Alone in the Dark 2

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Alone in the Dark 2 is a single player and multiplayer survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Infogrames and was released on December 13, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The sequel to the critically acclaimed Alone in the Dark, this new adventure sees our hero, Edward Carnby, in 1923 confronting the many faces of evil in the darkness of Derceto, a house in which entering is the easy part and leaving could be hell!

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64%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

atmosphere4 negative mentions

The game features improved graphics and sound compared to the original, with some memorable musical compositions.
The story, while different, offers a unique blend of themes including pirates, voodoo, and gangsters, which some players found entertaining.
The gameplay includes more action and combat, which can be enjoyable for those who prefer a more fast-paced experience.

The game significantly lacks the atmospheric horror elements that made the original compelling, feeling more like an action-adventure than a survival horror game.
Combat mechanics are frustrating, with issues like stunlocking enemies and unreliable aiming, making encounters tedious and annoying.
Puzzles are often nonsensical and require guesswork, leading to a reliance on walkthroughs to progress through the game.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The story of "Alone in the Dark" is a mixed bag, featuring a bizarre blend of themes such as ghost pirates, voodoo, and gangsters, which some players find intriguing despite the lack of horror elements and a more combat-focused experience compared to the original. While the narrative is described as convoluted and less engaging than its predecessor, it still offers moments of charm and fun, though many feel it ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling or cohesive plot. Overall, the absurdity of the story may entertain some, but it does not elevate the game enough to warrant a strong recommendation.
- “The story involves ghost pirates, voodoo, gangsters, and Christmas, which is a very strange blend of themes, but somehow it works.”
- “The story is more swashbuckling adventure instead of Lovecraftian horror, and the combat will really wear on you sometimes, but it’s still a charming and enjoyable game.”
- “The story's ridiculous, but still kind of neat.”
- “Convoluted story (in a bad way), too much fighting and lack of horror element.”
- “Even story wise this is more lacking than the original, the few moments of story are just info dumps and very little lore is available to back up the plot unlike the first entry.”
- “I'd say the story was mostly all over the place.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
67%
19%
The atmosphere in "Alone in the Dark" is praised for its ability to create dread and tension through innovative gameplay and a compelling narrative, making it a standout in the horror genre. In contrast, "Alone in the Dark 2" is criticized for its lack of atmosphere, shifting focus from horror to combat, and failing to evoke the same immersive experience as its predecessor. While the original game's setting and sound design contributed to a chilling atmosphere, the sequel's departure from these elements leaves it feeling flat and unengaging.
- “Alone in the Dark was not a perfect piece of art, but it managed to build dread and atmosphere through innovative gameplay mechanics, a strong atmosphere, and a shockingly well-written plot despite its lack of refinement and real scares.”
- “Great atmosphere, amazing graphics for the time, the sounds and music so creepy that it actually gives me chills to this day.”
- “Still, the setting of the game along with its atmosphere and music, despite being completely different from the rest of the series, are still quite unique and memorable.”
- “The main issue here is that Alone in the Dark 2 entirely lacks atmosphere.”
- “But gone is the truly creepy atmosphere of the manor of the first game.”
- “For anyone wanting the creepy atmosphere and genuine horror of the original though, this one will likely let you down.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay of "Alone in the Dark" is characterized by innovative mechanics that create a strong atmosphere and narrative, despite its lack of refinement and genuine scares. However, the sequel, "Alone in the Dark 2," suffers from significant gameplay issues, including bugs and a disjointed experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it a challenging slog for players. While puzzles remain a core element, the shift in focus and unreliable mechanics hinder the gameplay experience, leading to mixed reviews.
- “Alone in the Dark was not a perfect piece of art, but it managed to build dread and atmosphere through innovative gameplay mechanics, a strong atmosphere, and a shockingly well-written plot despite its lack of refinement and real scares.”
- “The gameplay consists of puzzles and combat, which is regrettably prevalent in the beginning but becomes more bearable with progress.”
- “Her gameplay feels completely different from Edward's since he relies on brute force and physical combat.”
- “Your own aim is unreliable, which means that the game asking for your quick reaction times in a gameplay engine built around the puzzle solving and optional combat of the original is ridiculous.”
- “It technically plays like an early survival horror title but doesn't blend in with the action-oriented gameplay at all.”
- “Alone in the dark 2 is a terrible sequel and while very much a product of its time that it's easy to be forgiving towards due to its age, it remains a complete trainwreck to play rife with terrible gameplay, bugs, and crashes.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The music in the game, composed by Jean-Luc Escalant, is noted for being interesting and memorable, contributing to a unique atmosphere despite the game's departure from its horror roots. However, many reviewers criticize the implementation of the score, as it often serves as simple looping background music without enhancing specific moments or environments. Overall, while the soundtrack stands out positively, it is overshadowed by the game's other shortcomings.
- “Jean-Luc Escalant's musical score is compositionally interesting and memorable, and the game's 2D environmental art is far more detailed and visually dense than what the first game could hope to provide.”
- “The OST of this game is absolutely great.”
- “Great atmosphere, amazing graphics for the time, the sounds and music are so creepy that it actually gives me chills to this day.”
- “It doesn't help that these tracks are programmed as simple looping background music, without much effort put into using the score to underscore specific rooms or sequences.”
- “What I got: pirates, circus music, and one of the worst opening levels I've ever played.”
- “On top of that, it's barely a horror game; the Lovecraftian beasts and themes have been thrown out--replaced by pirates, brightly lit rooms, and circus music.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics in the game are a mix of colorful, hand-drawn environments that evoke nostalgia, with some reviewers noting a slight improvement over its predecessor. However, many feel that despite the retro charm, the visuals are still dated and not enough to enhance the overall experience, especially when compared to modern standards. While the atmosphere and background graphics received praise for their quality and detail, the overall graphical fidelity remains a point of contention among players.
- “The graphics are colorful and the environments are drawn by hand, with oddly cheerful music.”
- “The visuals are very nostalgic, great retro vibe.”
- “Great atmosphere, amazing graphics for the time, the sounds and music so creepy that it actually gives me chills till this day.”
- “Alone in the Dark 2 is a downgrade and less fun than the first game, and despite coming out about 2 years after the first one, the graphics look worse.”
- “There is, however, a slight improvement to the graphics, but not enough to convince me to keep playing.”
- “Since the engine is the same as in Alone in the Dark 1, the graphics and controls haven't changed much.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches, broken hit boxes, and combat animations that hinder gameplay. Players experience frequent crashes and minor glitches that can lead to frustrating dead ends, making encounters with enemies particularly challenging.
- “Fighting one enemy even at full health can be a nightmare due to broken hit boxes, broken weapons, terrible combat animations, and glitches/crashes.”
- “It's full of glitches too!”
- “Glitches that can put you into a dead end.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, primarily due to the prevalence of gun-wielding enemies, which makes combat feel repetitive and less engaging.
- “A lot of enemies have guns, leading to tedious combat.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Leveling up requires an excessive amount of time spent on monotonous tasks.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its unhinged and clumsy action, offering a lighthearted tone that contrasts with traditional survival horror elements, making it feel more like an adventure game.
- “Simply put, the game is unhinged and features funny and clumsy action.”
- “It's more of an adventure game than survival horror, with a lighter and more humorous tone than the previous game.”