TL;DR- My mind says that this game is about a 6.5/10 objectively, It has so much potential and almost gets it right. My heart on the other hand, says it thoroughly enjoyed this. It just has a certain...charisma to it. So on the charm scale I'll give it an 8/10. Grab it for $20 or less as there can be the occasional shader stutter.

Pros

1. Great Atmosphere
2. Jodie Comer & David Harbour- really enjoyed them in the roles (even though some may not have).
3. Tight story/good for quick replay sessions), even though a bit dense in the first playthrough...the story keeps you wondering and comes together at the end.
4. Environments- you go to some really great environments that you would not expect to be present.
5. Pacing-the game breaks up the combat and the puzzles evenly so it never feels tedious.

Cons/Opportunities for Improvement (unfortunately the studio is closed)

1. The combat is serviceable but they could have implemented some more risk/reward in how you can use the weapons. Weapons could have been something that you worked for or invested more in. There are some weapons you find just laying around constantly and it kind of cheapens the experience.
2. Environments- they could have really made better use of the environments as both puzzles and boss fights. It's a shame because most of the environments are well done and really add to the ambiance of the game.
3. Boss Fights- If anything could have made this game 10-20% better off the bat it would be boss fights. You could have had a boss fight per chapter here. Unfortunately, the stage is rarely used to actively engage in more grand fights with certain characters. They settle for more mediocre mechanics instead of using these great environments to do something memorable and engaging.
4. There does appear to be some stuttering from shader compiling I believe. Nothing that kept me from playing, but it wasn't the smoothest.

Out of all the non-Resident Evil horror games on the remake bandwagon, this one is surprisingly the best. Silent Hill 2 remake was arse, and Dead Space remake was all right.

My impressions after the first playthrough as Edward Carnby: Even though this game had mild bugs and the combat was bad (as it often is in this genre), the story and graphics and exploration were great. You can tell the people who made this game cared a lot.

On my second, New Game+ playthrough as Emily Hartwood, I encountered serious game-breaking glitches, which may be in part due to me trying to rush through the game too quickly because I knew all the puzzle solutions. This does not make the bugs excusable; they still should not have occured. One of these resulted in a soft-lock, and I had to use someone else's savegame to continue the playthrough to the end.

One thing I really liked was that, unlike Silent Hill 2 remake, they didn't fill the game with references to the original. They made it stand on its own strengths. I am recommending Alone In The Dark despite the bugs and flaws because I enjoyed it a lot, and at the end of the day, that's what matters.

Alone in the Dark – a good effort remake of a classic 1990s game by Pieces Interactive that ought to satisfy any horror games, and certainly deserves the respect of a singular play-through.

This game is a “re-imagining” (total reboot and remake) of the 1992 video game, and the game does a good job of it. Clearly, from the graphics quality from a high budget, and has a great presentation that deserves praise.

The artwork presents its colour palette in the form of two colours; a warm faded green huh, and brown hue. It is everywhere and plastered all over the place, having been helped by the fact that the setting is in 1930 Louisiana, the interbellum era of the South. It evokes a sense of nostalgia, missed culture, and general, sentiment of yearning for a past life that we never knew, that was something to be engrossed and appreciate. Combined in totality, the art, creepy vibes, and general music, sound effects, is so good.

A sense of welcoming pervades the manor. Peeling the layers reveals creepy sounds and screams. It makes me wonder, is it coming from the mental imaginations or actual stuff? As such, it led me wanting more and to search out the truth.

The soundtrack is the cherry on top that fills the environment to the top. Smooth Louisiana Jazz serve as a backdrop while I walk around, evoking thoughts of a bygone era, with the welcoming culture of the Southern Hospitality. The theme song is probably the best of the soundtrack.

In-game puzzles are fun, are potentially a distraction to the main mystery, but they never wear out their welcome. I had a great time solving then and they didn’t wear out their welcome.
Stealth is hit or miss but I managed to deal with it.

Dialogue written is fine and feels natural. Certainly the self talking is good. Banter between characters do feel a bit terse and short, but normal.

Its two protagonists are perhaps the 2nd best part of the game. Hollywood actors David Harbour and Jodie Comer bring them to life. Their acting is top notch as always and use motion capture to make the facial animations perfect. Honestly worth it.

Dercerto Manor and its mystery is the greatest asset in the game, and it is presented in a finely well done manner.
It has meandering story lines, flashbacks to Edward Carnby’s early cases, and psychotic backstories to what the manor had some horror of screaming, tons of history as seen via documents. All taken together and pieced together, contributes to a world building that is a masterpiece in slow learning of the lore. It is this rich lore that fills in the backstories and gives life to the Manor.

Now, is it that? Or all filled in by the imagination and horror storytelling by the wonderful detective Edward Carnby? I rather say, he had imagined it all while he was Alone in the Dark.

One of the things that I liked was the vintage filter that was available, with 3 different variations possible. I tried them out and it was kinda silly but also funny. Also, there were skins for the pair of main characters that brought back nostalgia for the 1990s games. That was kinda neat that that a modern day player can experience the game with some of the old filters.

Now to wrap things up, Are there any negatives to the game? Anything in the presentation that could be much better? I would say yes there are a few things. The combat mechanics feel a bit clunky, particularly with the melee combat, with it needing more polish; meanwhile, the ranged attack feels fine, but the reserve capacity feels need to be expanded.

Game also feels like a slowburn, and avoids dramatic changes at times, like a rollercoater, although there are a few jump scares that deserve an “A” rating. The ramp up does feel a bit anti-climatic to the ending. If there are adrenaline junkies hoping for a scare, this game has few and they are far in between. That is pretty much it with regards to negatives.

Now all that out of way, There are a few tangential points that needed to be said.

Alone in the Dark is a great re-imagining of the series and is a worthy successor to the legacy of the original trilogy. Despite all that, it came out in March 2024, a year that saw itself stacked with great games, and around the time that the Resident Evil 4 Remake released; that game itself is a horror entry in a franchise inspired by Alone in the Dark.

The developer Pieces Entertainment shut down shortly after, with the official website updated with a heartfelt message. Two major reasons. #1 insufficient sales to recoup cost, and not enough to sustain development of a #2 and #3 remake.. #2 is the mismanagement of its parent company Embracer. It spent $2billion USD in investment of while expecting a foreign company to give it money; that fell through so it had to cut costs, and thus received the axe. Price on launch stood at $60 USD in March 2024, but went down to $40 USD, in December 2024.
Some day, I hope to see a reboot/remake of “Alone in the Dark 2” and “Alone in the Dark 3”. If not for profit, at least for the goal of data preservation for more “modern audiences”. As of now, those two games are stuck in the 1990s digital age; A launch requires usage of MSDOT, a legacy of a bygone era.

In the end, we have witnessed a last breath attempt to reboot a great legacy franchise, and now, the series is completely dead. Long love “Alone in the Dark” and in our memories.

I personally loved this fun game, and I hope others enjoy it too. It may be fun, but it was a miss in the grand scheme of things, but at least it fills a niche.

If you have stayed with me for the entire review, I thank you for the time spent here and it is great appreciated. I hope that my message has helped you have an informed look on whether to get the game, or wait for a Humble Bundle sale that includes the game. In the end, it is a worth while game to play.

Now for my verdict:

Recommendation: yes

Score 8/10. For all the positives, and minus to for the clunkiness.