Alone in the Dark Prologue

About

Grace in the Dark is a free-to-play prelude to Alone in the Dark, a reboot of a horror classic. It gives players their first glimpse into the story of Alone in the Dark and helps set the atmosphere, which is expected to be a more linear experience with some exploration and basic puzzles. Grace in the Dark will provide about 15-20 minutes of gameplay but will not feature any combat.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 654 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a well-crafted atmosphere, showcasing the potential for a visually impressive full release.
The voice acting is engaging, particularly the performances of the main characters, which adds depth to the experience.
The prologue successfully piques interest in the story and characters, leaving players eager for the full game.

The prologue is extremely short, lasting only about 5-10 minutes, which feels insufficient for a demo and leaves players wanting more.
There are significant technical issues, including poor camera controls, motion blur that cannot be disabled, and stuttering during gameplay.
The gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of walking and a few interactions, lacking any real combat or puzzle-solving elements.

gameplay
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
85%
3%
The gameplay in the "Alone in the Dark" prologue has been widely criticized for its extreme brevity, with most players reporting only 5 to 10 minutes of actual interaction, primarily consisting of simple tasks like walking and pressing a few buttons. Many reviewers expressed disappointment over the lack of meaningful gameplay mechanics, puzzles, or combat, suggesting that the prologue feels more like a cinematic teaser than a true gameplay experience. While the graphics and atmosphere received some praise, the overwhelming sentiment is that the demo fails to provide a substantial preview of the full game's potential.
- “Fantastic gameplay!”
- “Everything I’ve seen about the game, from the trailers, images, and gameplay, suggests that it will be a creepy, scary, thrilling experience.”
- “Short and sweet demo, gameplay and atmosphere is great and perfectly retains the feel of the classic games, the performance suffers a bit though.”
- “Gameplay there is none, aside from walking around as a little southern girl and following a couple prompts to press the space bar to push a stuffed hunting trophy over.”
- “There is no gameplay in this demo, you only interact with one key to unlock a door, and a bear statue to knock it over, where the game literally encloses you in a tiny area where this is the only thing to do.”
- “It's not worth the download, almost 19gb for roughly 8 minutes of 'gameplay', for the size I was expecting at least 15 minutes, they do try to get you curious as to what's going on.”
graphics
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
5%
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising the cinematic quality, atmospheric design, and detailed environments that evoke a 1920s film noir aesthetic. While some players experienced issues with motion blur and optimization, overall performance was noted to be good, allowing for high frame rates even on older hardware. However, there were complaints about the clunky graphics settings and occasional graphical glitches, which detracted from the otherwise impressive visual experience.
- “Incredible graphics and fantastically creepy ambience!”
- “The graphics are just amazing, as well as the soundtrack and the noir style you would expect in the next installment in the Alone in the Dark series.”
- “Graphics and animations all seem very well done, something about Grace seems a bit off though.”
- “With that said, something must be done about the graphics, as the game's motion blur paired with high sensitivity almost made me feel nauseous.”
- “Pop-in janky graphics, extremely weird atmosphere (not in a good way), jumpscares that make no sense, absolutely confusing tone.”
- “Graphics options are broken, couldn't set the resolution (the game seemed to play at very low resolution), and couldn't set fullscreen mode.”
atmosphere
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
3%
The atmosphere of the game has been widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and effective sound design. The prologue, although short, successfully sets a tone of dread and nostalgia, reminiscent of classic horror games, and leaves players eager for the full release. However, some critiques mention that the atmosphere can occasionally feel inconsistent or confusing, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere and graphics were what I was looking for, and the music was something that specifically caught my attention.”
- “Incredible atmosphere in this prologue, really makes you want the full game to come as fast as possible!”
- “The game excels in crafting an atmosphere dripping with dread.”
- “The atmosphere was very intense, dark, and creepy.”
- “The atmosphere here was less scary and more just confusing, with the main character Grace seeming entirely nonplussed by the various supernatural things occurring around her.”
- “The sound design seemed good to me (again, the demo is very short) but the music, without being bad, again does not correspond to the atmosphere, seems anachronistic.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
85%
6%
The story of "Grace in the Dark" centers around a young girl, Grace Saunders, on a seemingly simple mission to deliver a letter, which leads her into the eerie Derceto Manor. While the prologue offers a captivating atmosphere with 1920s aesthetics and a haunting soundtrack, many players feel it lacks depth in character development and gameplay, leaving them intrigued yet wanting more context and engagement with the narrative. Overall, the potential for a compelling story is recognized, but the brief introduction raises concerns about the full game's ability to deliver a satisfying narrative experience.
- “It features notable Hollywood cinematics with 1920s aesthetics and film noir in a southern gothic setting to tell its story.”
- “This brief experience introduces players to young Grace Saunders, embarking on a seemingly straightforward mission to deliver a letter, only to find herself trapped in the sinister Derceto Manor.”
- “I really want it to be good because I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, acting, music, cinematography, and storytelling during what little time you get to spend with this demo.”
- “7GB downloaded just to walk for less than 10 minutes, with no action and no actual game/story.”
- “Underwhelming 10 minutes of walking around until you trigger a couple of interactions that don't really say much about the plot or the gameplay.”
