I've been waiting a long time for this, especially as a fan of H.P. Lovecraft. With this in mind, I already was aware of how the entire series was supposed to begin with his work until Chaosium pulled the plug on that plan, leaving that original 1992 title breathing the mythos in all but name. So when we saw this remake announced I zeroed in and decided to start making my way through the entire series.
And I will admit, I can not recommend playing most of it, but was it worth the pain to reach where we are now? Honestly, yes! I would not tell you to do as I did (most of the franchise is NOT worth your time and this being a remake does no need them) but this game... this one right here... is something special. Please come inside.
Story: Derceto Manor is not exactly a place you wish to spend your days. While it once was the peak of luxury in design, it has since fallen to the wear of time, decrepitation, and a generally unkind reputation. But it is to this place Emily Hartwood has decided to journey as she has family here. Her uncle Jeremy came to this place to seek help fighting his personal demons. And if they couldn't dispel the "family curse" maybe he could work with Dr. Grey to understand it better. But something clearly went wrong, because Emily had recently received a genuinely disturbing letter from him that sent her his way.
Sensing her uncle was in danger, she hired Edward Carnby, a private investigator, to come with her to the Derceto Manor to confirm just what is going on there and, if necessary, provide the help (legal and physical) to get Jeremy out.
Which, once they got into the mansion, quickly proved more difficult then they could have expected. Jeremy was missing with the two orderlies unable to explain it, leaving our dynamic duo with what should have been a wellness check turning into a missing persons case. But this is only the beginning of the weirdness going on in the manor, which you will discover as you make your way through these events with as one of them.
You see, just like the original game you will get to choose which character you wish to play as: the streetwise detective with a past and a debt to be paid or the caring niece who not only hired the detective, but is here because she is worried about a dear family member who may well be in trouble. Just be aware that whoever you choose, that character will be the center point for roughly the same events for about 75-80% of what you are about to play. Yes, the actual cutscenes will change and change drastically as Emily and Carnby have very different personalities and Emily's personal connections already existing will change how characters react to her, but this is more about details you will see then the main storyline. Still this does reveal different aspects and details of just what is going on, so the most complete picture may well require you to go through it with both, even if its basically repeating things.
Either way, the events about to unfold fit perfectly into the Lovecraftian mythos you are about to delve into. It will be a relatively slow burn, whoever you pick, but to explain much more is to do the game a disservice as part of what makes this so good is discovering it all for yourself... both the general story and the finer details your chosen character only can find. Yes it's based on the original 1992 game, but it's so much revised and expanded on you might as well forget the original game here even as you can see just how much the writing respects it. Simply put, this is how you remake an old classic proper,
9/10
Graphics: While not the most advanced looking game I have ever seen, this is still gorgeous. Powered by a very late version of Unreal Engine 4, it actually was mistaken for the new version 5 engine by many on release, and it won't take you long to see why. From the foggy streets of New Orleans to the old and lived in manor, everything is detailed spectacularly, giving the whole world you are playing in a vibe to the 1930s and while not aiming for photo-realism, looking damn close enough to feel real while you are immersed within.
But that feel is not just of the times but of what is going on in the moment to moment. These developers get the base material they are working with and every inch of the world you travel will feel exactly as it should, whether the world is being mundane or if the (as I affectionally call it) Lovecratian bullshit is going on. You will be able to relax, at least a little when things calm down, but always with a slight dread of the next time things stop being so calm... and when it does happen you will be on edge as things clearly went sideways and at their best still remain just not quite right... in the best ways possible.
But that leaves us with the company you will keep while playing... and this too, is very well done if not quite on the same level as the world itself. Carnby and Emily in particular are very well done and highly detailed characters, but they should be considering one of the big selling points was the actors who would play them. And they managed to get their likenesses pretty solidly into the game. Nor did they really slouch on anyone else. True they don't have quite the level of detail our intrepid heroes do, but then, they were not actually based on anyone so much as made with the same level of care the world itself was, so a drop in detail for them is to be expected. But the monsters, those are gonna be something to see.
There isn't a lot of variety here, and with how much this game focusses on puzzles over combat this shouldn't really surprise you, as you can just about count the number of enemy types outside bosses you will see on one hand, but with how things are spaced out, you likely won't notice unless you think about it after. And the types themselves are different enough, going from ropy monstrosities that somehow keep a humanoid shape to little winged monsters that look like tiny devils, and several other horrific designs that simply look fantastic and distorted at the same time!
Simply put this is a game they pulled all the stops on and it looks absolutely fantastic for it.... although this is also one of the two places the game falters. For as absolutely drop-dead gorgeous this game is, the game suffers from severe load-stuttering. Most of the time it will stay out of the way, but when you enter a new location and the game is swapping content around the frames will plummet. If they could have polished that out, it would have just finished up perfectly what is otherwise ab absolutely brilliant looking title!
