What really lurks in the dark? Alone in the Dark Prologueand’preview juicy reboot of the first chapter of the series, opens the doors of horror to fans of all time, and beyond.
Developer/Publisher: Pieces Interactive / THQ Nordic Prezzo: € 59,99 Location: texts Multiplayer: Absent GO: 16 Available on: PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 Release date: October 25, 2023
Fear, according to science, is a primary emotion. When something unexpected and sudden happens, feeling for it is natural. Terror is followed by disbelief, with legs shaking, head exploding and breathing ragged, mouth dry and heart pounding, getting louder, in step with the mysterious crunching sounds that can be heard from every part of the room. room. And everything gets darker, darker and in that darkness there isn’t a light. There is a monster.
Alone in the Dark Prologue is an opportunity to learn more about what awaits players the next Octoberexit period of remake of the first chapter of the series which, twenty-five years ago, frightened an incalculable number of players and enthusiasts. Villa Derceto opens its doors, introducing us to a brave little girl who has no idea what’s going on. And I tried it on PlayStation 5.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S NIGHTMARE
Little Grace, intent on painting a creepy mask, knows ghost stories only by hearsay. She listens to them every night, she loves that they still have a happy ending and that those souls lost in the ether are finally reunited in the eternal peace of the Lord. She dips her brush, placing it delicately on her mask, coloring her eyes and segments of her face. She then she hears the door slam. It is a decisive noise that, in addition to scaring her, forces her to get up from the floor. She’s not afraid. How could he, in fact?
The prologue of Alone in the Dark opens its doors to a small portion of history
Mr. Jeremy Hartwood, a kind, thoughtful and soft-spoken man, often acts strangely. Every evening, at that same time, sounds from her room that Grace does not understand at all. She joins him, enters her room and finds him standing. The man rants senseless and incomprehensible phrases, breathing hard. He takes a letter from the table which he hands to the little girl, asking her to take it downstairs with her to post it and send it to Emily Hartwood, her niece. Grace doesn’t have to say it twice. She turns towards the lit fireplace and, driven by her curiosity, she is about to ask good Jeremy a question that she has been wanting to ask him for days now. Before the words escape her lips, however, the man mysteriously disappears.
A little girl painting a car in peace. What could go wrong?
The prologue of Alone in the Dark opens its doors to a small portion of the story that focuses on the narrative plot that made the original chapter famous. Grace is an intelligent child, one of the best in class and the curiosity she feels, mixed with the mysterious events that are affecting Villa Derceto, lead her one step away from darkness, the same that Mr. Hartwood warns in his head. Evil is inside him: he can’t control it or put a stop to it. It is now irrepressible, and Alone in the Dark takes shape.
ALONE IN THE DARK AT FULL POWER
The Alone in the Dark demo offers a scenario that brings into play the emotions and sensations that Hartwood feels in a whirlwind of anxieties and fears that are felt by his words. However, entering the manor, even if only for eight minutes, gives you the opportunity to better understand what is happening. Choosing Grace to present Villa Derceto was an excellent option, she immediately makes it clear what could be faced within this place worthy of the best nightmare stories currently in circulation and in the reboot of Alone in the Dark.
In Grace’s shoes, you immediately understand what you could face inside this place worthy of the best nightmare stories
Moving Grace, in fact, I discovered the rooms and classrooms of the manor, the first two floors and many doors that are impossible to open without the keys, necessary to advance in the adventure. Through the innocent eyes of the little girl, I noticed changes that didn’t bode well. It was the prelude to suffering, which would soon fall upon anyone.
Strange figures representing monsters. A prelude to suffering?
The little girl actually seemed enveloped in the same darkness unleashed by Mr. Hartwood’s mind, which went far beyond his typewriter, lying on a desk full of slips of paper in which strange symbols and rambling words are transcribed. The playful structure, just mentioned, focused on the interaction with the elements of the locations that provided for it and on the collection and reading of some relevant documents at the plot level.
The exploration was linear, the gameplay focused on interacting with objects and reading some documents
Even if it was a rather linear exploration, I focused on every corner of the rooms and I also took advantage of it to better understand what was around me. Indeed, it struck me it is the furniture and the finishing of each object, treated with parsimony and attention by the team to delve into each facet properly. During this short but detailed journey, I met some strange creatures. For a moment I thought I was outside the building, like in a swamp, but no, I was still inside and breathing the unhealthy air, feeling an icy breeze on my skin.
Already. What’s on your mind, Jeremy?
In addition to creating a distressing atmosphere, Alone in the Dark Prologue warns the player right from the start. And no, there’s no saving grace for little Grace. If Alan Wake has accustomed us to nightmare and darkness, with light as the only anchor to cling to, Alone in the Dark is ready to play with it, throwing the unfortunate person on duty into his baleful arms without any hesitation. It’s like having a noose around your throat that can’t do anything but choke you and carry you deeper and deeper, towards a slow and painful death. But when it is the mind that is touched, what is perceived is the end of everything. And that noose, sadly, wraps around Grace’s throat as well. The story, however, does not end there. A car reaches the driveway of Villa Derceto. Two people get out: they are Emily Hartwood, played by Jodie Corner (The Last Duel), and private investigator Edward Carnby, played by Davide Harbor (Stranger Things). The real story starts here.
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