Alone in the Dark

Explore a world full of mysteries and dangers in Alone in the Dark— an adventure game with elements of horror and survival in a noir and Lovecraftian mystical thriller setting, with a well-crafted plot, cinematic quality scenes, and a third-person view (over-the-shoulder camera). A unique reboot of the classic survival horror franchise Alone in the Dark with small action inserts and a focus on atmosphere. Visually, it looks decent, although it lags behind other releases in terms of graphics quality.

Mikael Hedberg, the scriptwriter for the games SOMA and Amnesia, worked on the plot of Alone in the Dark (2024) along with the in-house writers of Pieces Interactive. As a result, the game lore has been significantly reimagined, becoming more serious and darker. It lacks moments that surprise with their absurdity or illogicality, which "famed" the original trilogy. However, such moments were not discarded but reworked or rebuilt with respect for the classic and organically integrated into the new canon.

For example, the key haunted house; strange patients in the asylum; indescribable monsters; pharaohs' curses of ancient Egypt; disappearing and reappearing enemies, characters, and items; the swamps of Louisiana and New Orleans; pirates and even a playing piano—all of them have received some explanation, connection, revealed as memories, or became the result of fantastic phenomena. Some things might turn out to be manifestations of the main characters' mental disorders.

From the first part of the bearded 1992, they borrowed the plot's premise, the setting, and the images of the two main characters—detective Edward Carnby and his employer Emily Hartwood. Movie stars David Harbour (Sheriff Hopper from "Stranger Things") and Jodie Comer (Villanelle from the series "Killing Eve") lent their appearance, voice, animations, and movements to the characters. The updated protagonists turned out charismatic, which, along with facial animation capture, lip and cheek movements, added realism to the events.

Louisiana of the 1920s—the era of post-war boom known as the "Roaring Twenties." A time of breaking traditions, reflected on screen: everyone smokes, drinks, indulges, and is not shy about exploring their desires. The unique color of these places is created by a combination of redneck culture of the southern states of the USA, urban citizens with French roots, and local Native American cultists. The constant sound of jazz complements the atmosphere and adds authenticity.

It all begins with Edward and Emily arriving at the Derceto psychiatric hospital to find out the state of affairs of Jeremy Hartwood—Emily's uncle. Earlier, the niece received a letter from him, indicating that the hospital staff and its patients worship a cult of ancient Evil, will soon summon it, and doom the world to destruction. Only Jeremy knows the truth, but he suddenly disappeared a couple of days before the heroes' arrival.

Being a detective, Edward dives headfirst into the investigation, using his full arsenal of professional skills. Emily, on the other hand, explores the drama of her family and experiences personal grief from the loss of loved ones. The choice between them will affect cutscenes, dialogues, interactions with NPCs, and the characters' relationships with the surrounding world. For example, where the detective encounters resistance, Emily will receive support. Or when Edward swiftly jumps into an alternate reality, his partner doesn't notice the passage ahead. There are quite a few secondary characters, and they have been given basic personality traits.

As the story progresses, the heroes encounter paranormal phenomena, learn about cults and black magic, delve into the history of Derceto, explore parallel realities, and battle Lovecraftian horrors. The game needs to be played twice to fully understand the plot. Overall, it remains unchanged, but unique gameplay sections explain nuances, and dramatic moments reveal the characters from different sides. The scenes differ not only in the script but also in direction, visual, and atmospheric design, emphasizing the individuality and character of each person.

The plot may seem mundane only upon a cursory familiarization. Careful and deep immersion allows you to enjoy the story, discover Easter eggs and references, and appreciate the reworked game lore.

In Alone in the Dark (2024), there is no open world, but the authors skillfully disguise this by combining two popular approaches to creating virtual realities, ensuring variety and quick immersion.

Somewhere in the depths of Louisiana, amid swamps and Indian cemeteries, lies Derceto—the main setting and a kind of hub location. It is a much-suffering shelter, hospital, and psychiatric asylum. The place looks long abandoned, although it has many inhabitants. Several of its floors are occupied by numerous locked rooms connected by labyrinthine corridors. They will open as you progress or if you have the necessary items and will close forever quite quickly after key plot moments.

In Derceto, there are plenty of places to roam, loot, talk to, check, and try to open. The asylum rooms are noticeably different from each other as they were created manually, filled with many items, and well-decorated. Properly chosen lighting, color palette, and sound effects, such as creaking floorboards and strange rustling, enhance the atmosphere of horror and mystery. Small details, dictated by the setting, create a believable virtual environment that captivates from the first minutes.

At certain moments in the plot, players will go to other, more linear and simpler in design, locations, but much more diverse: Egyptian ruins, Louisiana swamps, desert landscapes, a steamboat, the snowy expanses of Greenland. Visually, they are enriched with atmospheric elements such as fog and rain. There are few activities here; it is enough to run from start to finish, but the concentration of action is higher, and the gameplay variety is wider due to new items.

The game alternates dialogues, exploration, and action scenes. In the mansion, you will have to solve puzzles, discover useful items, and do a lot of back-and-forth wandering, exploring nooks, reading notes, and observing character interactions. The gameplay in standalone locations descends to a corridor shooter: defeat enemies using improvised means. The combat system is rigid, as you have to struggle with the controls: the protagonist seems intentionally slow and hesitant.

The arsenal of Alone in the Dark (2024) includes firearms: a pistol, a revolver, a shotgun, and a Thompson submachine gun. Механика стрельбы посредственная, для точного попадания все время надо выжидать схождение перекрестия, да и патронов не хватает. Холодное оружие включает множество предметов: трубы, весла, лопаты, топоры, кирки и другое, но ломается после пары ударов. Расставленные по уровню «Молотовы» можно бросать в толпы врагов, но стоит персонажу только взять бутыль в руки и он тут же замедлится, что портит всю идею.

Порой игра предлагает короткие и необязательные стелс-секции. Механика стелса довольно проста: крадись мимо врагов и бросай предметы в сторону, отвлекая тех посторонними шумами. Врагов мало, некоторые встречаются лишь один-два раза за игру, но их дизайн разнообразен: тени, зомби, летающие монстры, морские чудища, многие другие.

Ростер головоломок невелик — пятнашки, пиксель-хантинг ключей и подсказок, нахождение пропавших деталек, ввод комбинаций для открытия замков — хотя обычно хорошо замаскирован. Решать их предстоит на протяжении всей игры. Есть настройки сложности, подсвечивающие интерактивные элементы, это делает головоломки более простыми. Но даже на классической сложности они решаются за пару минут.