There are a number of things that The Devil in Me can learn from the previous games in The Dark Pictures Anthology ahead of its release later this month. Although most gamers enjoyed the previous entry; House of Ashes, both Man of Medan and Little Hope received some harsh criticism following their respective releases. If The Devil In Me can learn where those titles went wrong and avoid those pitfalls, perhaps it will be better received.
5. Don’t Take Too Long To Get Into The Action
Man of Medan is the specific Dark Pictures Anthology title which is most guilty of this. Whilst the latter half of that game did get exciting once the action finally kicked off it took a long time to get there. Instead of wasting too much time pre-empting the scares, it would be better if The Devil in Me was exciting right from the beginning.
There is a fine line between building an atmosphere and boring your audience. Let’s just hope that Supermassive have learned the difference between the two with their new title.
4. Ensure That Player Choices Feel Like They Matter
In games like Until Dawn and The Quarry, it has felt like most of the choices made by the player made a difference to the game going forward. Unfortunately, the player decisions offered in the Dark Pictures Anthology don’t seem to carry that same weight. This is particularly noticeable in Little Hope.
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In that game, it felt more like the player was being ushered along through the story without having to make any tough decisions. Hopefully this is not the case in The Devil in Me.
3. Keep the Difficulty System From House Of Ashes
Another thing that the Dark Pictures Anthology has struggled with is balancing the difficulty level. In Little Hope, the time given to complete quick time events felt particularly forgiving. Thankfully a more detailed difficulty mechanic was implemented in House of Ashes, so let’s hope that new system sticks around for The Devil in Me.
2. Keep Those Scares Coming
The one thing which has been consistent throughout all of Supermassive’s games so far is the tense nature. Every title in the Dark Pictures Anthology has brought with it a foreboding sense of dread. This creepy atmosphere has become what the Dark Pictures Anthology is known for and it has got to be present in the upcoming series entry.
1. Give Us Another Epic Conclusion
SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST THREE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY GAMES WILL FOLLOW:
Whilst the first two Dark Pictures Anthology titles ended in pretty much the same way; with hallucinations being used to explain the monstrosities being seen by the characters, House of Ashes was bolder than that with its ending. The introduction of vampires into the universe of the Dark Pictures Anthology was exciting and had interesting implications for the future of the series.
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Hopefully The Devil in Me has an equally significant reveal up its sleeve that they can unveil and the game’s conclusion, rather than ending with the lacklustre explanation of the whole thing being a hallucination.
And this was the last of the things that The Devil in Me can learn from the previous games in The Dark Pictures Anthology, completing our list. What do you think? Are you excited for The Devil in Me? Is there anything that you hope the show learns from past Dark Pictures Anthology games? Let us know in the comments section down below.
Codes for The Dark Pictures Anthology games were provided to FandomWire by Bandai Namco.
