Alone in the Dark Review (PS5) | Push Square

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In spite of all its shortcomings, Alone in the Dark is a game we can't help but have a soft spot for. It's packed full of glitches at launch. The combat feels awful. It's not scary whatsoever, and the stealth sequences are dreadful. Yet, there's such a clear passion for the survival horror genre coursing through it that it comes out the other side still a relatively enjoyable experience. On paper, Alone in the Dark is not a good video game. However, with a fondness for the PS1 original and that classic Resident Evil-style gameplay, it's a PS5 title with its heart in the right place.

The love letter to the original trilogy plays somewhat similarly to the recent Resident Evil revivals. From the perspective of either Emily Hartwood or Edward Carnby — the former played by Jodie Comer of Killing Eve fame and the latter being David Harbour from Stranger Things — you'll explore the Derceto Manor in an effort to find Emily's uncle, who's gone missing inside the home for the mentally fatigued. The experience harkens back to the days of old with a modern feel as puzzle-solving, ammo management, and clunky combat take centre stage.

The famous Derceto Manor is the main attraction, with the sort of incredible, absurd puzzles you'd never encounter in real life gradually unlocking its rooms and secrets as you progress. You'll work to solve these brain teasers by cross-referencing between files and items, matching keys with locked doors, and correctly aligning concrete slabs to make a picture. Their elaborate nature is what makes the experience so appealing; you never know what sort of comically preposterous task is up next.

You're able to freely explore the mansion most of the time, backtracking for optional collectibles and items once you've worked out a puzzle solution or found a new key. The game again takes cues from the modern Resident Evil entries with a map that fills in as you uncover its secrets. Once a room has been fully cleared of its inventory, it'll be marked as