Alone in the Dark 2024 - A Complete Review

[@evprince]

Can't believe the studio just got totally shut down after this. How can a studio improve without being allowed a chance to adapt to feedback before being snuffed out ffs.

[@Jwlar]

It's so disapointing. They were really onto something, and a sequel could've easily smoothed over this game's problems.

[@DKarkarov]

They were owned by the Embracer group, they treat game studios like ham sandwiches. They chew them up, swallow, and then eject them however is needed. This game would have needed to be a financial hit for them to even consider not closing them after this release. They still might have closed them even if it was.

[@anjetto1]

Finance bros. Finance bros ruin everything

[@dieyng]

As much as it sucks, I could believe it easily. Tango Gameworks got shut down, Arkane Austin got shut down, after a single failure that could mostly be blamed on Bethesda/Zenimax, there are countless other examples. In 2023/24 asinine decisions like this are the rule, not the exception.

[@Carnelust]

That seems like the new normal lately.

[@MageMelonVT]

Emily's gun is a Remington Model 51. It's not surprisingly you didn't recognize it, as this is the literal first time it's ever appeared in a video game. Which I think is pretty neat.

[@KingsRight]

you really played or researched every game that has a gun to check to see if that model was every used?

[@Pystoria]

Honestly, I'm glad there aren't many reaction lines. I hate playing a horror game and hearing my character's response to everything that's happening. The Silent Hill games did that really well, forcing you to READ the few reactions the protagonists have instead

[@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi]

I find games boring without reaction lines like the silent protagonist and such, like come on your character has to care. He/She doesn't has to be overly overactive and describe everything that is happening around them but some reactions or proper dialogues go a long way. Apart from that about inspecting and such I loved the Capcom approach of the old games (Dino Crisis and such) of being able to inspect everything and basically "read" your characters thoughts. Essentially what I mean is that a character has to be authentic and has to care, reactions included but not overly so that it makes you feel like you are in a game and for that inspecting/reading thoughts is a good way.

[@dommoore6180]

@@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi it's totally subjective but I don't think it feels authentic at all, nothing sillier than a forced "huh, so that's what that was", or a generic take this type of line, RE2 remake was awesome but some of the reaction lines there were pretty silly and took me out of the early hours when Leon and Claire are supposed to be new to all this. I actually think some of the puzzle hint lines in AitD2024 have the same problem.

[@Pystoria]

@@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi There's no objective right way to do or not do reactions, but I find it a lot easier to get into a game when I'm the one who has to react outside of cutscenes, since half the time I'm reacting and the other half the character is. Like if a monster doesn't scare me DURING GAMEPLAY but the character freaks out, I'm going to get really taken out, but if I'm not in control during a cutscene, it's fine, because I'm not the one who's expected to control them at that moment

[@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi]

@@dommoore6180 You should watch the Gothic remake its so funny cause the dude explains EVERYTHING that happens to him, I know its unrelated but its really funny And yeah I meant dialogue has to be scarce and at the right time so its authentic and definitely happen with other characters and not just be silent. For anything else reading is fine

[@Zogger568]

The "modern mode" that highlights key words tells me that the developers were very insecure about their design and terrified that someone would get confused.

[@dieyng]

My theory about the weak reception is two-fold. For one, I think critics were actually expecting a game that could/would be going up against the Resident Evil remakes from the last few years. I don't think that was ever the plan. Secondly, instead of being satisfied with a series, that had one horrible remake after the other finally getting a good one, for some reason they expected something exceptional and groundbreaking, which was ridiculous considering the budget and development team. In addition, why expect so much from an AA game, when they are satisfied with the Resident Evil remakes just modernizing the games for the current generation of gamers? I planned on getting the game, because I was looking forward to it, but tbh, the price was indeed a bit too high for me. So, I decided to wait a bit, until it is lowered and I can catch a sale on steam or elsewhere, now that I got it, it is sad to see that the publisher decided to close the development studio. They did solid work and I would have liked to see what they would have come up with in future games. Way too many studios are being closed over increasingly insane expectations from publishers, often through no fault of the devs, but wrong decisions by the higher-ups at the publishers or Xbox fe.

