Alone in the Dark 2 : Great Sequel or Missed Chance? || A Retrospective, Critique and Analysis

Hey kids,
Welcome to my new video! In this episode's retrospective, we'll be taking a look at Alone in the Dark's sequel, a game that is known for taking a bit of a different path when compared to its predecessor
We'll be taking a look at gameplay, lore and at the end, I'll give my opinion on the game as a whole. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about the development stage of this game but to make up for lost time on this, I added Jack in the Dark to the mix.
I hope you all will like this video as both a retrospective and a walkthrough of the games. Also, I'd love to know what all of you think of the upcoming Alone in the Dark remake!
Special thanks to @worldoflongplays for making the footage available since I had issues with recording from DosBox which rendered the footage unusable
Enjoy the video, kids and I'll see you all next time when we review Alone in the Dark 3.
00:00 - Intro
04:07 - Jack In the Dark
08:10 - Alone in the Dark 2
40:39 - My Thoughts
#aloneinthedark
#videoessay
#retrospective
#retrogaming
#survivalhorrorgaming

[@Maddogg2001]

Wow a review that actually comments on the controls improving. Most people say it was the same which is further from the truth. I loved this game when I was a kid. I may not of been as Scary as the first one but still was fun and had a great story.

[@thedadliestman]

Thanks! It's true, especially the running control is infinitely better than the previous game. Running was a chore in that game.

[@Haganeren]

@@thedadliestman Depends, on Macintosh running was just a matter of pushing the Shift button... Wayyy simpler so no problem with that ! For the rest, as a kid i had the whole trilogy and the second was the one i liked the least because i just couldn't past the goon at the beginning... Yeah... They were too strong for me. Now i have finally played and finished the whole trilogy and... The second one really cames out at a surprise ! I actually didn't liked how every fight "may" or "may not" be also a puzzle, i found that confusing but the second half of the game with Graces really made the game better.

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

The idea of contrasting _super badass,_ Edward "Killcount" Carnby with harmless little Grace is actually pretty smart. I mean, it's the same idea as Resident Evil 4 giving you control over Ashley in places; take away the player's agency and just make them totally helpless to sort of... re-juice the fear element. There's not a lot of fear in this game thanks to various shenanigans and overall style (Ghost Pirates are too cool to be scary), but it's definitely a good idea. I'm actually wondering if the upcoming New Orleans-set Alone in the Dark reboot/sequel announced for next year will do it, since that trailer shows the young girl singing at the opening of the announce trailer - it would be a great callback if they were to do it! Plus, they confirmed that you'll be playing as more than just Edward Carnby, so... hmmm... Anyway, I just found this channel and really enjoyed this video! I just watched someone else' retrospective on the original AITD (Jwlar), and while that video was very good, well... this was more fun. No one else seems to have noticed just how brutal and bloodthirsty Carnby has become now, lol. Defnitely subscribing and while I'll go back and look at your other vids now, I'm also quite looking forward to what else you take a look at going forward!

[@thedadliestman]

Thanks for giving it a look! I watched Jwlar's video as well and I thought it was great. I just had the idea of playing that Carnby isn't necessarily a detective anymore at some point when he's just mowing down people in every other room in this one and that's kinda what I felt that made the first one so good. I agree with you on the horror bit, compared to games now it's very toned down but back when I was a kid, it did get the heebiejeebies out of me a few times. Thanks for checking out the channel and I hope you enjoy the next ones!

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

​@@thedadliestman Hey btw, did you check out the prologue demo for the new AITD reboot that THQ Nordic put out during their showcase yesterday? They actually _did_ bring back Grace, and made the demo a very short lil' mini-adventure starring her. A nice nod to Jack in the Dark, I think. Pretty interesting how AITD's new owners are treating the property so far; they seem to have a lot of love for the original games. A lot better than Atari did, at any rate :)

[@DrymouthCWW]

Best video essay on Alone in the dark series imo.

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much!

[@Cedistran]

I'm stunned to see that you only have a bit over 200 subs (now you have one more). The production quality is great and I've really enjoyed your content. Keep up the good work!

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much! Don't worry about it too much, I've only put out 4 videos and anyone that enjoys them is more my focus. Thanks for the sub!

[@petrasanskaitis7091]

awesome!!!! Cant wait for you to do more old classic games!

