A devilishly good (but buggy) finale
Despite the mixed results, the developers at Supermassive Games remain committed to making more Dark Pictures games. They have already announced a new game for next year and they are also currently in talks with other studios about developing new projects. It’s clear that the team is passionate about making these games and they are working hard to make sure that their fans are not left out.
The anthology finished on a high, but it also ended with a lot of heartache and loss.
On the minus side, the game is very slow and clunky to play. The combat is also quite basic and unenlightening.
As the group of filmmakers enter the castle, they are met with a sense of dread. The walls are covered in bloodstains, and there is a feeling that something sinister is about to happen. As they explore the castle, they realize that it is anything but a historical curiosity. In fact, this replica of Holmes’ Murder Castle is actually one of the most haunted places in all of England. The group of filmmakers quickly realizes that they are not alone in their interest in this replica of Holmes’ Murder Castle. Others have also been drawn to it for different reasons. Some have even died within its walls…
As the filmmakers settle in and begin poking around the rooms, exploring the various contraptions and creepy animatronics, it would appear that there’s a copycat killer at work – and these filmmakers are next on the menu.
The game is well-made and offers a lot of content for those who are willing to spend the time necessary to explore it. The only downside is that it can be a bit on the long side, especially if you’re looking for something that will keep your interest throughout.
In Dark Pictures, the mechanics are largely the same with a few new additions. Long cut scenes can be manipulated with different dialogue choices, ones that can either improve or deteriorate your relationship with the other characters. Furthermore, there’s also your life or death choices, which freeze the picture completely and leave it up to you to choose which path to take – but on a timer of course!
The game’s biggest issue is its inconsistent worldbuilding. While some aspects of the setting feel fleshed out and convincing, others feel like they were shoehorned in for the sake of having a setting. For example, there are references to an empire that once ruled the land, but no explanation is given as to why this empire fell or what happened to it. Similarly, there are references to a powerful magic that exists in the world, but again no explanation is given as to how or why it disappeared. These inconsistencies make it difficult to invest in the world and its characters. The game also has a number of plot contrivances that don’t make much sense. For example, one character inexplicably knows how to use magic despite never having studied it before and another character inexplicably knows how to fight despite never having trained in martial arts. These plot contrivances make it difficult for the story to develop coherently and keep you engaged. Finally, there are a couple of development issues that feel sloppy script work. For example, one character inexplicably changes their mind about joining your party midway through the game and another character inexplicably becomes more aggressive after joining your party late in the game. These developments don’t ring true and detract from the overall quality of the story ..
The game’s protagonist, Mark, is afraid of heights and struggles to cross a wooden bridge without help from the crew. This moment is significant for him and it’s never mentioned again in the rest of the game. Instead, Mark galivants across high bookshelves and even higher areas (that I won’t spoil here.) ..
There is a mechanic that is used once during a heightened state of panic and again several scenes later, but it’s never mentioned again in the story. It should be used during a life or death scenario where it would be the most effective.
Thematically, the novel is about the power of relationships and how they can be used to manipulate people. The characters are all interesting and well-drawn, but their interactions are a bit one-dimensional. The plot is interesting, but it feels a bit too simple at times. Overall, the writing is good and the story is well-told, but it could use some more depth and development.
The game’s central conflict is between two women, one of whom is on the cusp of leaving her job and the other of which is trying to keep her job. The tension between the two women is played out through their creative differences, as well as through their interactions with each other.
The game is plagued with glitches and bugs, which makes it difficult to enjoy. Performance optimization is not an option, as the game is riddled with glitches that can cause frame rates to drop to unacceptable levels.
Some animations are missing completely, others are looped awkwardly while whole segments of audio are missing during some cutscenes. During one scene in an area I’ll refer to as “the hub”, there’s about 2 minutes worth of silence between 3 characters where there should be audio. Thankfully I had the subtitles on so could still see what the characters were saying!
In a recent game, I had a character suddenly disappear and be replaced by someone who had died earlier in the game. I thought it was a hallucination until the scene jarringly cuts to the next chapter and that character is gone and replaced by the living cast member.
Some players are reporting that they are not able to play the game because they have not received a patch or update, which is likely due to the release of the game without any sort of pre-release content.
The Devil In Me is a game that I believe can fix some of the issues that have been plaguing the series for years. The base game and story are both enjoyable, and I would argue the narrative is one of the best in the series’ history.
The Devil In Me is an excellent horror title that unfortunately suffers from some technical issues. Despite these problems, the story is well written and engaging, making it a worthy addition to the Dark Pictures anthology. If you can get past these issues, you’ll be rewarded with a chilling experience. ..
