Introduction
Back in the creative boom of the ’90s, one genre was picking up steam and pushing the boundaries of what video games could be: survival horror. Among the pioneers of this rising trend was Alone in the Dark (1992), which we’ve already talked about here. It stood out for offering a fresh and eerie 3D experience that mixed exploration with psychological horror — paving the way for future titles like Resident Evil. Just to give you a sense of the era, here’s a quick look at some of the survival horror games that dropped in the ‘90s: Alone in the Dark (1992), Doctor Hauzer (1994), Clock Tower (1995), Resident Evil (1996), Resident Evil 2 (1998), Clock Tower 2 (1998), Parasite Eve (1998), Silent Hill (1999), Dino Crisis (1999), and Vampire Hunter D (1999).
Then, two years after the original, Infogrames released Alone in the Dark 2 in 1994 — a bold sequel that took the franchise in a whole new direction. While the first game leaned heavily into Lovecraftian horror, the follow-up took everyone by surprise, diving headfirst into a bizarre tale blending action, mystery and… zombie pirates. Yep, you read that right.
So, get ready to dive into one of the oddest chapters in gaming history — and maybe even reunite with Edward Carnby on his most out-there mission yet. In this post, we’re taking another look at this half-remembered, half-forgotten classic. We’ll explore the game’s historical context, the innovations (and controversies) it brought to the table, and its delightfully bonkers pulp storyline.
A Little Background
The ’90s were a much-loved era in the world of gaming — a time marked by wild creativity and the constant challenge of overcoming technical limitations. Developers had to think on their feet, often coming up with quirky and clever solutions to bring their ideas to life. It was a decade where exploration wasn’t just encouraged — it was often the only way forward. The 16-bit era was in full swing with the Super Nintendo and Mega Drive dominating living rooms, but PCs were starting to flex their muscles too, delivering more ambitious titles. In short, there was a bit of everything for everyone. While games like Doom were blowing up thanks to their fast-paced, first-person action, other titles leaned into deeper storytelling, exploration-based gameplay, and rich, immersive atmospheres.
It was in this thriving and experimental landscape that Alone in the Dark 2 landed. After the critical and commercial success of the first game in 1992, Infogrames figured it was time to continue Edward Carnby’s story. But instead of simply rehashing the original formula — a haunted mansion, tricky puzzles, and slow-burning psychological horror — the studio took a different route. This time, they went for a more cinematic, action-driven experience.
And that shift wasn’t random. While the first game was praised, it also caught some flak for being (let’s be honest) painfully slow and quite difficult. The goal now was to make the game more “accessible” and exciting — a move that echoed a wider trend in the industry: bringing games closer to the pace and flair of blockbuster action flicks.
Even so, Alone in the Dark 2 didn’t abandon its survival horror roots entirely. What it did do, though, was swap out the gloomy gothic vibes for a pulpier, more over-the-top setting. Gone was the Lovecraftian dread — in its place, gun-toting zombie pirates. For some, that switch was a bit much, maybe even off-putting. But it’s exactly that sharp contrast that makes the sequel such a strange and fascinating entry in the series.
Gameplay Style
If you’ve played the first Alone in the Dark — or read my post about it — you’ll feel right at home with the core gameplay in the sequel. But brace yourself: there are some pretty big changes this time around. Alone in the Dark 2 kept the fixed camera angles, pre-rendered environments, and chunky polygonal characters, but it took a sharp turn towards action.
This time, Edward Carnby isn’t just poking around dark hallways with a lantern — he’s fully tooled up. Pistols, shotguns, tommy guns, melee weapons… you name it. Just like in the original (if memory serves), you can still throw a solid punch right in the face of whatever’s coming at you. Combat happens far more often now, and the game pushes you to rely on quick reflexes rather than slow, careful planning. You notice it straight away in the opening maze, where you’re thrown into fights with enemies popping out from all over the shop. There are still puzzles and exploration bits, sure, but the combat definitely takes centre stage. It’s all about moving forward, clearing areas filled with gun-toting enemies and the odd creepy creature.
That said, the controls haven’t really evolved. They’re still clunky — which, to be fair, was par for the course in early survival horror. The infamous “tank controls” are back: you rotate your character, then move forward in whatever direction he’s facing. Pair that with some pretty dodgy camera angles and, yeah — aiming during fights can be an absolute pain. Trust me, sometimes it’s a proper struggle just to get your shots to land. Still, it’s all part of that old-school charm, isn’t it?
Despite the technical limitations of the time, the game really tries to build an interactive world. Locked doors, hidden trapdoors, cryptic books full of clues — it all nudges you to explore, even if the pace is punchier than in the first game. Honestly, Alone in the Dark 2 is pretty impressive considering when it came out.
In the end, it tries to strike a balance between action and investigation, but let’s be honest — it leans heavily into the loud, explosive side of things. Whether that works for you depends on what you’re after in a survival horror. Some fans love it. Others, not so much.
Plot: Storming a Mansion Full of Gun-Toting Pirates
If the first game had a bit of a pulp vibe, the sequel cranks it up to eleven.
Alone in the Dark 2 once again puts you in the shoes of Edward Carnby — the so-called “supernatural detective” — now tangled up in a new case involving the disappearance of a young girl named Grace Saunders. This time, Carnby’s not working alone. He’s teamed up with a bloke called Ted Strike, and their investigation leads them to a creepy old mansion called Hell’s Kitchen. And no, not that Hell’s Kitchen in New York — this one’s tucked away somewhere along the Californian coast. That’s where things start getting proper weird… and violent.