[@thedadliestman]

Thanks! I'll have a new one out very soon.

[@Hooplahdee]

Really glad I found your channel! I've enjoyed the series so far and you've definitely earned yourself another subscriber. If I can offer one item of feedback, the dramatic "movie trailer music" track that you had playing in certain parts of the video was a little distracting. I don't know if it was too loud in the mix in comparison to your narration or if it was the track itself, but it did make it a bit difficult for me to focus on your voice during those parts. Aside from that really excellent production and writing. I look forward to more videos!

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much! I'll keep it in mind for the next videos, it's still a bit of a learning process.

[@mattyvsmithy]

I always liked the intro to AITD 2, it perfectly shows the juxtaposition of Striker's carefully planned attempt to rescue Grace vs Carnby's "take no prisoners" approach and also shows the game is going to be a lot more action oriented from the beginning.

[@thedadliestman]

I remember thinking with my playthrough that it was a sign of the times. Action games were becoming more popular but I didn't see AITD becoming a Doom clone. I guess the increased focus on action was a compromise but I actually enjoyed the puzzle focus from part 1

[@keness4768]

Neat trick about the teddy bear and the token. Ive beaten the game more times than i can count, but i never knew that one... As carnby, you can drop the grenade down the chute in the snake/pom pom room before climbing down. It takes out the guys below.

[@smolxduck_]

I found you on my homepage, and I really enjoy your content! I love watching these retrospective videos on these old games as I never got to experience them myself due to me being too young and not owning a proper PC to play them. 😄

[@thedadliestman]

That's great to hear! Luckily you'll be able to try them now through Dosbox. Thanks for watching!

[@smolxduck_]

@@thedadliestman The original Trilogy is also on Gog as well so I will definitely give them a try. 😌

[@3ln2x]

19:49 I am thinking of Matt Patt now saying "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusic Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan"

[@Maddogg2001]

My only grip I have I wish your used the game music for the play through. The music u used was good but the game music was iconic to me. Other then that I loved this video. Can’t wait for Alone 3 when Carby goes to the Wild West.

[@thedadliestman]

Agreed, I tried to do that with my first upload but the music would get content matched at parts where I didn't talk. I didn't want a copyright strike so I switched over to using copyright free music. I'm trying to edit the new one in a way that it won't happen. I've got one more game in the works before I release AiTD 3 since I want that one to be a "finish" of the trilogy and I'tll give me a nice change of pace since only playing AiTD can get a bit monotonous.

[@Maddogg2001]

@@thedadliestman I figured as much. Kinda dumb that you can get a copyright strike for using music from the game that is barley licensed. But that’s KZbin for yah.

[@thedadliestman]

@@Maddogg2001 Well, it's still someone's creation so I understand but I'm sure the further I take these videos, the better music I'll be able to find to match the feelings the games evoke.

[@rafaelvangrol9147]

my thoughts exactly! love the video, probbly the best essay on AITD2 in youtube, just wish I could hear a bit more of its music would it be possible to add a music/sounds/ambiance part in future videos if possible? just an idea and Im not sure if this triggers YT copyright infrigement... but anyway it is an awesome series and Im dying to see part3 =) it was the only one I got to play to the end when I was a kid

[@thedadliestman]

@@rafaelvangrol9147 Thanks for the feedback! I'm trying to set up the dialogue in a way that there's no quiet spots so I can actually use the music. After part 3 I'll make a big cut with all 3 parts in one video and I'll see about reediting the background music.

[@123sui]

Such an amazing review, keep it up!

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much! I definitely will!

[@outlaw451]

Hearing about Carnby drinking makes me want a drink.

[@thedadliestman]

It's what he does like 90% of the game.

[@magnolerriccardo6840]

Well ok, everyone knows the first chapter has been "betrayed" by his successor. But, when it came out in the early 90s, somehow this second chapter still managed to capture my appreciation. I think it was due to the atmosphere of decadence in all the environments. So I think this might actually be my favorite part of the original trilogy.

[@thedadliestman]

To be fair, my feelings towards this entry mellowed out a bit since reviewing it. It did bring a few improvements to the controls and all, I just wasn't a big fan of the emphasis on action instead of puzzles but that is a purely personal view.