8/10
Sound: As you should expect with a good horror game, the sound work absolutely has to be on point. And for all the love and care these developers had for this project, it should surprise absolutely no one that they absolutely nailed it out of the park! To start with, the music, while properly toned to the moment, is generally either made to sit below the scene as an enhancement you feel instead of notice, or to add spectacularly to the 1930s New Orleans vibe of the setting you are in. It can be a little sultry, tense, ominous, or just about any combination of the three as the game plays on, but overall it will take a back seat to let the world and those in it sell what's going on, playing the part of enhancement very well.
And surprisingly it will not be the voices that take center stage this time either. Do not get me wrong, there wasn't a voice actor who didn't bring their A game here... even the child Grace felt like she was playing her part right. However it's obvious who the real stars are, and you play will play one of them.
David Harbour and Jodie Comber absolutely steal the show as Carnby and Emily respectfully as David pulls hard into the noir style and expected devilish charms of a lead detective, and yet still allows Carnby to be human underneath it, delivering a great performance of a very well rounded character. And Jodie pulls the same skill and talent to create a lady who's sarcastic humor shines even as she clearly leads with her heart, driven by concern for her uncle, the detective, and potentially her fear for them and her own sanity. It comes in perfectly clear to define why she is doing what she is.
But the real star here are the sound effects. Yes your weapons sound appropriate if not exceptionally meaty, but that isn't what's going to carry the game. Nor will the sounds the monsters make. Those roars, screeches, and gurgles sound good too, but its going to be the ambient noises that are going to get to you, leaving you listening for every squeaky floorboard in hopes of hearing someone (or something) coming before you see it, or that thud in the corner you cant explain. This game's ambiance is brilliant at playing up the uncertainties.... even, or perhaps especially when it goes dead silent from everything else.
9/10
Gameplay: When you first open up this game you will see things even in the opening video that will remind old fans of the original game they loved way back when CD-ROMs were not a given, setting the tone for the entire game, but not setting the gameplay. Times have advanced and with them the game styles available. For this installment you are in for an over-the-shoulder affair as you guide either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood through the Derceto manor and beyond, wandering the halls to unlock new passages, solve puzzles (once you find them) or, when the world goes strange, fighting horrors you could swear they read about in Lovecraft's stories at some point.
But let's get that combat out of the way first, as it is actually the most predictable part of this package. As you play, your character will be whisked into pockets made of Jeremy's memories, but warped and now populated with horrific beasts that might have represented humans, animals, or potentially even bugs, all looking to take a piece of anyone who gets their attention. Most of the time, these creatures can be avoided by watching their patterns and sneaking by accordingly, but the game will never force your hand here, letting you go for the kill if you don't like sneaking or have the extra ammo and flasks (what has always traditionally been health in the series) to spare, but sometimes caution and quiet are the better parts of valor.
And it's not like the game won't throw you to the wolves on occasion as well. Most of these memories will have a room or two where you will be forced to take a couple of monsters down and engage them directly... and to be fair, it feels right for a horror game. The camera can be swung wildly forcing you to keep a steady control and not lose your cool while you aim whatever gun you are about to use to take down something, and of course the scatter of your aim increases both with sudden movement and the recoil of that gun, making you have to choose your shots more carefully then most games, literally feeling the uncertainty of your weapons. Nor is reloading instantaneous. Depending on your gun, you will either reload with a cartridge or with a slower one bullet at a time method. And while the cart loads quicker, getting you a new full load relatively fast, it's an all or nothing process. Time does not stop for you, and whether you are hit, forced to dodge to avoid a hit, or even try to shoot before ready, any interruption will cost you starting again. Loading individual bullets, on the other hand, is a much longer process, but whatever you managed before you had to stop is loaded and waiting for you. These moments of loading under pressure are fairly common while in the heat of battle so it will be a detail that you will want to keep in mind.
But its not like guns are your only answer in combat, however. There are melee weapons you can use to beat the tar out of anything you wish to as well... and this game likes to give plenty of options here. From hatchets to rowboat oars, you will find random "stick shaped" objects strewn about waiting for you to take up like a 1930s goon who is being sent to teach a snitch a lesson... and it's a good thing too as many weapons break quickly requiring you to find a replacement after beating the stuffing out of just one or two monstrosities, but they can be very effective while they last.
And finally also strewn about far more then you might expect are throwable objects, which the developers tried to make interesting. If you tap the button when you see the queue on screen, you will just throw it at the enemy nearby automatically, making them effective at either cheap damage or just a good way to stun and slow the enemy down, depending on what you picked up, but you can also hold the button and pick where you throw. This isn't really useful when you already have been seen and the monster is barreling down on you because the auto aim is much faster and more effective. But if you haven't been caught yet and want to move them out of the way to sneak by, this will let you create a distraction which, if they hear it, may cause them to go investigate. I never got this mechanic to work particularly well for me, so these were always used as cheap shots while escaping to a better position, but the option is there.
