Alone in the Dark (2024) Reviews
2024's Alone in the Dark is not on par with the Resident Evil remakes which set the bar really high to be honest and not the triumphant return we've been waiting for the legendary series. Nevertheless, it's a notable addition to it, one that if anything makes its name sound more than just a distant echo again. With a satisfying 9-hour campaign and good replayability with 2 characters with different perspectives on the story (plus some other differences I won't spoil), it's a good offering in the genre.
Alone in the Dark is definitely not a perfect title, but it is, without a shadow of a doubt, a brilliant job of (re)contextualizing the classic survival horror (while keeping true to the spirit of the original), featuring a stunning 1920s setting. Alternating between an intriguing detective story and total horror, we were literally enraptured by Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic's game. Although exploration is the mainstay of the Swedish production, with lots of elements to analyze and understand in order to solve the various puzzles scattered along the way, as well as collectible objects, since it is also a survival horror game, combat is nevertheless well present. Too bad for the somewhat lacking shooting system that does not give that right feel, for an AI that is not quite up to speed and some slight technical uncertainties. All in all, Alone in The Dark is a splendid and flawed horror/esoteric, psychological and detective adventure that pays homage to Frédérick Raynal's vision to the best of its ability-thanks in part to a first-rate cast.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite a long hiatus, the Alone in the Dark remake is a solid offering in a long-dormant franchise. It does borrow heavily from modern survival horror titles but still manages to create its own distinctive experience. It’s clear that a lot of attention went into rendering both David Harbour and Jodie Comer into their characters. Fortunately, that gambit paid off well in a concise package with decent gameplay and story beats to match.
Alone in the Dark returns to the scene after several years (and postponements) with an enjoyable product, but far from the other ‘restyling’ operations to which the last few years have accustomed us. Despite a fine setting and an excellent puzzle sector, Pieces Interactive's new endeavour runs aground on an unmemorable gunplay and on a fluctuating graphical rendering. A good starting point, however, which we hope will pick up further in the near future.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Alone in the Dark seeks to introduce new audiences to the game, series, and story that started one of the most popular genres so many years ago and enjoys overwhelming support today. Unfortunately, compared to its direct competition, this new reimagining of the original doesn't stand out as much as it could. However, it's still an entertaining and well-executed title that I hope is merely the start of something more.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Alone in the Dark had the potential to be a truly great game; I was really rooting for it. All the ingredients are present for a great cosmic horror story with interesting characters and a horror environment that could have been one of the best in years. If that’s all you want, then I would recommend picking this up on sale. However, the lacklustre gameplay, bugs, and weak horror segments bring this experience down. Maybe this franchise should be left Alone in the Dark.
Alone in the Dark is a solid reimagining of this classic horror franchise, but it doesn’t necessarily provide a perfectly compelling experience.
Alone in the Dark offers a compelling world filled with interesting characters and engaging puzzles, brought together with its great ambiance and immersive audio. Combat is sloppy and could use refinements, although it wasn't enough to deter me from thoroughly enjoying this eight-hour descent into madness.
The developers did a fantastic job with this reimagination of ‘Alone in the Dark’. It was the perfect mixture of puzzles, mystery and a great storyline to keep you enthralled in the title for hours. If you love a great eerie story where you need to think outside of the box then this is a perfect skin-crawling experience for you.
Alone in the Dark isn't the most entertaining game, but it has some excellent moments.
A lack of horror behind the captivating puzzle adventure. While exploring the Derceto Manor is consistently enjoyable, it is really hard to catch the sense of fear which is crucial to a horror game. Still, it might serve as a nostalgic journey for those who remeber the original.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Although not perfect, with its clumsy combat and a limited variety of foes, the things that’ll stick with you are the story and the characters, and those ooze zing in abundance.
Alone In The Dark does a phenomenal job to return the franchise into the survival “horror” battle.
Horror fans assemble and clutch those flashlights tightly, as once again we find ourselves beseeched by monsters, stuck in a maze, and Alone in the Dark. A classic mainstay of the survival horror genre has reemerged, and been reimagined.
Despite Alone in the Dark's promising premise, and legacy, it ultimately disappoints. The game offers a mediocre experience, hindered by lackluster combat mechanics, a narrative that fails to fully utilize its potential by not offering multiple perspectives, and a wide variety of technical issues. Although it provides occasional moments of intrigue, particularly through its puzzles, and atmospheric setting, these are outweighed by its flaws. Consequently, Alone in the Dark may leave players feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.
Alone in the Dark puts the series in the right direction following some mishaps over the past eighteen years, with the unnerving storytelling, clever puzzling, and intriguing setting making for a genuinely enthralling horror experience. Sure, it has some missteps here and there with the combat sequences and it does play things very safe, but the intense atmosphere and flurry of surprises ensure that this marks a return to form for the old-school survival horror series.
An attempt to reinvent the series without distorting the obvious inspirations of the original title, where creativity was lacking in its narrative and in the tiresome gameplay that never knows what it wants to be.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite not reaching the level of the original, Alone in the Dark honors the franchise's legacy by being the best title since 1992, with a decent, albeit modest, use of Lovecraft's madness, as well as a great setting and an enigmatic story that captivates from beginning to end, tying several knots in your head. A great experience for long-time fans, and for the most aficionados of survival horror, old or current.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
All in all, Alone in the Dark celebrates a positive resurrection with a new direction that I really like at its core! The dense atmosphere in combination with the staging, story and detailed world of a marvellous 1920s setting carried me through the title very well. The puzzle solving shines as a core gameplay element in the narrative-driven game, making Alone in the Dark a really competent video game, at least in these aspects. However, I have to grumble a little more about the combat. Spongy gunplay, a bitchy camera, a meagre variation of enemies, as well as a sometimes stupid AI spoil the fun of the game. This needs a comprehensive overhaul for a hopefully upcoming second part. Because the new edition is a really successful work in this series, which has recently been in crisis and has a really solid pillar in its story, presentation and puzzle solving, on which a rosy future can be built. However, developer studio Pieces Interactive should take another look at the battles, which fortunately make up a smaller part of the overall work, as their genre colleague Resident Evil has already demonstrated in the third-person spin-offs.
Review in German | Read full review
It’s rare that I say this, but this video game probably should have been a movie instead. Honestly that’s the biggest thing I felt during this whole experience, between the live action stars, the way the cutscenes are shot and paced, the way the gameplay felt almost like an afterthought, it truly feels like they were basically trying to make a movie but decided it must be a game instead. Now, that’s not to say there’s nothing to enjoy, far from it! I really enjoyed the writing and performances, but it likely says something that I had a lot more fun just rushing through on a second playthrough on easy to see the story differences than I did on my initial go on normal where I actually had to explore.