[@Jwlar]

Exactly my thoughts. AITD24 was never meant to be groundbreaking or a top tier survival horror game. But unfortunately that’s what people expect from this series, even if it hasn’t actually been groundbreaking since the first game. Just being good wasn’t enough. The price tag sets up a lot of this too. I’m sure Embracer were hoping to maximise profits, but selling a AA game at AAA prices is simply unfair on people’s expectations. Had it launched at £30-£40 rather than 50 (and had the ‘dlc’ included) it would make a lot more sense imo.

[@UnicornStorm]

well, they could have dropped the big name actors and with that lowered the budget and had an asking price better reflecting a AA game, and maybe then more people would have bought it and reception would have been better

[@Jwlar]

@@UnicornStorm For sure, especially as they don't add much to the game at all. I doubt their names brought in many sales, but maybe I'm wrong. Regardless, clearly the play didn't work out.

[@northwindkey]

It's also that at launch this game was very, very buggy. A lot of the reviews specifically note the game's lack of technical polish when they reviewed it. When you're selling a $60 game, or really any game that isn't some sort of crowdfunded deal, people expect a polished, finished product. AITD24 simply wasn't very polished at launch, I get the feeling THQ Nordic pushed it before the team was actually done. Which adds to some messy design choices too.

[@dommoore6180]

I loved this game. I know people like to say "Alone in the Dark only had 1 good game" and I'd bet money 90% of people saying that haven't played any of them, let alone more than just 1 of them. But whilst I think AitD1 is the best title, New Nightmare and 2024 are both very good imo, whilst 2 and 3 are still pretty fun, 2008 is also fun if often accidently (with lots of interesting elements) leaving just Illumination as the "bad" one to me (and even that had some nice story bits, albeit presented terribly in a bare bones broken release). In any case, this new game is my favourite next to the original and finally get it right (again to me, I know lots of people have amusingly conflicting perceptions of AitD1 and the larger series). I prefer this, for what it's worth, to most horror releases game or horror of the past decade. Even with it's issues and elements I don't tend to enjoy (the old psychology aspect for example). So it really sucks to see the game totally fail and likely kill the series, again. I do think that although the game has huge technical issues, lots of people were practically jumping to kick this game about a bit. I think that will probably always happen to AitD titles (if we ever get another one) and I think that's unfair on it. People rarely have any real experience with the series and they often compare it to games it never was (RE, Silent Hill), the reputation of 2008 has somehow become the reputation of the whole series, titles people clearly know very little about (2, 3, NN) get lumped in with 2008 and Illumination whilst genuinely poor is so little played I can't believe it actually plays a part in the average person's perception of the series. The technical issues are too much and deserve criticism (in this title and previous titles) and I realise the series is creatively strange, as well as somewhat inconsistent (although I do feel people exaggerate that element personally). Still this sucks to see fail. This is easily more interesting to me than a RE style remake and greatly appreciated by me at least as a tie in to the original titles. Well, is what it is, sucks to be AitD. As ever.

[@emptyshellaxiom]

One thing about jazz music : I don't think its purpose is to decrease the fear. I feel like it's more about immersion, and as it's the soundtrack of Derceto, it reinforce the sens of strangeness the player feels while exploring this decadent manor. I finished the game with both PCs, and while I love certain stages, my favorite part of the game was always the exploration of Derceto (but I agree with you, the linear aspect, with doors artificially locked down, is quite irritating). The art nouveau and art deco design made it a delight, and, to come full circle, the jazz music felt the perfect companion for this exploration.

[@GuyWithChainsaw]

References to the og go so deep here. Characters You read about in the og being actual characters in the new game. In the og You can read Juan's texts, Dr. Gray is mentioned in the note. In the og He was old Hartwood's doctor.

[@djfussell1987]

For me personally this game is a solid 8/10! I never played the original but I watched your video about it, and I really like what they did with this game with the themes they explored with ancient mythological gods mixed with voodoo superstition and folklore! The graphics were visually pleasing and the gameplay felt pretty solid and the story was very well told, especially considering it can be played in two different perspectives and get different interactions depending on who you play as! Also, the music in this game reminds me so much of Twin Peaks! These developers should be proud of what they have achieved with this game 👌

[@dannyinthemiddle969]

Man I loved this game. The vibes of the game were on point, the dialogue was very good and very well acted, it was even pretty funny at times! The decision to hire Hollywood actors was perfect and the few interactions they actually had together made me want more. Gameplay wise I really enjoyed exploring the mansion and I liked how they introduced other locations which served as the action parts of the game. The actual combat was the weakest but I actually still enjoyed it. It felt like it fit in with the game and playing it on hard made it feel just right difficulty wise. I am disappointed at what happened to the studio. I don’t know what their next project would have been but I can say that I was satisfied with this game’s story and I’m not really sad that there won’t be a sequel.

