The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
Promising mature horror game ultimately fails to tantalize.
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The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me -- playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, and Windows PCs -- is a scary and gory horror game about a serial killer murdering documentary filmmakers in an island mansion. Players can be stabbed, burned, and decapitated. There's plenty of blood, too, and scenes of fright. Strong profanity includes words like "f--k" and "f---ing," and characters are also seen drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
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What’s It About?
THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: THE DEVIL IN ME is an interactive drama about a group of young documentary filmmakers responding to an invitation to visit an island mansion designed to replicate that of America's first known serial killer, H.H. Holmes, a hotel proprietor in the late 19th century. After arriving at the "Murder Castle," the filmmakers soon realize that there are some strange events going on, which they aim to investigate. As a prelude of sorts, The Devil in Me starts off during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, when a pair of newlyweds check in to the hotel run by conman and killer Henry Howard Holmes. This fourth game in the series (and season 1 finale) is played in third person. In it, you control multiple characters, explore rooms, interact with others, pick up items, and solve some environmental puzzles -- similar to other adventure games. Some combat sequences and other obstacles require you to button-press (or mouse-click) in a certain way (e.g., quickly) to launch that pre-rendered quick-time event. There are many cutscene sequences, too, where you'll watch part of the story unfold. New to this game is an inventory system, some tool-based puzzles, and additional movement options (like climb, jump, and dash/run). As in scary movies, there are jump scares designed to fright and delight. Your actions, or lack of them, may result in death -- yours or someone else's on your team. A multiplayer option lets you pass the controller to friends beside you on the same television or PC, to see how they fare.
Is It Any Good?
At times, this really does feel and look like a horror movie that you're in control of. Decisions you make in The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me could have life or death consequences, and the murder scenes can be quite graphic. The graphics are impressive, and it's good to see the developers add a few features not found in its predecessors. But on the flip side, the characters can be bland, wooden, and lifeless (often with clichéd situations and comments). The puzzles aren't remarkable, and the action sequences don't feel very interactive. In the end, it's a good but not great adventure that leans more toward mediocrity than magnificence. Initially, you'll marvel at the realism of these characters in the prequel scene in the late 1900s, but the suspension of disbelief fades by the time you're playing in 2022, with the filmmakers arriving on the scene. While a passerby may do a double-take, the timing is off, the eyes are often "dead," and the movements can be awkward.
Having the story revolve around a serial killer instead of a supernatural tale is a welcome change. There's no shortage of games about zombies, ghosts, and demons, so kudos to Supermassive for sticking to the "real" horror of trying to escape a madman's wrath. While it's not utilized too much, the inventory system is a good idea, and for variety, different characters can do and use different things. You can now hop over chasms and run, climb, and perform a few other moves. At least the developers are trying something new. Cutscenes are plentiful, and if you're invested in this story, you won't mind watching -- but it's certainly not for everyone. That, and the quick-time for button mashing sequences, can be annoying as it may not work even though you went quite fast. The fun is trying to stay alive, exploring the premises and experiencing the different paths and character options, even if you perish (and you will). Fans of horror fiction may get something out of this $39 thriller, but it feels somewhat incomplete.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me affected by all the blood and gore in the game? Would the impact be lessened if there wasn't so much graphic content? Would it be believable, given the subject matter of a serial killer?
What horror games do it right, and why? Is there a benchmark for these types of games, or do they stand on their own?
Game Details
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($39.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Bandai Namco
- Release date: November 18, 2022
- Genre: Survival Horror
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Last updated: November 28, 2022
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