Given how mishandled and mismanaged the Alone in the Dark series has been in it's 30+ years of existence (looking at you especially, 2008 game & 2015 Illumination), it's a miracle a much better game still got made. This 2024 remake / reboot / re-imagining pays homage and is very faithful & respectful to the 1992 classic original's spirit and flavor with modern gameplay & graphics. I've finished the game 7 times (4 as Edward, 3 as Emily), and the game's story, characters, atmosphere & 1920s rural Gothic noir setting are very alluring and engaging. Not overly familiar with either David Harbour or Jodie Comer, but they played their respective protagonist roles brilliantly.
Combat is no doubt inferior when compared to recent Resident Evil games, but still serviceable and enjoyable. Graphics and animation is often ridiculed as "PS3-era" quality, which I don't see as a negative given this is a "AA" game with far less budget compared to recent Resident Evil games or Alan Wake 2, and many games for the PS2 and PS3 eras still look great even now. Another criticism I find odd is the game being "too short", when majority of action or survival horror games tend to clock between 6-12 hours of story & gameplay. I spent 8 hours as Edward and just under 7 hours as Emily in most of my playthroughs. So it was time well spent for me. No inventory managing as well any sort of health or weapon upgrades is no doubt glaring shortcomings. But given it's limited AA budget, I guess more emphasis in AITD 2024 was placed in story telling, characters, atmosphere, setting locations, and visuals.
As for the step in the right direction, you have to look no further than the last 2 games prior to 2024 Alone in the Dark... 2008 game and Illumination. 2008 game had potential, but is a jumbled mess with too many styles and ideas mixed in like a certain Resident Evil 6 but much worse. As for Illumination, I've no clue why they greenlited such a game in the first place. It's just so bad, it seemed to effectively bury the series for good. So it's simply a pleasant surprise to see THQ Nordic revive this long forgotten franchise, especially when it's the pioneer of survival horror games. The same can be said for Outcast's revival (with "A New Beginning"), which is the pioneer for open world games. The latest Alone in the Dark does a lot of things right despite the glaring flaws, that it's provided a solid modern foundation in reviving the series going forward. I feel optimistic it will grow an audience in due time, since many gamers are always on the look out for an alternative to Resident Evil, and Alone in the Dark 2024 will deliver on that craving. It's just wonderful to see Alone in the Dark back with a great game that will serve as an ideal entry point for newcomers to the series.
