Fun but flawed horror remake serves tons of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Along with using weapons to kill enemies, like guns and hatchets, creatures you fight can be beheaded or dismembered with lots of blood. The cut-scene moves are also graphic, including scenes of hanging, stabbing, impaling, and more. As the name suggests, the game is scary, too, with frightening scenes in dimly-lit rooms, creatures that jump out at you and psychological horror.
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The game offers downloadable content and there are special editions of the game with extra content.
Ease of Play
a lot
Alone in the Dark isn't difficult to control but it's recommended to use a gamepad (on the Windows PC version) as the keyboard and mouse controls aren't the best during combat. The game may require some trial-and-error and game saves are automatic.
Positive Role Models
some
You can play as one of two characters in the game: a private investigator, brought on to find a missing man, or the niece who hired him. While we don't learn a lot about Edward Carnby or Emily Harwood's personalities and character, they're both committed to finding Emily's uncle and solving the mystery. They both need to use weapons to fend for themselves against the creatures in this house, but it's out of necessity.
Positive Messages
very little
This survival horror game challenges you to stay alive in a hunted mansion and uncover a mystery, but there aren't many messages other than bravery and exploration.
Diverse Representations
very little
You can play as a male or female protagonist (who are both White), but most other characters you encounter are not human (demons/creatures). The ones you do meet are also White (doctor, housekeeper, etc.). There are several references to the mansion previously serving as a slave plantation, but there isn't much more offered to this part of the storyline.
Parents need to know Alone in the Dark features plenty of intense and graphic violence and gore, including scenes of decapitation and dismemberment, plenty of blood, and scary situations and visuals. Using weapons (like a shovel or hatchet) you can destroy creatures before they can kill you. The game also has moderate profanity (including the word "s--t"), cigarette smoking, and drinking flasks to boost one's health.
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What’s It About?
A love letter to the iconic 1992 computer game, ALONE IN THE DARK is a reimagined take on the classic adventure about surviving a haunted house in the 1920s. The game starts with a short intro movie sequence, where we learn about the mysterious disappearance of Emily Hardwood's uncle Jeremy from the Derceto Manor. Players can choose to play as Emily or as hired Private Investigator, Edward Carnby (David Harbour, from Stranger Things). In order to stay alive in the haunted home and unravel the truth behind the disappearance, gameplay consists of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. Played from a third-person view, you'll navigate the large manor look for clues and objects that can be used to advance your efforts (like keys to locked rooms) and use weapons and tactics to take on various demonic-like creatures that stand in your way. Note: All versions of the game look and play in a similar fashion.
Alone in the Dark is a fun update of the 32-year-old classic, with new puzzles, places to explore, and modern graphics. If you like a good scarem you'll enjoy this very creepy mystery-driven game, especially if you play with headphones and the lights off. Where this game really shines is in its exciting storytelling and surprise plot twists
It's not without its flaws, like some minot technical bugs, but a software update fixed many issues and added new content. Despite these small issues, Alone in the Dark shows that old games can be updated with new thrills to keep them fun for today.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in media. Alone in the Dark is an extremely violent and graphic horror game, but several sequences also rely on psychological terror. Do you think games, movies, and books can be just as scary without relying on violence?
Is killing demonic creatures ok since they're "evil" and this game is played in self-defense, or should parents be just as concerned about the violence and gore in this game as other games that let you kill innocent humans? Is there a difference?
ESRB rating:
M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
Last updated:
August 23, 2024
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
