Revival of a 90s classic ...with added Jodie Comer
Alone In The Dark (PlayStation, Xbox, PC, £49.99) Verdict: No longer alone ★★★☆☆
IT’S been more than 30 years since Alone In The Dark was released onto the beige and boxy home computers of the early 1990s. At the time, its mix of 3D exploration, fraught combat, intricate puzzle-solving and cosmic horror was revolutionary — and inspired the likes of the Resident Evil series.
A lot has happened in the decades since. The Spice Girls. Air fryers. Brexit. And the continuing rise of video games — such that now two big stars will lend their likenesses and voices to a remake of Alone In The Dark.
Those stars are Jodie Comer, the likeable Liverpudlian most will recognise from Killing Eve, and David Harbour, the gruff police chief from Stranger Things. The remake is a total, from-the-ground-up, conversion of the original.
Yes, the narrative is broadly the same: Emily Hartwood (Comer) and private investigator Edward Carnby (Harbour) visit a mouldy Louisiana mansion to find out what’s become of Emily’s uncle, running into some paranormal activity on arrival.
But this is a more sophisticated product, and not just because of the central performances. The rewritten script makes the original seem like an episode of Scooby-Doo. Its creative crossstitching of timelines and locations, even within the confines of a manor, is impressive.
The problem is, it’s no longer revolutionary. Alone In The Dark is now competing with the other grandes dames of horror gaming, like The Last Of Us, Resident Evil Village and the Amnesia series — and doesn’t really outsparkle any of them. These days, sadly, it’s just part of the crowd.