Have you ever wondered what would happen if H.P. Lovecraft hired Agatha Christie to pen a Resident Evil <\/em>game in his style? I\u2019ll be honest\u2014I hadn\u2019t either. The 2024 reimagining of Alone in the Dark <\/em>is a game I didn\u2019t know I needed. <\/p>
Two weeks after receiving a copy, I\u2019m finishing my fifth playthrough in search of those last few pesky hidden collectibles. My friends and family are sick of hearing me try to piece together the dark and twisting narrative, rich with foreshadowing and symbolism\u2014but I can\u2019t stop thinking and talking about it. Alone in the Dark <\/em>isn\u2019t for everybody: It\u2019s mechanically simple and treats combat as an afterthought. However, if you value rich storytelling, compelling characters, and a setting so full of life and mystery that it essentially becomes a character itself, this game is for you.<\/p>
I compared Alone in the Dark <\/em>to Resident Evil, <\/em>and while I stand firmly by that comparison, you could argue it should be the other way around. The original Alone in the Dark <\/em>from 1992 was the first 3D horror survival game. The 2024 iteration may draw deeply from Resident Evil\u2019s <\/em>gameplay style, but that style might have never been developed without the original Alone in the Dark<\/em><\/p>
Like the 1992 game, Alone in the Dark <\/em>brings you to the macabre, enchanting Derceto Manor in 1920s Louisiana. Emily Hartwood has hired detective Edward Carnby to accompany her to Derceto after receiving a deeply unsettling letter from her uncle, Jeremy. While there are easter eggs and nods to the original throughout, the major plot similarities end here.<\/p>
In the original game, Jeremy owned the mansion before dying by suicide prior to Chapter One. This time, Derceto is an asylum for the \u201cmentally fatigued,\u201d and Jeremy is a patient. In his letter to Emily, Jeremy warned of a terrible evil nursed in the manor, and then he vanished. It\u2019s up to you whether you play as Emily or Edward while unearthing the many mysteries of Derceto, but you need a second playthrough as either character to get the whole picture.<\/p>
The game uses modern movement with an over-the-shoulder view, but the gameplay relies heavily on reading, problem-solving, and critical thinking\u2014just like the 1992 original. This reimagining is a love letter to the classics, which brings me to my favorite part of the gameplay: the puzzles.<\/p>