[@magnolerriccardo6840]

@@thedadliestman Certain. I also liked the surrounding pirate backstory. No less compelling than that of the first chapter. Of course one focuses on the horror factor, the other on the action factor. One plays with disturbing silences, the other with the shots of Thomson rifles. To you the choice.

[@thedadliestman]

It's a bit of a time capsule in that sense. There's no way that part 1 could be considered horror currently, yet if you look at it from back in those days, I can certainly see it being called such.

[@Dark_Jaguar]

No I'd say graphically it does hold a candle, just a different style. Star Fox was flat shaded polygons even simpler than in this game, and backgrounds that were little more than simple skyboxes. Doom was a completely different style, going for a fully sprite based approach so that all the characters looked far more detailed. This one focused on those prerendered backgrounds and I think they look nice.

[@Cooldadder]

Really good stuff here, subscribed.

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much!

[@maltehenryk1409]

If the remake should be successful and turn into a new franchise I hope they'll stay on the spooky exploration and puzzle path instead of turning into a weird action game while also using good ideas, characters and story elements from the classic games.

[@thedadliestman]

I am so hoping they don't screw it up.

[@ivanmastrandrea5482]

In my opinion what makes this a not so cool sequel is the incredible amount of cryptic undocumented puzzles this one has.

[@thedadliestman]

I'm trying to get my head around which one was more aggravating 😂

[@bouncingbluesoul5270]

7:53 Notice that it's raining in this beta screenshot.

[@thedadliestman]

Nice catch! I didn't even notice that on my playthrough. Seems like they probably took that out before the final release.

[@seanhopkins9078]

Another great video, can’t wait for Alone in the dark 3 😁

[@thedadliestman]

Thank you so much! I've already finished most of the script since I know 3 by heart. 2 was definitely the hardest one to sit through. Hopefully I'll be able to get it out soon so I'll try to keep you all posted 😁

[@seanhopkins9078]

@@thedadliestman amazing mate, I grew up on these games.. so many great memories of them and the fact you are covering them like this is awesome mate

[@seanhopkins9078]

Hey mate, any news on when we will get the Alone in the dark 3 video? 😁

[@thedadliestman]

@@seanhopkins9078 actually did the last recording last week so today after work is editing day 😄

[@seanhopkins9078]

@@thedadliestman Awesome, can't wait

[@wolfgangamadeuskeen]

Good video. Pretty harsh review, though. When this came out it felt like it really built upon the first game, and was such a fully realised environment. So much thought went into it. It was definitely one of the top-tier games of its time.

[@versebuchanan512]

Good God damn that's some dramatic backing music. Calm down, lol. It's a video game. Edit: Lol I'm imagining this music playing over slow-mo footage of Carnby fist fighting those demon chicken things while the Motivational Rocky Monologue plays over it.

[@thedadliestman]

Hahaha, this was before I just started using the OST. Maybe I'll redo this one at some point 😂

[@ArcadeIsMyLife1]

The dorky man. That's your name.

[@thedadliestman]

Eh, I can roll with that as well.

[@Jomok0]

Great video lol. As for the question posed at the end about the franchise possibly being taken in the wrong direction though, it already has been repeatedly lmao. The remake can't possibly be worse than the last one that failed so hard they sold off the rights to the new guys lol

[@agamanyaapa]

19:25 YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@francescobarbaro7575]

You deserve way more subscribers.

[@thedadliestman]

Thanks! I think if I keep the quality up, people will come eventually. I'm just happy people enjoy the videos.

[@magnolerriccardo6840]

agree, his style in narrations is so...warm. I love that!

[@silentj624]

I like the video, but the music doesn't fit. This soundsoke it's for some epic hero story like skyrim rather than a detective horror

[@thedadliestman]

Thanks! True, it probably doesn't have the most fitting theme but I was apprehensive about using the soundtrack since I'm unsure of the copyright situation. This was a copyright free piece I could use.

[@silentj624]

@@thedadliestman and I completely understand that. I'd be afraid, too. Either way I just want to reiterate that the video was great. It's also nice to see someone close to my age who has played this let alone remember its existence. I subbed. Looking forward to more of your content.

[@thedadliestman]

@@silentj624 Thanks for understanding. If we're in the same age group I'm sure you'll like the next one! Hope to hear your response to that one.