[@jwlarina]

Thank you for another brilliant and well written video Jwlar! I look forward to watching more of your content! 😊

[@Cunaverse]

Found this channel from daggerfall videos and this just popped up, excited to see your take and analysis, also to add thank you for captions it helps a lot

[@JohnDoe-vg5ch]

Having played this game, it wasn't bad by any means. It respected the original really well. I just feel the publisher had too high of expectations. What did they expect from a AA type game? And one of my big gripes, and not knocking the actors David Harbour or Jodie Comer. They did a fantastic job, but studios need to stop spending a huge amount of their budget on big name actors. If they would have hand crafted characters instead it would've helped with their budget. Plus maybe give the game more time. Just my thoughts.

[@captainfach]

This video is awesome I'm really hoping that you do one on the Silent Hill 2 remake

[@njsteere]

Winding down for my evening and just saw there’s an hour of jwlar, it’s a good day

[@theblocksays]

I'm just happy they kept the setting/aesthetic of the 1st which was always modeled after CoC TTRPG modules by Chaosium, none of this post-00s contemporary horror in the dirty city streets and especially no shameless L4D knockoff cash grab. I like how they were more restrained with the "memberries" nostalgic references too, however I would have preferred at least one unkillable "jellyfish" monster affixed to a bathtub lunging at you LOL.

[@whistlestopwonders]

Your videos are truly fantastic. Your structure and level of detail really set you apart.

[@Jwlar]

Thank you!

[@psyhodelik]

soooo thank you for all your works ♥

[@saschaberger3212]

Such a good video for so little views. May the algorithm gods pick you up

[@RockstarRunner7]

Loved the atmosphere of this 2024 version, and as a fan on the original, really quite enjoyed it (bugs aside). I just wished the player characters had more differentiation than a single chapter. The story to me feels like it's made for Emily, and then when you play as carnby, and mostly the same beats and behaviours play out, it felt weird. Wished they had taken a more investigation approach with Carnby, and perhaps kept him in the real world, like finding out what happened to those other residents/staff that go missing etc.

[@DKarkarov]

Thanks for this review, had totally forgotten this game had even come out. I need to give it a consider and maybe pick it up.

[@platypusfox73]

I played through the PS5 version and wail I thought it was good and not great. I actually enjoyed my time with it, with the only hiccup being the riverboat level not loading and having to wait until it was patched.

[@taxalot]

Am I seeing some Prisoner of Ice connections in that video ?

[@k1ngN0rk]

Good games they are many. A game where a haunted house feels alive very few games can achieve the feeling of Alone in the Dark 1

[@989howard]

this game is realpy good after 1.05 update people judged this game quickly people really treated this game wrong

[@KingsRight]

What made the original alone in the dark games and even original resident evil games so memorable was the locked camera. I miss those days. What i wanted was for them to just take the original Alone in the Dark and update the polygons and other graphics. that's it. This game changes too much by removing what i liked the most about it.. the fixed cameras and tank controls.

[@Trodo_123]

Another Jwlar upload, let‘s go

[@HollywoodGaming-fy3vt]

Just discovered your channel. Great video!

[@Jwlar]

Thank you!

[@RandomDeforge]

16:00 "...Jazz isn't really linked with film noir..." Uhh.... Wat!?

[@dieyng]

Yeah, that gave me pause as well.

[@blarbful]

Almost all films noirs of the 40s and 50s had traditional orchestral scores. The idea that noir films always had jazz soundtracks was a misunderstanding popularised by later film noirs like Chinatown.

[@Jwlar]

It isn’t. Not originally. It’s why I mention that people mistakingly link everything from an era together in hindsight (art deco, noir, jazz, Great Depression etc).

