Alone in the Dark

About

Alone in the Dark is a survival horror game that follows the main character, Edward Carnby, investigating a dark conspiracy in a terrifying re-creation of Central Park. The game is structured in episodes, providing a cinematic and gripping experience with each episode lasting around 30-40 minutes. Convenient video summaries are included before each episode, allowing players to quickly recall the story and jump back into the action.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 317 reviews

story20 positive mentions

stability33 negative mentions

The game features a clever and interesting inventory system that allows players to manage items in a unique way.
The crafting and combining items mechanic is smoothly integrated into gameplay, enhancing the survival experience.
The soundtrack by Olivier Deriviere is highly praised and adds a captivating atmosphere to the game.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, bugs, and poor performance on modern systems.
Controls are clunky and unintuitive, making gameplay frustrating, especially with frequent switches between first and third-person views.
The story is convoluted and lacks character development, leading to an unsatisfying narrative experience.

story
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
59%
15%
The story of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers criticizing its lack of character development, convoluted plot, and poor dialogue. While some players found elements of the narrative intriguing or enjoyable, the overall consensus is that the story is clichéd, confusing, and fails to engage, often feeling like a disjointed collection of ideas rather than a cohesive narrative. Despite a few positive remarks about its potential, most agree that the storytelling detracts significantly from the overall experience.
- “The story is a piece of art.”
- “Great story with twists, good characters, smart puzzles, intense boss fights, and it has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard in my life!”
- “The story is quite intriguing if you once played the classic trilogy.”
- “The plot is alright but the dialogue is like something written by 15-year-olds, or something the suits thought would sound cool. The game is a funny and wonky mess that went through development hell.”
- “The game starts off in the middle of the story, and you as the player are given little exposition until nearing the end of the game on what is actually going on.”
- “The story is dumb, and the characters are unlikable, making it a confusing and frustrating experience.”
gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
6%
The gameplay of "Alone in the Dark" is a mixed bag, featuring innovative mechanics like crafting and environmental interactions that enhance immersion, but marred by clunky controls and frequent bugs that hinder the experience. While some players appreciate the depth and creativity of the systems, others find the execution frustrating and unpolished, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel chaotic and inconsistent. Overall, the game offers intriguing ideas but struggles with implementation, making it a challenging experience for both newcomers and seasoned players.
- “Crafting and combining items feel built into the gameplay very smoothly, making life easier. The mechanic itself is useful, and the game requires learning and using it, not just 'we have crafting because most survival games have it.'”
- “A lot of its mechanics are fully systemic – things break consistently, fire spreads naturally, item combinations behave the way you’d expect them to, and many puzzles in the game are built around those systems.”
- “The game introduces intriguing mechanics, such as a realistic inventory system and creative use of environmental interactions, which add depth to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay can be questionable at times, and some mechanics are used for the first 5 minutes after they're introduced, and then never again.”
- “Old tank controls for a game from 2008 is just sad and the frustration of having to switch from third to first person all the time to complete puzzles is one of the most misguided and frustrating gameplay mechanics I've dealt with for possibly ever.”
- “The very big con about this game is that the gameplay of this game makes it almost unplayable and makes it harder and unfairer than a Souls game.”
graphics
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
64%
13%
The graphics of the game are a contentious topic among users, with many noting significant issues such as bugs, crashes when attempting to change settings, and poor compatibility with modern systems. While some praise the visuals as decent for a game released in 2008, others criticize them as outdated and problematic, leading to a general consensus that the graphical experience is marred by technical flaws. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with some appreciating the aesthetic while many others highlight the numerous issues that detract from the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are good, really good (especially considering this game came out in 2008).”
- “Very nice ambiance, exciting story, strong characters, thrilling survival, and good looking visuals for its time, 2008.”
- “Graphics are a mixed bag and the graphics is probably the best thing this game has going for it.”
- “Countless bugs and glitches, inability to change resolution settings without breaking the game, incompatibility with newer, modern graphics cards, and awful physics and controls put this game in the 'avoid at all costs' bin. Do not buy this game; you'll most likely be spending hours looking for a fix before you can even begin playing it.”
- “The only downside to the PC version is that you can't change any graphics settings because it'll crash your game if you even try to go to the graphics options.”
- “I couldn't even change graphics settings because the game crashed every time I tried to do this.”
music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
48%
9%
The music in the game, primarily composed by Olivier Deriviere, is widely praised for its orchestral and folk-style elements, with many reviewers calling it "god-level" and a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some critics find the music to be generic or mismatched with the game's tone, the majority agree that it significantly elevates the gameplay, making it one of the best soundtracks in gaming. Overall, the soundtrack is described as catchy, epic, and a redeeming quality amidst the game's flaws.
- “The game boasts an amazing OST by Olivier Deriviere, who also worked on the great 'Obscure' and the not as great 'Obscure 2's' OSTs respectively.”
- “Great story with twists, good characters, smart puzzles, intense boss fights, and it has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard in my life!”
- “And most of the soundtrack keeps this epic, mysterious tone full of orchestral songs and some excellent pieces of music that make it feel like the game is telling a deep epic, even when most of the time you'll probably have no idea what's going on.”
- “Music is generic, and far too 'goofy' to be as serious as the game presumably tries to be.”
