Alone in the Dark (2024) Reviews
Alone in the Dark is a scare-free horror experience, rife with technical issues, a nonsensical plot, and lacklustre performances from its two notable stars.
Alone in the Dark‘s revival has been a long time coming. And while this new take on the mysteries of Derceto Manor carry a decades-long weight of survival horror innovation, Pieces Interactive almost missed the mark. Barring underwhelming combat and a lack of polish, curious players will be met with an expertly acted, unnerving tale of madness that just might be the spark Alone in the Dark needs to reemerge from the shadows.
As remakes go, Alone in the Dark has a hard time measuring up to horror stablemates like Resident Evil. All of the requisite ingredients might be here, but they're poorly realised and implemented, resulting in a game that has its moments, but is hamstrung by shoddy combat, half-baked visuals, and more than its fair share of bugs.
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.
While true fans of the franchise might get a kick out of seeing a new take on an old story, Alone in the Dark is a tonal and functional mess that frustrates more than it entertains.
Alone in the Dark is a game that gets 60% right, and the rest is a mixture of poor or frustrating gameplay mechanics.
Alone in the Dark presents a promising yet imperfect reimagining that captures the essence of a mesmerising, atmospheric adventure game. However, it struggles to rationalise the inclusion of clunky combat and basic stealth elements that detract from the overall experience.
Jodie Comer and David Harbour delight in this devilishly dark reboot of a survival horror classic.
Alone in the Dark 2024 revitalizes a classic franchise with a compelling setting and exploration focus, despite being marred by bugs and lacklustre combat.
Due to the clumsy and imprecise combat system, as well as the outdated graphics, Alone in the Dark fails to relaunch the series among the big franchises of the survival horror genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There are bright spots here that genre veterans can and likely will latch on to, but Alone in the Dark feels a bit too rough and unpolished in areas that are too critical to the experience to ever be able to truly meet its full potential.
Alone in the Dark was a reboot I've been looking forward to and actually had on my list of pre-orders prior to receiving a review copy, so needless to say, I was excited to play it and it didn't disappoint. It lays a good foundation for a series relaunch, even if it seems quite polarising. There's a very noticeable disparity between how the game is scored by reviewers compared to how it's scored by fans, so I can't help but wonder if there's still a place in our hearts for an "old school" horror game like this, something that's more chilling than it is frightening. Me? I love this kind of stuff, and I can only hope that there's enough gamers who think alike to justify a sequel. C'mon Pieces, Hell's Kitchen awaits! Surely we haven't seen the last of Edward Carnby... right?
Alone in the Dark is hopelessly mediocre and rife with technical issues. While the bugs can be addressed, the generic gameplay and confusing story will always hold it back. There should have been some effort to include the original 1992 Alone in the Dark as an unlockable extra to add value to this remake, like how Splatterhouse (2010) had the 16-bit trilogy or how the Medievil remake had the PS1 game as an unlockable.
A promising game that feels undercooked. Enjoyable, unique and intriguing at times but for every great aspect there are one or two that feel unfinished or tacked on.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
AITD is a game that does a lot of things well, but it is also burdened by its weaknesses. Enjoyable puzzles, a good script, and an immersive atmosphere are all lost in the surprisingly poor combat mechanics, bugs and technical issues that spoil the enjoyment of the game...
Review in Turkish | Read full review
It would be a wise decision to visit Raccoon City Police Department or ISS Ishimura once again rather than discover mysteries of Derceto Manor.
Review in Russian | Read full review
It’s really nice to have Alone in the Dark back in form. And for it to have its own identity. After being such a pioneer, this series has spent so long chasing the horror genre popular trends and trying to read the lowest common denominator that it became little more than a pale imitation of other good ideas. It’s genuinely nice to have something that heads in its own direction, and is comfortable in providing a taut atmosphere and a focus on a chilling narrative rather than visceral scares. You could call it “quaint,” but I like to think of it more like a game Stephen King would like to see rather than another cash-in from the Saw writers.
Alone in the Dark isn’t flawless, but it’s definitely one of the best entries in the series so far and an accomplished reimagining. Its story will keep you on your toes, even if sometimes you might feel like it could have a little more fleshed out. And while the game’s combat doesn’t impress, the oppressive atmosphere throughout is effective at keeping you on edge. Throw in a bucketload of enjoyable puzzles to overcome, and you have a survival horror that’s well worth spending some time with.
Alone in the Dark is far from a perfect game, but its engaging puzzles, impressive exploration and intriguing story would give you plenty reason to experience it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Alone in the Dark is a perfectly fun survival-horror game that doesn't manage to stick the landing. Fun puzzle-solving struggles with awkward combat, and a lack of tension keeps the horror feeling limited. It's an interesting reboot of the franchise, and I could easily see it becoming something better in sequels, but the first outing feels unexceptional.