[@miikasuominen3845]

Nice content. Subbed.

[@thedadliestman]

Much appreciated!

[@comxz266]

A bit late but i do like your Retrospective on the series i subbed to you following alone in the dark 3 video but i have slight disagreement with you about Alone 2 i personally think its the best one and actually is as good as the first game same goes for alone 3 but 2 especially needed that refreshment paint from the 1st and yeah although it could've used a bit more "horror" feel to it instead of being it all top notch action i give it credit for being as good as the original yet feeling like its something new and lets be honest when resident evil 4 released no one complained the game was all too actiony and less horrory and people enjoyed it for what it is same thing goes for Alone 2 the game didnt even stray too far from the core gameplay besides just adding more combat into it which was honestly fun at least for me, also tbh Alone in the Dark 2 has the best soundtrack of all 3 games Alone 1 had a creepy atmospheric sound design which fitted the game soo well but 2 just had an actual better music overall and the idea of letting us to play as Grace When Carnby was captured honestly inspired a lot of games to do the same one for example is Max Payne 2 so that idea was fantastic and something that the original game didnt have which is understandable from technical standpoint, overall i like your videos but it would be great if you talk more about BTS in games or story of the series like how it started etc it would be nice to see if you do these in your next videos since your intro for Alone 3 was honestly well written and edited and it felt it needed some praise for that.

[@gonzaloNMF]

This game was to the AitD franchise what RE4 was to the Resident Evil franchise.

[@thedadliestman]

I mean, it was not a bad game. Its focus on action took me by surprise when I compared it to the last part. Time to see what's going to happen to the part 1 remake.

[@MrDantaros]

this game is real!?!?!?!?!?!?!, the scary game that didt let me sleep in my chilhood has this past?... damn

[@thedadliestman]

Aww, sorry sport. But at least you know it's a game.

[@user-dq6pm6sg8z]

Hey, do you plAn on covering The Newer Games?

[@thedadliestman]

Eventually yes, I'm kinda waiting for the remake to do a more in-depth analysis about the entire series, possibly even remaking these vids in a big one.

[@user-dq6pm6sg8z]

@@thedadliestman thank you for the reply! Are you hyped about the new one?

[@thedadliestman]

@@user-dq6pm6sg8z Anytime! I'm excited but wary. Remaking a title comes with the challenge to reinvigorate the series and make it modern while staying true to the spirit of the past titles so I'm very interested to see how that's going to pan out. At the same time, I'm worried that they're going to modernize it too much to where it's not the original AitD anymore.

[@user-dq6pm6sg8z]

@@thedadliestmanI think that the Resident Evil 2&3 remakes will mean that the ALONE remakes will be 3rd period shooters though. I throughout enjoyed the visuals of ALONE a new nightmare, but gameplay left something to be desired.

[@irascible5119]

bad dad. no footage. - . -

[@thedadliestman]

Sorry champ, OBS just did not wanna work properly for this one.

[@SrGalindo]

Im sorry for the negative feedback, but there are many flaws in the video. First, that heroic background music, why ? Just use the original game music which is a classic. Second, the christmas tree room can be completely emptied by throwing a grenade through the chimmey, third you didnt mention the enemy in the window reference which happens in every game of the trilogy, forth you failed to mention the teleport at the start of the game pass the first enemies, fifth you neglect to mention that all the Grace part in the gardens is an extra to the CD version, the floppy version cuts to the pirate ship instead. Sixth you forgot to mention the use of voodoo by Elizabeth, not just generic magic. Seventh you forgot to mention that you can kill the teddy bear guy by also using the ice you used before, although the teddy bear is the intended way to proceed. Eighth, you forgot to mention that the final boss stands up faking death, as one of the books or parchments says.

[@thedadliestman]

No such thing as negative feedback. I'm 100% sure I missed things and that's on me. Thanks for letting me know!

[@chrisbent5734]

Great review... except the terrible, ever-looping background music made it absolutely unwatchable. Seriously, why would you do that to yourself as a content creator? Not trying to be mean here btw, I just found it realy baffling. I actually could not watch the whole video even though I wanted to.

[@thedadliestman]

I think this was my 2nd or 3rd video so I was still getting the hang of background music and such. Do hope it got better in the next ones so thanks for letting me know!