And all of this boils down to a very natural feeling combat that feels just off enough to fit the general tone of this being a horror game but still being effective enough to work and even let you set things up and smirk as you pull that trigger time to time instead of scrambling around to just survive.
But if you are here for the combat alone, you are probably going to be disappointed. Much like the game it's retelling, Alone in the Dark really has all these systems because there are times you just do not have a choice and you will have to fight your way out of the current Hell. The focus here is exploration and puzzles. Most of the time, you will be wandering the mansion with one or two goals in mind to progress the story, requiring you to find keys which will unlock new rooms which might have a clue or two, or looking for a way to get a path opened up you didn't have before so you can traverse the mansion easier later. Or even environmental puzzles which will require you to manipulate things in such a way as to gain access to a key item you can use to open up yet more options. For example, later in the game you will find yourself needing to collect a picture hidden an air vent of one of the rooms which is screwed in tight. But that coin you recently found fits the screws nicely. There are less obvious puzzles of this nature as well, but the game doesn't shy away from making you think about the environment itself and how your inventory you have collected can be used to assist.
And that selection of items can also be interesting in it's own right if you are a like me (a lore fiend) as you will find many of these clues to be notes and books shedding light on the history of Derceto and the people who either are now or once did reside here. It's rich and paints the picture very well, and yet there is more reason to read these things then lore.
Often times the pages of a book you find may have clues you will need to solve puzzles, sometimes directly, and sometimes requiring you put several pieces together to understand just what the game is asking you to do. This is perhaps when I was actually not just entertained, but impressed with the gameplay: it manages to do this in a way that makes sense and not the legendary moon-logic point and click games of old are notorious for. So if you are willing to think and connect the dots, you have some genuinely cool things to figure out here... if you want to. You see this is also where the game lets modern design step in and solve a few problems with a second difficulty level besides the one for combat. You can either let the game offer you hints like a modern game or to leave you to your own devices like titles of old would have. I chose to do the latter and I do not regret it. The game was FANTASTIC letting me mull things over and figure it all out for myself, offering genuinely logical connections to find the information I needed... sometimes seeking it out, and sometimes stumbling on that last nugget and having the solution dawn on me. This is what old school puzzling should be and I was here for it!
Still this is a game with enough to do you may well get lost, not just on a puzzle or two but, what your goal is from time to time. And here the developers have your back. Along with your regular inventory objects, you will have an "Objectives" panel which will keep the current situation in the story summarized as well as a usually having a small list of your current objectives conveniently organized. I will say usually because I have seen it go blank before, requiring me to think about what I might have left undone or wander to find where I can now reach or even just where the next event takes place to start a new one. These moments were rare, but they do happen.
8/10
Bugs: While I absolutely loved this game, I have to find some serious issues with it on the technical end. Do not get me wrong, there was literally nothing wrong with how it played and I genuinely found no actual bugs at all... minus the ones skittering around the mansion and the like. But this is one of those games that was released from a version of Unreal Engine transitioning from 4 to 5... and it shows. I have never seen such bad screen stutter when loading new materials into a game in my life and this game would have done well to get some extra polish and cleanup before being released if it was at all possible.
Thankfully there was not a single moment when this happened where it could hurt the gameplay and since finishing I have heard if you turn off the setting that is supposed to help with this, a lot of the problem simply and ironically stops. But I have not tested it... and if your experience is like mine, there is no way in Hell you will not notice.
Digital Rights Management: And here we have a modern game without any DRM! If you bought it on GOG like I did, you would expect that, but all other stores that sell the game sell the Steam key, and once you download it from there, it is a game that can be run without Steam at all. It does not use any DRM of any sort.
Source: PC Gaming Wiki
Score: When you talk about remaking a game, THIS should be what developers look to as a good example of doing it right! It pays proper ohmage and respect to the original title, building on what it did in it's day with all the modern experience and technology available to create one HELL of a return to the franchise. I will not say this game is flawless. It is not, and if you review the individual parts there will likely be something you will wrinkle your nose at. But even that isn't really an issue as when you take it all together, this is the kind of game that becomes more then the sum of those parts. If you like genuinely creepy horror titles I can not recommend this game enough. If you are a fan of the original 1992 game or even just admire what it did in it's day, you need to play this to see how far we've come. And if you are either of these and a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, I don't know why you wasted your time reading this. GO PLAY THE DAMN GAME ALREADY!!!!
System Requirements:
- Ryzen 3 3100/Intel Core i3-8300
- 8 GB RAM
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti/AMD Radeon RX 570
- Windows 10, 64-Bit
- 50 GB Hard Drive space
- Recommended: SSD drive
System Specs:
- Ryzen 7 (5700X) 3.4 Ghz
- 32 GB RAM
- AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT (8 GB VRAM)
- Windows 11 (64 Bit)
Source: gog.com
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