General Gameplay
Alone in the Dark looks nice enough on both graphical modes on consoles. There is not much difference or at least I couldn’t see a massive difference. The two characters don’t look terrible as there is quite a bit of details. The manor and other locations you visit look good.
It will take you 10 to 15 hours to complete both stories. The time to finish it varies depending on how quickly solve the puzzle and go through the game. Even on both playthroughs, the game doesn’t feel stretched out as there are few repeating mechanics.
Writing and voice acting are also great and don’t feel rushed through. Edward yells, grunts, and moans a lot. Emily on the other hand is more subdued. Most side actors are decent enough and won’t stick out due to their underdeveloped nature.
Verdict (Is Alone in the Dark Worth It?)
Alone in the Dark is a survival horror experience with quite a bit of detective work. There is fun to be had and mysteries to be uncovered. The plot itself is an excellent mix of different ideas. When playing it you will feel like the game is really trying to blur the line between what’s real and what’s not. At times, the things you see will be in your mind, and other times, it will be the opposite.
Enemy interaction and the way the narrative of the game shapes keeps players intrigued. Solving a mystery and knowing its end result through investigation is what makes this a great experience. Clever writing, great performances by the two lead characters, and solid gameplay come together to bring new life to the series that we have all come to love.
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