Відео

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).

This seems like a pretty fair review. I passed on this, largely because I can't stand David Harbour, but maybe I'll give it a shot.

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.

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.

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

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.

I imagine this game technology, at the time , would be like going for 3D to VR games

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 Paradox 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.

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

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.

One of the things going back to this, and playing some more Unity Version stuff myself, is just how much I marvel at "What an RPG is?" has changed since the game's release and now. I mean it's worth remembering that in terms of Video Games when Daggerfall came out there was basically just three genres that were dominating the scene. The Traditional Western RPG, which often was focused around a single dungeon only (like Ultima: Underworld), and generally was less about any sort of story or character interaction. These days I've seen people take what is Western RPG ideas and tag them as "Immersive Sims" which as far as I can tell is some term people made up for Deus Ex that stuck. Because the RPG concept there wasn't about telling the story of whatever character you create. It was about finding a solution to a problem with a wide tool kit and finding out what you could do (and what the developers thought of you doing) in interactions as you problem solve (be it by chopping things in half or magic or puzzles or what). Then you had the JRPGs which were entirely about telling linear stories. With defined characters for you. You didn't get to make up Steve the Swordsman when you booted up Chrono Trigger, you were Chrono and your character was defined for you. As was your build. It used the basic RPG mechanics to tell a story that was very engaging. And what they skipped on mechanical complexity (though looking back people might not think it) was instead spent on Aesthetics for the budget. Creating beautiful looking, and sounding, games for their era and comparable budget. And then you had the emerging genre that came out of things like Pokemon being a new thing. Where RPGs were used mechanically but also eschewed story, or even advanced graphics and presentation a lot of the time, for sheer Collect-a-thon depth to it. You didn't have 3-5 characters, or 1, you didn't have like 80 spells and 8 abilities that weren't spells. You had 151 potential characters to mix and match in a team of six with several of them having unique stats arrays or moves that no one else could have, etc. People might look back at this game now and think it's bad, or shallow. But I think that's more a reflection of how the Genre evolved. The "Pokemon" genre is still alive of course. But JRPGs as we know them and Traditional Western RPGs are heavily endangered. Not many people make games like them anymore. Instead the RPG kind of got redefined by Troika Games' Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodline, and others that soon followed suit after it like Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and even really games like Fallout: New Vegas. Where they kind of create a mostly linear story at times where the "Roleplaying" was almost entirely based around "What dialogue option you picked". Avoiding more mechanical complexity as they simplified things down, removed potential interactions, or clever solutions that might come from those interactions, to focus on defining characters through "Which of these four dialogue options of Good Guy, Neutral Guy, Evil Guy, or Ask a Question did you pick?". And more and more I see that's what people expect of RPGs. Well written dialogue and the illusion of building a character through dialogue choices (though usually not really as seldom does your choices ever get called back on), often with a very shallow mechanical side to their character like "I shoot guns" or "I swing sword" or "I am sneaky sniper". It's good when the writing in good. But part of me looks back at my time recently in Daggerfall and just kind of misses some of what it does. Some of it very childish I know. For example, I love that in Daggerfall there isn't one "Speechcraft" skill like a lot of games do for generic charisma/speechifying/etc that works on everyone the same way. You had Streetwise, Etiquette, and specialty languages like Daedric or Giantish. So suddenly there is a difference between "Well I tend to pick this dialogue option when I can..." in your character about how they talk and relate to people. Are you running around talking like a thug/pirate? Are you a casual conversationalist who doesn't try to put on any airs? Are you trying to reinforce your high class status of a knight of the realm? Can you bypass that Fighter's Guild quest by talking to a Giant instead of having to fight them to the death (Happened to me last run)? I like that there's some mechanical complexity and choice behind things. Dungeons in Daggerfall can be dark (and unlike a lot of modern mods for things like Oblivion and Skyrim don't also make what should be bright areas pitch black!). So do I bring a torch with me? Well that's weight I could be using on loot to carry. What about a Candlelight spell? Well that's Magicka burned which I can't get back without resting... and you're likely to get jumped resting in a dungeon, where now you'll have a fight with diminished/no magic. It gives some weight to choices where I never really feel that anymore in RPGs. Where developers kind of rob me of those choices in level design. Like you'll suddenly see a lot of light sources to pick up littered around because you're about to enter a dark area. No need to plan. No need to opportunity cost. Heck with regening magic in the newer games even the Candlelight Spell is no real cost at all, in anything but like the 120 gold you paid to learn it one time. I like that leveling up my skills feels rewarding because of the miss chances and such. There's a big difference I feel playing it from when my Axe skill was at 30% and when it was at 60%. By contrast playing someting like Fallout: New Vegas? I feel no difference what so ever between having 30 in Guns and 60 in Guns. I know intellectually it means I'm doing like 10% more damage if I vaguely recall the damage formula and how skills impact it... but it's also a huge gain in skill for a 10% more damage that I might not really notice so much. Because in the end that game defines your character by Reputation and Dialogue Choices you make more than Character Build. I never really feel like my character got better at something (outside of getting some high impact perks) so much as I feel like "I found a new weapon to use". But when you go from a Skeleton being a nigh impossible fight at 30% axe skill where you'll miss 9/10... to being at 60% with that same Silver Axe and going like 1 out of 2 swings hit... it feels good. I like that Skill Training is actually a big reason to join guilds. I join the Fighter's Guild not so much because "I am a Fighter" or "I want to be a devotee of Ebonarm and spread his influence across the region" or some similar faction choice. I'm making it for probably the reason a lot of people in the game did. It's a dangerous world out there and by signing a paper saying I'm in the Guild I can get them to teach me how to defend myself. And maybe I dump it later because I find the Fighter's Guild work interferes with the work I rather be doing and have to make a choice (like quests for nobles where Fighter's Guild thugs try to intercept me). I got what I wanted out of them and I feel no need to carry on. I moved on. Something I don't really feel in newer RPGs because generally the bulk of Roleplaying is set around "Pick Dialogue Options while you experience this story we are telling" to the point where you almost feel like once you've strapped in for a Faction you might as well ride it all the way. Because that's what the game is set for. And the Faction Conflicts (When they do crop up) tend to only be at the end. Not to mention factions tend to give you little just for joining up. So there's not the idea of "I will join the Companions to get weapon training" in Skyrim. Because... weapon skill levels don't do all that much really. And as there's no miss chances you won't struggle with any low skill levels. There's not really any Companion Missions that are going to send you in conflict with another actual faction that might force you to make a choice. Everyone praises you for doing their work, and all the unique rewards for them are at the end (like the Ysgrammor's gear in his tomb). I never really run into that point where I go "... wait... they want me to do something that will jeopardize my standing with the nobility that I've worked so hard for..." and have a reason to change tracks mid quest, or even reconsider having joined a guild.

