The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me review – A thoughtful, but janky dive into the fetishisation of serial killers

The Devil in Me marks the fourth installment of Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology, the finale of the anthology’s first season. So, you’d expect The Devil in Me to go off with some sort of bang, right? Sadly, this lackluster denouement is let down by performance issues, a serious lack of quality, and limited immersion (which is often essential to make this game series as engrossing as it is).

The Devil in Me follows the team at Lonnit Entertainment as they receive an offer they can’t refuse. As the creators of a true crime series, the gang is looking for a season finale that will hopefully guarantee them even more airtime. The subject of his final episode? America’s most prolific serial killer, HH Holmes. However, this crew doesn’t have a leg to stand on. That is, until a mysterious phone call kicks things off.

Granthem Du’Met, the supposed relative of an obsessive serial killer who has managed to build a faithful replica of H. H Holmes’ The World’s Fair Hotel, invites Lonnit Entertainment to see the peculiar landmark, twisted with a grim history, for themselves. themselves. So, they leave, adhering to Du’Met’s strict and bizarre rules in hopes of ending their show on a high.

The Devil in Me has a unique premise, and it definitely intrigued me. It’s hard not to have heard of the terrible legacy left behind by real-life criminal HH Holmes. It’s hard to ignore the various references to him in popular media (Robert Bloch’s American Gothic, Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, American Horror Story, etc.) and the real-life people who have glorified him, for one thing. reason. or another.

With that in mind, I had my reservations about The Devil In Me, and whether I risked glorifying such a man and the heinous crimes he committed. Just look at Netflix’s Dahmer and the controversy that has ensued in recent months. It was such a relief when I made my way through The Devil in Me, then, and found it to be the complete opposite. No spoilers, there is a lot of in-game discussion about Holmes and how some people will turn serial killers into celebrities. There is also a discussion about the consecration of the spectacle of death which, again, opposes glorifying such horrible crimes and opens up a very interesting discussion on the subject.

As something I’m passionate about (thanks to Jordan Peele’s recent horror film Nope), it’s great to see a game that deals with such a sensitive subject. The way he really sits and how he raises questions among his players (why is everyone so fascinated with the most horrible crimes and why are we so interested in immortalizing these crimes forever) is admirable. There’s a lot to think about, and who knows, maybe The Dark Pictures Anthology will discuss it more in future episodes. That’s something I’d certainly like to see, and something the series is more than capable of. The Devil in Me provides fertile ground for a more considerate future for the Supermassive series.

When I walked into The World’s Fair Hotel (or the replica, anyway), it was immediately apparent that The Devil in Me is nothing short of beautiful. The hotel itself is a myriad of secret corridors and doors and you are often disoriented as a result. As planned, I hope. There is great attention to detail, as the hotel itself is heavily influenced by period American design, and the mood is very similar to Kubrick’s version of The Outlook Hotel (The Shining). If you appreciate your cult horror cinema, The Devil in Me is certainly a feast of direct references and understated nods throughout, and all of them are thoughtful and intricate, intentional and referential.

The Devil in Me certainly tried to be bigger and better than the previous games; stretched out to a 10 hour runtime if you play your cards right, and packed with new mechanics, this should have been the game to put The Dark Pictures Anthology on the map. It’s an enticing story told incredibly well – a staple of Supermasive, at this point – but various bugs and sloppy animations repeatedly let the game down. Why was I experiencing random, sometimes erratic and intermittent scenes from the perspective of the character I was playing? It was clearly not intentional, and I don’t know why it happened. But as a result, I often found myself ducking and dipping in and out of whether or not I was enjoying the game.

I don’t expect the most pristine animation from The Dark Pictures Anthology, and even find pleasure in the awkward facial expressions the characters will make between scenes. That being said, the lack of quality this time was to the detriment of The Devil in Me, and I think it suffered in favor of new gameplay elements. For example, there’s more to the game now than just walking around, whether it’s interacting with items or making decisions. Finally you can run, but you can also crouch, crawl, jump, swing and keep your balance. There is an inventory for each character, so they can equip torches and key items that are critical to their survival.

While I received running with open arms, and even inventory, was the rest really necessary? When broken dialogue, awkward scene transitions, or general ruckus don’t ruin your immersion, segments that involve climbing do. Yes, in some areas these actions feel appropriate, but there are many places where it all feels superfluous. It feels like Supermassive is showing what he can do, and while it’s great to see the team stepping out of their comfort zone, it’s arguable that The Devil in Me needed a little more time in the oven. Maybe in the time of a few updates, the game will reach its potential.

These games thrive on their high-quality, direct gameplay and narratives. When the torch breaks just at the moment you need it, or the subtitles fail during an essential line of dialogue, it breaks your immersion. When the game needs to be as powerful as possible, to truly scare you, as well as drive home its message about the fetishization of serial killers and assassins, glitches like these undermine everything.

While The Devil in Me didn’t quite live up to the hype, I think it’s important to remember that this game has tried to do something new for the series. Sometimes new mechanics don’t always materialize as planned and I honestly think this game would be up there with Supermassive Games’ best, had it been of a higher quality and incorporated their slightly more understated new movement mechanics.

I would still recommend The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me at launch if you can handle the technical issues at the moment. If Supermassive Games manages to roll out some updates and fix the performance issues, then maybe I’d even recommend it, highly! – to experienced horror fans. Despite its flaws, The Devil in Me tells a fascinating story of a horrific killer in a thoughtful way, opens up important discussions about the human obsession with hallowing spectacles, and shows great potential for the future of the series. It’s a shame about…everything else.