Alone in the Dark review: An enthralling revival of a cult-classic

When people think of survival-horror games, Alone in the Dark is one name that rarely pops up - and understandably so. The 30-year-old series peaked during its initial few entries, eventually fading into obscurity. This is despite it pioneering the exploration-and-puzzle-centric, atmosphere-and-combat-heavy, and inventory-focused gameplay loop before Resident Evil did.

In fact, Capcom's beloved franchise owes its existence to the 1992 classic as creator Shinji Mikami cited the original Alone in the Dark as a big influence on his work. Unfortunately, several middling successors and failed reboots have come and gone, and none managed to capture the essence that made the original classic a roaring success.

Now, it's Pieces Interactive's turn to crack their knuckles and showcase their take on Alone in the Dark. The Swedish studio's latest offering is a reimagining of the 1992 game, caressed with modern gameplay design and graphics tech to offer a touch of old-school that many modern games lack. Is this a hit, or yet another carcass in the string of massacred failures for Alone in the Dark?

I'm happy to say that Pieces Interactive's efforts have not gone in vain; Alone in the Dark is a solid survival-horror game, though not without its glaring issues. But what exactly is it about? As a reimagining of the 1992 original, this game sees players step back into the shoes of private detective Edward Carnby and his client Emily Hartwood.

Note that this review does not feature any story spoilers, so players worried about the narrative can rest assured that they will not stumble across story elements they should not know yet. With that said, they will start by picking between the two protagonists in Alone in the Dark. For my debut