Alone in the Dark received a 2024 reboot that brought the game back to fans with all its creepy, haunting, and terrifying gameplay, but not everyone was pleased.
The title stars Jodie Comer and David Harbor and many of the critics who bashed the rebooted game used the word "jank." This was in reference to the game's questionable quality all around as it is littered with bugs, glitches, and clunky combat.
Alone in the Dark Reboot
(Photo : Pieces Interactive, THQ Nordic / Screenshot taken from official website)
However, not all of the reviews were bad and not all players were put off by the game's rough edges. There were plenty of players who gave praise to the game's two leads. Alone in the Dark was developed by the small Swedish studio Pieces Interactive and is a new version of the classic series that was previously described as the "original survival horror."
The first game was initially released in 1992 and fans said that it paved the way for many others, most notably Resident Evil and Silent Hill, in one of the most popular and influential genres of the past three decades, according to BBC.
However, the history of the game itself has been troubled and the previous release in 2015, Alone in the Dark: Illumination, received heavy criticism. The latest remake takes a lesson and goes back to the original game's roots. There are two playable characters and the action focuses on a creepy care home in 1920s Louisiana, the Derceto Manor.
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Before the rebooted game's release, creative director Mikael Hedberg and producer Andreas Schmiedecker from publisher THQ spoke about the title. Hedberg, who had been dubbed the "Stephen King of video games," was also responsible for Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Soma.
He said that Alone in the Dark could be described as more of a "chilling haunted house experience" and is much more gentle than his previous works. The two lead actors also received praise for their performances as Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood.
Criticism Over Various Features
The reboot of the game separates from the original's story and old-school adventure game leanings and instead focuses on a third-person, over-the-shoulder horror experience. One of the things that many players criticized is that there are only three guns available, said GameSpot.
With regards to gameplay, critics said that many enemies feel uniform in their behaviors and are usually comically unaware of the player's presence or are incapable of reaching them because they get stuck on geometry or even with each other when a lot of them show up at once.
The game's story has Hartwood visiting her uncle Jeremy at the manor for mentally ill people after she receives a letter from him. She hired Carnby, a private detective, to accompany her due to the worrying contents of the letter that her uncle sent her.
Players are given the option of choosing which of the two characters is given the gun that they initially have in their possession. Choosing either one gives a slightly different perspective but within the same story.
As the duo explore the building, they have limited freedom and are forced to solve puzzles in order to unlock various rooms within. While the manor is pleasant enough to explore, some players have argued that the writing did not deliver to expectations, according to The Guardian.
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