An entertaining yarn that manages to mash up some Lovecraftian lore with the general plot of the original game is the backdrop to a decent survival horror title that leans far more towards puzzle solving and exploration over combat and, in the current gaming climate, that gives it a more unique feel.

I also liked the 'creepy, but not scary' vibe. It's more Are You Afraid Of The Dark than The Exorcist, relying on atmosphere over jump scares and gore for the most part. Again, although not necessarily something I'd want every horror game to do, it makes Alone In The Dark feel quite fresh.

Combat is serviceable at best and definitely the game's weakest suite and the story, although absolutely interesting, gets a little lost in its own sauce towards the end and this stops Alone In The Dark from being absolutely essential but if you're a fan of the original or would like a modern survival horror game that has the sensibilities of those 90s PC/PS1 titles, I think you'll find a fair bit you'll enjoy with this one.

Some great ideas realised fully and some great ideas that don't quite land, but a game full of great ideas nonetheless. A game that requires you to meet it on its own terms and it won't surprise me to find out that a lot of people simply can't do that - hell, I bounced off it hard upon its original release and only just got around to pushing through to the end of it.

If you can, you'll find a game that manages to feel truly unique due to the way it forces you to accept consequence and make concrete choices or by the way you can try to circumnavigate these to get your desired outcome. Just be prepared for a bit of a slog during the first half of the adventure whilst you get a true foothold in the world.

Also - that is SOME final act, isn't it?