[@RandomDeforge]

@@Jwlar not going to get into an internet argument over this, but i will say that you are wrong in this generalization. look up both in the context of film history. or don't - no sweat off my back. i still love your content and will continue to watch. it was just a nitpick over a detail i happen to know something about. cheers,

[@RandomDeforge]

@@blarbful and i never said that it always was. but the phrase that i quoted as it is worded is categorically false. maybe it was a small typo like "Jazz *wasnt always* linked with film noir" then yeah it would have been accurate. but to claim that in present tense is not. they have absolutely become intertwined mere few years of film noir.

[@GreySectoid]

Thank you for the honest review.

[@SiManRevolution]

Jazz is VERY linked with film noir.

[@Jwlar]

Not originally. I can’t recall any period (1920s to 1940s) films that use it. It has been linked afterwards due to what I mention a little later - that people link everything from an era together in retrospect (like Jazz and Noir). Which is why later entries in the genre made the link.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

@Jwlar I think it's because a lot of early noir had big scores in the opening credits so the sound became synonymous with them when the later tributes came

[@oplinger]

@@Jwlar I think a stronger link than film noir is that it's taking place in 1920s Louisiana. Probably the strongest place for jazz in the period

[@mortenera2294]

Will there ever be a truly good Alone In The Dark game? Aside from the first one, all the others only got middling reviews at best lol

[@Jwlar]

Yet another curse bestowed upon this series lol

[@dommoore6180]

Few would argue New nightmare isn't "truly good", or at least few who have played the damn thing. I'm not saying it'll blow you away but it can very comfortably stand next to the RE titles of the time. Personally I'd also say this new one and AitD 2 and 3 are solid, but clearly I'm on an island here. Still, if the shift in tone with 2 doesn't bother you too much it's well written and more than fun enough imo. I don't even think 2008 was that bad. Story was ridiculous and technical elements killed it, which is fair, but it was still a fun playthrough both accidently and for it's genuinely interesting ideas. To me anyway. I wouldn't write the whole series off based on it's reputation alone.

[@dieyng]

I'd say it got a truly good game. This is in no way comparable to the previous mishaps. It's true to the original, it has an interesting story, combat isn't groundbreaking, but personally, I was fine with it. I didn't expect an RE4 remake combat system. Expectations from this game were too high on all fronts, critics expected a masterpiece, the publisher expected blockbuster sales, the fans expected either something completely new or slavishly tied to the original, instead we got a good horror game with lots of atmosphere and great Lovecraftian elements. My standards aren't those of a professional or KZbin reviewer, but I enjoyed my time with it, despite all criticism, Jwlar seems to have done so as well.

[@ddpddp5400]

youtube didnt notify for this video dang

[@jankmedia1985]

I really like this game. I've beaten it and still play it. Has a great vibe and I actually enjoy the combat. Super chill survival horror to me.

[@bya_fox]

Great review jwlar!

[@matane2465]

I hate this era of games. I'm so sick of facial scanning and motion capture rather than having any kind of creativity in character designs. If I wanted to see actors, I'd watch movies. I don't need to see them in my games.

[@Jwlar]

Very valid in this case. They really don’t bring a lot to the game at all.

[@androtaz2621]

I honestly had no clue this game even existed until this video.

[@sacredbanana]

My uncle Jeremy had died by his own hand!

[@LycaniteTV]

Dude I forgot all about this game!

[@noco-pf3vj]

The fans of this game that made this game had a higher expectation than it should be. The fans always said that this franchise is the godfather of survivor horror games, and then put this game into AAA territory and hoped to beat a Resident Evil franchise, the fans forgot that this game is an AA games territory.

[@THaB4DGuY]

as someone who actually grew up on the original alone in the dark trilogy, i didnt like anything after that and just about everything about this game looked bad and gave me no orginal alone in the dark vibes despite dudes name being carnby and the house supposedly being the same mansion from the 1st game, i would never have guessed this was supposed to be a sequel if it wasnt in the title looked more like call of cthulu sequel or something

[@SuperRexProductions]

26:09 I see what you did there 👌🏻

[@davidurban7346]

Together in the Light

[@northwindkey]

Honestly, I think the game is just a bit unfinished. The technical issues, some messy design choices, this game could've used another 6-12 months honestly. It's better now after bug fixes, but I think Pieces needed more time.

[@mastermaniac1911]

10:50 This sort of snobbery is part of the reason the games industry is basically dead. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent on art assets and graphics designers rather than the people who come up with mechanics, stories, and settings - not to mention the programmers. "Yes, that's right, we have delicately rendered the wrinkles on the main character's ballsack, even though you can't see them through his pants. Our commitment to detail is unimpeachable. Also, fish AI. That's in here too. You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm out of a job now because we spent $300,000,000 on this nonsense. Enjoy the game, I guess."