I just backed this kickstarter on the $40 tier, it may be a while away but we'll probably get it sooner than the next Elder Scrolls game

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.

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

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.

the fact that names were so randomly cobbled together by multiple people is probably why the names in the game are so believable. Because that is exactly how places are named in real life. in real life there is no single guy with limited creativity that picks out every single name.

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

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.

Professional reviewer for Gfinity here. We had access to Alone in the Dark for two weeks prior to launch. Of course, every PR firm is different and different sites will have different lead times but most outlets that applied for code and agreed to an embargo to release their reviews had access to the game for a number of weeks.

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.

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

Dude I forgot all about this game!

Jazz is VERY linked with film noir.

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

Great review jwlar!

Thank you for the honest review.

It's funny that the series basically started as a gladiator game out of necessity with so much feature creep it became an RPG we all know.

Another Jwlar upload, let‘s go

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

soooo thank you for all your works ♥

👌

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.

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

Oh yeah

Hello there.

Together in the Light

Heiii~ :3

first

KISS has nothing to do with fumbling down a narrative (PhD in the area, look it up), it has to do with decreasing the number of cores a narrative may stem from to be able to enrich the potentialities of a deeper connection within the strings making the text easily impactful rather than being all over the place to be gathered in impact. Both cases can be very well used. It does not imply dumbing down. Also, if I am not mistaken, this I can't tell for sure, the one who openly stated that HE used that Narrative was Email and he entered Bethesda after Morrowind's released and worked on the DLC only. Also, when he stated that famed sentence, he used The Last of Us as an example of a simple and connective narrative.

Sorry, you are wrong, the advent of polygons and 3D processors in video card, games like these are more difficult to make and more easily bugged and expensive, had they had more time, the game would be amazing the way it is.

It was not dire at all, ppl did not know any better and those games were wonders! The same will be thought about our time in some decades

It’s honestly funny we’ve got the best tech in 2024 yet everyone still plays older games, just so they can get that taste of raw creativity again. Imagine you buy a game and actually get every single feature available for that game, imagine

can't wait for this!

The more i learn about Numidium the more terrifying it really sounds. It’s probably good that it’s gone forever

It also has the least ugliest create-a-characters out of the series due to the shift towards more cartoony visuals. Neversoft wasn’t that great at character models. THUG 1 despite being one of the best in the series had some pretty hideous models and clothing textures.

Can you make more reviews like this? Love them you're great! ❤

I like that there will be a bit of a guide so you always have a "what's next?" because I'm the kind of person who needs a destination.. but I'm also one of those people who likes to explore one the way to the destination if that makes sense. Say I'm on the way to the next part of the quest and then all of a sudden I see something on the way there and I'll go "ooo, what's that?" and go explore. Then sometimes while I'm exploring I'll get tired of going my own path and go back to where I was going.

Every Bethesda release is worse than the previously released one.

The music that plays around 7:20 reminded me of Zelda Majora's Mask's "Observatory theme", truly amazing and beautiful song! Great interview!

Ted Peterson showing how old school he is by having his video feed be interlaced