Alone in the Dark
This game was a pleasant surprise for me. I saw it got mediocre reviews and got it since it was free for PlayStation Plus recently. I would say it’s not worth the full price of a game but is definitely worth more than most indie games. It did lack with some of its gameplay like with fighting mechanics where the control felt clumsy and was especially felt with the final boss. But I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the game for the most part.
It follows Emily as she goes with Detective Carnby to find her brother at the mental facility her family admitted him to. It is a period piece taking place in the 1930’s. I played the game twice once with each character hoping it would be akin to something like Resident Evil 2 where both characters have their own story but it’s more like Resident Evil 1 where it’s mostly the same story but changing based on who take initiative at the beginning.
The game is interesting since it’s a modern remake of the classic game that was a precursor to the horror classic like Resident Evil and Silent Hill but now takes notes from both of those game series’. But what caught my attention the most were the nods to my favorite games: Eternal Darkness Sanity’s Requiem. Besides being a Lovercraftian story the gameplay gave what I felt was an interesting perspective on what a modern version of Eternal Darkness could look like with how sudden the scenery can change going room to room and the exploration of different parts throughout the world. It felt at times like the modernized game. But without the highly philosophical story, magic, and sanity effects.
When it came to different elements I loved the music and how well it set the unique tone for the game. The horror elements were serviceable but nothing too scary in regards to atmosphere and there weren’t much for jump scares besides a few which felt perfect for me after coming off of playing Madison which was drenched in jump scares. I feel the story was a lot better with playing as Emily as it had more impact with her interactions with all the characters. It also helped cement a theory I have that the game is a subtext for being gay or queer in society in that time but nothing is ever directly stated. Just implications.
I would recommend this to fans of Lovecraftian horror and horror fans in general but maybe get it on sale. It is a shorter game and if you only wanted to play it once, play as Emily. It’s definitely more enjoyable and the story is more compelling as her. Also the start is kind of slow and like 60% of the game is finding notes and lore so if that’s not your thing you may want to pass on this one. But I enjoyed and would be down to play it again the future especially to feel that vibe of modern half measure Eternal Darkness, since it seems doubtful Nintendo will remake that game.