Are you ready to face your fears? Get ready for a spine-tingling journey as you play The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. This thrilling horror experience is shrouded in mystery, as you step into the shoes of a film crew documenting the life and times of serial killer H.H. Holmes. Your choices determine how the story plays out as you explore eerie locations, interact with strange characters, and uncover dark secrets. The Devil in Me definitely knows how to serve up the scares and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Let’s put on a brave face and dive into Supermassive Games‘ latest horror offering with my full review.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me Details
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC
Developer(s): Supermassive Games
Publisher (s): Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Survival-horror game
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature, 17 years and over)
The Devil in Me Storyline
Supermassive Games has crafted another captivating story as part of “The Dark Pictures Anthology” series, one that is hard to put down. The developer is no stranger to tales of macabre, with games like Man of Medan, Little Hope, and House of Ashes in the anthology. Supermassive also recently released The Quarry, which falls outside of the series, but is a similar survival horror and gameplay style that shouldn’t be missed.
1800s prologue: the devil shows his face
This time around The Devil in Me centres around serial killer H.H. Holmes and his notorious World’s Fair Hotel. Holmes created what has been coined the “Murder Castle,” a building full of traps into which he would lure victims into. The game’s prologue takes place in 1893, and introduces players to Holmes and his sadistic ways.
A modern horror story
After this, the story fast forwards to October 2022, and you play as a crew of 5 documentary filmmakers hired to create a TV series about “famous murderers.” As a team, you are tasked with focusing on Holmes and his victims to produce content for the show. At first, things move slowly with few leads until you receive an invitation to film at Granthem Du’Met’s estate. He has built a replica of Holmes’ notorious “Murder Castle” on a secluded island. The crew, cautious but desperate for footage accepts the invitation to the estate. Once they arrive things start to go wrong, and the group is separated and trapped in the replica Murder Castle by a mysterious figure. It’s up to you to evade the killer and make the right choices to help get the entire group out alive.
Devil in Me gameplay
The gameplay this time around is similar to the other titles in The Dark Pictures Anthology, save for a few minor additions. You play as a group of characters who must survive the unknown horrors that await. Players are presented with choices that can shape the outcome of each character’s fate, so choosing wisely is important. Gameplay revolves around light exploration and utilizing quick time events (QTE) to stay alive and progress through the story with the help of a branching dialogue system. The new addition to the gameplay is a new inventory system that contains character specific items. For example, one character can use a business card to pick locks, while another can use a lighter to find their way in the dark. These different character-specific tools can help you when attempting to solve puzzles or avoid danger.
Dial M for multiplayer
The game also offers online cooperative mode options where players can team up with a friend and work together to survive the castle. There are two different ways you play through the story with friends, “Movie Night Mode” and “Shared Story.” Movie Night Mode has you and up to 4 friends pass a single controller and take turns progressing the story. If you want to play with another person online, Shared Story mode is the way to go. You and a friend can work together, to progress the story and survive.
Graphics and audio design
The visual presentation overall is great, setting the tone for an atmosphere that is appropriately unsettling. From flickering lights to pitch black corridors and hair-raising audio design, you feel like you’re in the centre of a horror movie. Character models look great but the animations and expressions are a little stiff. This along with some of the performances made it hard to get as invested as I did with characters in Supermassive’s previous games. The setting itself looks great, and the muder castle environment is filled with secrets to discover as you traverse the interior and surrounding area.
The audio design does an excellent job of bringing the horror elements to life, with booming sound effects and intense music that heightens the tension. Voice acting is mostly decent, but some performances can be a bit hallow at times. Aside from that, the sound design does a great job in helping to set an atmosphere of dread and unease.
Final thoughts on The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
The Devil in Me is an interesting spin on the series, with one of it’s best premises yet. It looks great, creates a spooky atmosphere and offers horror fans some enjoyable gameplay with its QTE and new inventory system. Its branching dialogue system allows you to shape your own story, while cooperative play makes it even more intense with friends. While the performances can be somewhat lacking at times, it still manages to remain an entertaining horror experience that will have you on your toes. In the end, Devil in Me is definitely worth checking out for any fan of Supermassive Games or horror games in general.
-Great visuals, setting the tone for a spooky atmosphere.
-Cooperative play makes it even more intense with a friend.
-New inventory system enables characters to have their own tools to solve puzzles and avoid danger
-QTEs add tension and excitement as you try to make it out alive
-Some performances can be stiff or lacking at times
-The branching dialogue system can feel a bit too linear in some sections
Overall assessment of The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
Gameplay: 3/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 3.5/5
Overall Rating 3.5/5 (70%)
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A copy of the game was provided by the developer for the purpose of this review.
