Even following the most famous game series with dedication, it’s easy to miss those that had a huge impact on the development of the industry a few decades ago. For example: it’s hard to imagine the development of digital horror without the breakthrough that was the first Alone in the Dark. It’s equally difficult to demand that anyone today force themselves to play this 1992 title. Not surprisingly, when taking on a new game in the series, Pieces Interactive studio decided to reach back to the original and present it anew. The story of a missing artist, sought by his niece and her hired detective in the gothic American South of the first half of the 20th century, still manages to inspire and keep you in suspense. It was from this game that the first Resident Evil drew handfuls, just as now it is Alone in the Dark that is tapping as much as it can from Capcom’s contemporary thriller installments. Years have passed, history has come full circle and we, once again, have a chance to sink into an extraordinary nightmare. I invite you to enter the time machine.
Alone in the Dark how does the gameplay look like?
Alone in the dark? Not quite. The intrigue begins with the arrival of Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby at the Derceto estate, which is a beachhead for people with symptoms of mental illness. Emily’s uncle has gone missing, and she decides to search for him on her own – sensing that the case might be a bit more complicated, however, she took a private investigator with her. Which of the two you will direct: is up to you. You can also finish the game with both characters, which extends the play time. Unfortunately, the two campaigns are practically twinned, and while it’s a very good thing that we can direct the character of our choice, accusations that we get the same thing twice will also be understandable. It is worth knowing that the only clear differences between the stories of Emily and Edward occur only in one place, near the very end of the game.
What to expect from the atmosphere and riddles : Main features of Alone in the Dark
Traversing the grand mansion involves searching for objects, keys and clues, and the characters you meet along the way are a veritable gallery of (disturbing) personalities. Alone in the Dark is drenched in noir atmosphere, and the distinctive swampy climate of the New Orleans area. Satanic rituals, macabre objects, Voo Doo magic, superstition, the “evil” world looking into ours… the authors have really made an effort to include all the necessary elements to build tension. There’s no shortage of Lovecraftian motifs here either, and while it’s all very coherent, we’ve seen it so many times before that it’s hard to be genuinely taken over or frightened while traversing the locations. There was a bit of a lack of creativity and imagination here.
So how many hours of fun is Emily and Edward’s adventure enough for?
If we are only interested in one story scenario, we will complete the game from 8 to 10 hours.
If we are interested in getting to know the plot fully, so completing two story scenarios, we will spend 15 to 18 hours in the game.
If we want to max out the production, we will spend at least 20 hours in the game.
Alone in the Dark – Character choice: Edward or Emily, differences, scenarios, who to choose?
Alone in the Dark has a lot in common with Resident Evil 2. Not only because the games belong to the same genre, but also because of the preparation of the story divided into two scenarios.
In the production of publisher THQ Nordic, we can play as either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood. We choose the playable character when we arrive at the mansion and cannot change it until the story.
Alone in the Dark – Opinion
Alone in the Dark – what are the disadvantages? :
- Technical layer.
- Looks like a game from two generations ago
- There is nothing original here
Alone in the Dark – what advantages? :
- Reality of 1930s America and noir atmosphere
- Riddles
- Telling the original in a new way