- “Or the music which tries to create suspense, but is quickly starting to annoy you, because it's nowhere close to being dynamically linked to the action on the screen.”
- “The music just adds to the glorious train wreck that this game is.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that severely hinder gameplay. Many players experience issues such as freezing, graphical problems, and unresponsive controls, making the game frustratingly unplayable at times. Despite some acknowledging the potential for enjoyment, the overwhelming consensus is to avoid the game due to its unstable performance and lack of polish.
- “The PC port in particular was notoriously unstable since launch, and even with modern fan fixes, it can occasionally randomly crash or have odd physics-related glitches.”
- “Countless bugs and glitches, inability to change resolution settings without breaking the game, incompatibility with newer, modern graphics cards, and awful physics and controls put this game in the 'avoid at all costs' bin. Do not buy this game; you'll most likely be spending hours looking for a fix before you can even begin playing it.”
- “Steam still sells this game even though it's riddled with problems. It won't even work unless you run it in a certain compatibility mode, needs additional files you need to download online to run without crashing, controller support doesn't work, can't alt-tab out, and the configuration menu freezes with a message saying 'release all keys'.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
18%
55%
The optimization of the game is widely criticized, particularly on PC, where players experience significant performance issues such as stuttering and frame rate drops, especially in open-world areas. Despite having capable hardware, many users report that the game runs poorly, with some even stating that it feels unplayable due to these issues. While there are some reports of smoother performance after adjustments, the overall consensus is that the game is not well-optimized, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “Performance was questionable in 2008, and if you get it to run well even on modern hardware, then it's like winning the lottery.”
- “You can't access the display menu without crashing the game, and it's a bit finicky to make an Xbox controller work, but once it does, and if you accept the fact that the resolution will be a bit low, then it runs smoothly from there.”
- “Due to its less than stellar performance on the market and poor reviews, most of its concepts remain underexplored among other horror games, which is a shame.”
- “Performance issues when new locations are loading. I have 16 GB RAM, Ryzen 5 3600, 1660 Super, and SSD, which should be more than enough for a 2008 game, and it isn't.”
- “Maybe the price is worth it on console where there are no performance issues, but because of the stuttering issue on PC, I'll give it 4/10 and not recommend it unless they solve these bugs.”
- “Performance is pretty horrible; in linear places it has 60 FPS, but in open world it starts to stutter at random and drops to 15-25 FPS half of the time.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
10%
20%
The game's atmosphere is described as immersive and intriguing, with a mix of unique mechanics and decent graphics that evoke nostalgia for classic horror titles. However, opinions are divided; while some appreciate its atmospheric elements and music, others criticize it for lacking the depth and tension found in more renowned horror games, likening it to a cheesy action film rather than a true horror experience. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a strong point, albeit inconsistent and overshadowed by various gameplay flaws.
- “I don't get all the hate... yeah this game has lots of downsides, but it has lots of positive sides too: atmosphere, music, decent looking graphics, and quite unique mechanics that still feel fresh.”
- “I've been playing 'Alone in the Dark' back then in 1993 and loved the atmosphere, the puzzles, and how the story unfolded.”
- “Atmosphere and that good old 'Alone in the Dark' feeling is great in this game. 10/10”
- “A horror game with no real scares or atmosphere?”
- “It lacks the abstract dark atmosphere of other horror games like Silent Hill, Darkwood, Pathologic, Shadowman, or Resident Evil... it just feels like a cheesy Hollywood action film.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of juvenile dialogue and absurd glitches, creating a "so bad it's funny" atmosphere. Players find amusement in the game's bizarre scenarios and hilarious bugs, despite its frustrating mechanics and linear gameplay. Overall, while the humor may not appeal to everyone, it offers a unique charm for those who enjoy a chaotic and comedic experience.
- “The game is a funny and wonky shitfest that went through a development hell.”
- “I recommend this if you want to solve some very good puzzles and laugh at the crazy dialogues.”
- “So what you have is a game that controls a bit weirdly, suffers from some hilarious glitches, and somehow tries to wrap up every ridiculous thing that happens into some sort of logical story.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a touching and simple story that resonates deeply with players, evoking strong feelings from the very beginning. However, some reviewers note a lack of emotional investment in the human characters, suggesting they serve more as background elements than as integral parts of the narrative.
- “The story is simple but touching; it's truly an adventure.”
- “From the first minute of moving my character, I cried a thousand tears.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often exacerbated by technical issues such as bugs, poor frame rates, and unresponsive controls. Many express dissatisfaction with the repetitive nature of tasks and the lack of meaningful progression, leading to a sense of futility when faced with crashes and lost progress. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant detractor from the game's enjoyment.
- “Combat is tedious and boring.”
- “I was so close to finishing this damn game... destroyed all the roots, got into the secret passage, wall climbed underground, done all the tedious puzzles with light beams... only to find it never saved the progression... and it put me back at the tree of evil roots to burn them... I said fudge this, it will be a long time in hell before I spend another 6 hours burning roots at 12fps.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from poor character development, as it rapidly transitions between plot points without providing meaningful storytelling or depth to the characters.
- “But it jumps from plot point to plot point, lacking any character development, and the storytelling is poor.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and their growth is almost non-existent throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how little the characters evolved; their arcs were predictable and uninspired.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate a strong sentiment against the game's monetization strategy, with users labeling it as a "cash grab" and calling for improvements before any further remakes or remasters are released.
- “This feels like a rip-off cash grab rather than a genuine remake or remaster.”
- “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls in what should be a complete game.”