... perhaps needless to say, but i'm not the biggest fan of this, or alone in the dark in general. despite these games not being the best, though, i still feel delighted to watch through them. they aren't even trainwrecks, really ... they've just got a certain ... je ne sais quoi i find irresistable. i have zero interest in playing these myself, but i've had a good enough time watching other people meander their ways through 'em. so i don't hate this game. i'm entertained by it! but i don't think i like it.

as mentioned, this game -- and if i remember correctly, its predecessors as well -- suffers from its perpetuation of old, bad tropes. the native american "inspiration" is presented through an objectifying lens, which sensationalizes them & strips away any actual meaning or importance they once held, instead opting to just use them as surface level "scary" props; it was typical of the era, but even without a retroactive lens, it's offensive & boring storytelling.

the treatment of aline deserves some mention, too: it isn't the worst by any means, but the emphasis on her ass in her tight jeans & the way dialogue changes between her route & carnaby's -- where carnaby begins flirting with her -- just feels like it serves as A Little Treat for gamers. ( another staple of the era ... )

there's things i enjoy about this, though, genuinely. i am a fan of having two separate character routes that give two discrete stories, which reconvene at the end, & i am a fan of how great the background art is. it is excellent seeing how reactive the art is to your flashlight's beam, shifting colors depending on which lightsource you're using & responding to the direction you face. this is an era of game art design that really necessitated creativity, & it results in some really gorgeous stuff.

... but that's about it.