ALONE IN THE DARK
GAMES
A CLASSIC SURVIVAL GAME GETS A STARRY UPDATE
★★★
PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES X/S
YOU CREEP THROUGH the grounds of a decrepit manor. Two pinpricks of light flicker in a dark, open sewer. You expect something —or some thing —to leap out. It never comes, but still might. You’re more distressed than ever.
Such moments of tension are scattered throughout Alone In The Dark, creating a perpetual sense of unease. Unfortunately, it never quite manages to cross the threshold into true terror, but there’s still plenty for genre fans to enjoy in this latest attempt to revive the classic horror series.
Despite returning to the 1920s Louisiana setting and protagonists of the original 1992 game —private detective Edward Carnby and his client, Emily Hartwood, now with added star power thanks to performances from David Harbour and Jodie Comer —this proves more remix than remake. The pair are still drawn to the unsettling Derceto Manor, a former plantation-turned-asylum, seeking Hartwood’s missing uncle Jeremy, but developer Pieces Interactive incorporates elements from across the ’90s trilogy of games to craft something new.