[@sebastiansochanski]

👌

[@Acksn]

Played the game to completion when it came out. Honestly not very good, I would've liked it better if they didn't include combat at all because it sucked (and not in the Silent Hill kinda way).

[@pietoeat9750]

A lot of the video feels as though it's an apology for the downfalls of the game. The majority of the point brought up can be boiled down to 'although x was bad/questionable, it wasn't as bad/questionable as you think' or 'although x was bad, it inadvertently enhanced my experience'. This video came across as a guilty pleasure, like you originally went in thinking it wasn't going to be good and the few good things about the game were thereby heightened. I agree that the game was a 6/10. It was competent, but overall, it was very much wasted potential. The thought of what it could've been overshadows what the game is. Also, Colby VA delivery was weak and one note often feeling phoned in or very typedcasted. The noir tonal switched shouldn't butcher a character design that much where they aren't recognizable to the original only sharing the same name, especially when you could find men's/women's fashion that fit the original character design. The overabundance of ammo/ resources given to you makes any and all encounters feel like a waste, and I'd argue actively takes away from the game atmosphere. Combat is extremely frustrating, too. Instances like being crowded by enemies are something that happened frequently. Even if you are only 5 minutes away, it doesn't take away the frustration from it. Honestly, im sad to hear that this game couldn't keep the team alive.

[@Fuuntag]

I appreciate you taking the time and energy to make this and 1 hour might work for other content that focuses on a single game quite well but honestly, it’s a bit much for a “review”. That said, I suppose reviews nowadays are not just for information before making a purchasing decision? Honestly on reflection actually outside of five minute to ten minute reviews the majority I have watched recently have been for analysis and discussion. Interesting. Can you tell me what motivated this longer review? Just some well intended feedback.

[@minilathemayhem]

Are you new to Jwlar? Because most of his videos are long bois.

[@Jwlar]

The plan was to make a shorter video, but the scope quickly changed when I realised that I actually liked the game.

[@Fuuntag]

@@minilathemayhem I know but they are not labelled reviews etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed his back catalogue

[@TheRewers78]

Hello there.

[@RifinTidHamar]

Oh yeah

[@trentdavis9809]

Heiii~ :3

[@sammosaurusrex]

first

[@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi]

The game looks like RE4 from Wish or "We have RE4 at home" lol The movement and graphics even look like its shovelware Of course being a new game it has to stutter too while games 8 years ago looked better and didn't stutter on older hardware. I go and replay RE4 Remake and do challenges, achievements or just use mods instead.

[@mvrtinxz650]

What a ignorant comment

[@CCandthebeartankexpress]

they gave me a bunch of money. the game is a 5/10. but also it’s good. they didn’t pay me. here’s why

[@Jwlar]

They didn’t pay me. All I received was the game. I said it was a 6/10, which is good (good meaning above average). I literally lined out why I was defending the game, because I expected to dislike it, and was happily surprised… Btw, in the UK by law we have to state if something is an ad with a hashtag. Notice that this doesn’t have that. I went out of my way to be as transparent about this as possible from the outset of the video. Are you implying had I not liked the game, you would have no problem with this video? Must I hate every new game to not garner suspicion?

[@TonySpike]

I hate to say this to you freind, but he is right, Not only is a 6 out of 10 a distincly middling (though positive) review and not indicative that he was paid to say it, but your base idea that people should outright hate a game is wrong in the first place just because someone dosnt say that a game you have been told is bad (because i can tell that you obviously havent played it) is in fact as bad as you expect dosnt automatically make them a paid shill for that company, Nor is recieving a free review copy of a game, the same as being paid to play it It has in fact been standard practice to give out review copys of games since at least the 90s, and many reviewers get free copys with no obligation to like the game And besides, as he says, here in the UK you have to disclose if you have been paid by the company you are reviewing by LAW And with all these points in mind.....your comments are both ignorant and unfounded I am just going to assume that you didnt really pay attention the video before you posted because not only can i safely say that by the sounds of things his 6 out of 10 rating was justified, but also he wasnt exactly easy on the games shortcomings