download the dark pictures anthology the devil in me reviews

The comparisons to films such as Saw and The Collector cannot be understated, what with the series of elaborate trap rooms (one of which is ripped straight from Saw IV) and taxidermy-obsessed antagonist. The story of The Devil in Me is a well-told horror caper that owes a lot to the “torture porn” craze of the early 2000s. Twisted terrors await you in the World’s Fair Hotel. Whether the would-be victims survive the night or not, as always, is up to the player and the decisions they make along the way. Eager to salvage the show, the crew accepts the invitation, only to find themselves trapped in the hotel at the mercy of a demented copycat killer and a series of deadly traps. With their series on the verge of cancellation after an unsuccessful first season, the documentarians are given an unexpected boon: an invitation from a wealthy recluse to visit his island home, where he has built a full-size replica of the World’s Fair Hotel, including rare memorabilia and other H.H. The crew consists of reporter Kate, director Charlie, photographer Mark, technician Jamie, and intern Erin, all of whom are slightly at odds with one another at the beginning.

While tales of Holmes’ hotel for murder were greatly exaggerated, The Devil in Me assumes that they were true and follows the exploits of a modern-day film crew making a documentary about the infamous killer. According to legend, Holmes opened a hotel nearby Chicago’s World’s Fair in the late 1800s and used the hotel to lure in potential victims. The Devil in Me is once again based on an urban legend: in this case, the infamous “murder castle” of real-life serial killer H.H. Between inevitable comparisons to its contemporaries and a smattering of half-baked new mechanics, it is hard to recommend The Devil in Me.

However, Supermassive may have accidentally shot themselves in the foot this time, as one of their earlier releases this year, The Quarry, outshines The Devil in Me in just about every respect (and may very well be my game of the year!). Indeed, if you go into the latest entry, The Devil in Me, expecting another trope-y horror adventure title full of gory deaths and a veneer of player choice you’ll find exactly what you were looking for here. While the games certainly have flaws, I’ve consistently enjoyed them.

Supermassive Games have been putting out a new installment in their mid-budget horror anthology series once a year since 2019, which is fairly impressive. Reviewing the latest Dark Pictures game has become an annual tradition for me.

Download the dark pictures anthology the devil in me reviews