Alone in the Dark review – Jodie Comer and David Harbour can’t save this soporific horror

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC; Pieces Interactive
The stars are lost in a swamp of poor writing and buggy combat in this wearisome reimagining of the 1992 survival classic

It's fitting that this latest Alone in the Dark game should choose a generational curse for its premise, as the series that pioneered the survival horror genre hasn't been good in about 30 years. Its various misadventures include the disastrous 2008 game of the same name, which among many strange design decisions included a button dedicated to blinking. Yet at least it was terrible in an interesting way, which is more than can be said for this dull and derivative reimagining of the game that started it all.

Set in Louisiana in the early 20th century, Alone in the Dark sees Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer) visiting her uncle Jeremy at the Derceto Manor convalescence home for mentally ill people after receiving a worrying letter from him. So worrying, in fact, that not only has she hired private detective Edward Carnby (David Harbour) to accompany her, but one of the first questions she asks Carnby is whether he's brought a gun, as she expects he might have to wave it around a bit" in order to see her uncle.