- “The story also gave very little context for what was happening, so I was too busy asking why Grace wasn't more concerned about the foyer of her house turning into a swamp before her eyes to actually be scared by any of it.”
optimization
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
30%
16%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its impressive graphics and smooth performance at high settings, particularly on mid to high-end hardware. However, some users reported issues such as stuttering, especially during shader compilation, and inconsistent performance across different setups. While the demo showcases strong potential, concerns about optimization remain, particularly for those with lower-end systems or specific graphical settings.
- “The optimization is top notch; I'm really looking forward to it.”
- “This demo is very well optimized and it showed some potential about this game.”
- “The game runs smoothly enough and I had no major FPS issues at max settings.”
- “It didn't run very smoothly on my very decent PC, so hopefully the core game gets optimized.”
- “Very frequent stuttering, lack of options to turn visual settings such as motion blur and lens flare off completely, and anti-aliasing that leaves horrible ghosting.”
- “Awkward controls, stuttering graphics, excessively long loading screens.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The music in the game has received praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its alignment with the game's setting and its evocative qualities reminiscent of "Twin Peaks." While the soundtrack is generally described as captivating and fitting, some players found certain musical choices to be anachronistic or distracting, detracting from the intended horror experience. Overall, the sound design and music contribute positively to the game's ambiance, though opinions vary on specific tracks.
- “The soundtrack is also mesmerizing as it follows the time period and setting of the story.”
- “The game itself starts with light music, which over time grows into a tense atmosphere, which makes the game even more intriguing.”
- “The sound design seemed good to me (again, the demo is very short) but the music, without being bad, does not correspond to the atmosphere and seems anachronistic.”
- “- a bit humorous atmosphere with uplifting music (I found it distracting and not horror at all).”
- “The music is just right for the setting and environment.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many users report that it runs well even on older hardware with no significant frame drops, there are frequent glitches and occasional freezes that detract from the experience. Some players noted specific issues like graphical glitches and stuttering during transitions, indicating that while optimization efforts are evident, there are still notable stability concerns to address.
- “Good graphics and runs great on my old hardware (12-year-old CPU).”
- “Runs great while looking great even on my older rig.”
- “Pros: free, runs great with no frame drops, well optimized; getting similarities to Resident Evil's fetch quests for keys.”
- “The graphics still have glitches.”
- “My device's specs are quite good, and I can play modern games comfortably, yet the game glitches at many points, which was annoying.”
- “5-8 minutes of gameplay in 18GB, lots of glitches and cracking sound.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the prologue is highlighted by the protagonist, Grace Saunders, whose calm demeanor and witty attitude provide a refreshing and amusing contrast to the surrounding events. Reviewers appreciate her character's originality and express a desire for more screen time, while the overall atmosphere is described as light-hearted, albeit somewhat distracting from the intended horror elements.
- “The protagonist of this prologue is pretty funny; I kind of wish we would see more of her.”
- “It's visually stunning, and the way Grace keeps herself calm throughout the whole prologue is surprisingly funny (at least for me it is).”
- “Grace Saunders is awesome in this demo - her attitude towards what's going on around here is hilarious and original, and she'd better have a decent amount of screen time if they're going to make her the complete focus of a demo like this.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express mixed feelings about the game's emotional impact, noting that while the narrative may evoke a sense of numbness in the protagonist, technical issues like motion blur and control sensitivity detract from the overall experience. The lack of interactive mechanics also contributes to a perception of laziness in development, potentially hindering deeper emotional engagement.
- “One can only imagine how emotionally numb she must be inside.”
- “Everything is great, but I would maybe change the controls because it made me feel like I was drunk while playing; otherwise, I'm very excited for it.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The monetization strategy for the game has been criticized for failing to generate interest in purchasing the full version, with users noting the absence of advertisements during the prologue as a missed opportunity for promotion.
- “No ads for the release of this prologue; the developers must keep this in mind.”
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't disrupt gameplay.”
- “I appreciate that there are no intrusive ads during the game.”
- “Does absolutely nothing to make me want to buy this game, which is certainly not a great advertisement for the full game to come.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully, which ruins the fun.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that the game's character development is lacking, with many players feeling that the story does not effectively enhance or evolve the characters throughout the gameplay. This has led to a sense of disconnect between the narrative and character arcs, leaving players wanting more depth and growth.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
- “The game fails to provide any real growth for the characters, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users generally express that the game lacks significant replay value, indicating that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it.
- “The game lacks replay value, making it feel like a one-time experience.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The limited choices and linear storyline significantly reduce its replayability.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as it detracts from the exploration and immersion expected in a survival horror experience.
- “I like to look around at the environment, and I would expect that to be a core part of a survival horror game. However, as it stands now, the grinding feels far more tedious than I would want.”