Making an Entrance
Unlike the gothic, gloomy atmosphere of the original — with all its Lovecraftian horror and brooding dread — the sequel goes for something a bit more bold and bonkers. Think Saturday afternoon adventure flick. We’re talking mobsters with tommy guns, voodoo magic, creepy living dolls, and an entire crew of zombie pirates led by the infamous Captain One-Eyed Jack — an immortal villain with the look of a cursed old sea dog.
Carnby doesn’t exactly sneak in, either. He drops a suitcase at the mansion gates, which promptly explodes, blowing his way in with a bang. The action kicks off in the mansion’s garden, a maze-like area crawling with patrolling pirates. Straight away, you can feel the tonal shift: gone is the quiet, creeping fear of the first game, replaced by supernatural shootouts, over-the-top traps, and in-your-face encounters. There are still a few tense moments, sure, but it’s all much more colourful, loud, and action-packed.
And this change actually gives Alone in the Dark 2 a vibe all its own — part noir thriller, part fantasy adventure. Eventually, Carnby finds out that Strike didn’t make it. He’s dead. Which only raises the stakes from there.
The Woman in the Dress: The Witch Behind the Immortality
As Carnby makes his way deeper into the mansion in search of Grace Saunders — who, by the way, is being watched over by a creepy animated clown doll — he starts to uncover more about the mysterious Elisabeth Jarret.
Turns out Elisabeth isn’t your average villain. She first arrived in Haiti over 200 years ago, where she lived as a slave under a man named Cotten. While in captivity, she secretly learned the dark arts of voodoo from another enslaved person in the household. Once she’d mastered the craft, she killed Cotten using a voodoo doll and set fire to the mansion as revenge. But that wasn’t the end of it — she went one step further and used her magic to reanimate Cotten’s corpse, turning him into her obedient servant.
Later on, she was captured by Royal soldiers and shipped off in chains aboard none other than the legendary Flying Dutchman. But even there, Elisabeth wasn’t done. She used her powers to find the key to her shackles, and in a final, desperate move, she sent out a mystical call — one that reached the dreaded pirate One-Eyed Jack. Jack answered the call, wiped out the Dutchman’s crew, and struck a sinister deal: Elisabeth would grant him and his crew immortality.
Of course, there was a dark catch. To keep their youth and power, they’d need to sacrifice an innocent girl once every hundred years. And that’s what drives the events of Alone in the Dark 2 — Elisabeth and the undead pirates are planning to use little Grace as their next offering, ensuring another century of unholy life.
Grace Saves Carnby
Carnby ends up captured and thrown into a cage, where he finally comes face to face with both Grace and One-Eyed Jack. It’s a grim reunion — but just when all hope seems lost, Grace spots an opening. While Jack is distracted, she sneaks over and helps Carnby escape. It seems like the plan’s going smoothly… until Carnby runs straight into Elisabeth Jarret. She knocks him out cold and drags him away. Grace, hiding nearby, can only watch as he’s taken.
Now it’s up to her. Alone in a haunted mansion filled with cursed pirates, the little girl has to sneak, crawl and scurry her way through the shadows to reach Carnby. But before she gets too far, she’s caught too.
The Flying Dutchman
Bound and trapped in the dark, rotting depths of the Flying Dutchman, Grace begins to understand the true horror of what’s about to happen. She wasn’t kidnapped at random — she’s the centrepiece in a vile voodoo ritual, one meant to keep Jarret and Jack immortal by shifting the weight of age onto the small, innocent body of a child.
Encouraged by Carnby, Grace manages to slip away from her bonds and sneak off the ship. She returns to the cursed mansion, where she discovers a hidden key and an old occult book. In its worn pages, she finds a crucial clue: a staff belonging to a man called Captain Nichols — which she’d found earlier — can lead her straight to Jarret. More importantly, it mentions a talisman known as the “Chicken Foot” that might be the key to breaking her dark magic.
When Grace returns to the ship, she’s caught by the ship’s creepy cooks. But before they can stop her, she hurls the key to Carnby. He grabs it, breaks free, and turns the tide. Fully armed, Carnby storms through the tight corridors of the ghost ship, blasting through undead pirates like it’s nobody’s business.
The final fight
Eventually, he makes it to Jarret. She’s waiting. With a flick of her hand, she freezes Carnby in place — paralysed by a powerful spell. But Grace doesn’t back down. Holding the voodoo staff tight, she pushes through the magical barrier and raises the talisman.
It works. The spell snaps back onto Jarret, and with a bloodcurdling scream, she’s dragged into darkness, consumed by her own twisted power.
Free from the curse, Carnby rushes to the deck, where One-Eyed Jack stands ready for a final showdown. Carnby takes him down and escapes with Grace — but Jack, clinging to life, fires a cannon in a last act of vengeance. He misses his target… but hits something worse. The blast causes the entire cavern to collapse, burying the Flying Dutchman and bringing Hell’s Kitchen crashing down in a fiery storm of rock and flame.
Alone in the Dark 2 – A Curious Sequel with a Pirate's Curse
Alone in the Dark 2 is one of those games that really split opinions — and rightly so. After a first entry rooted in mystery and investigation, the sequel took a sharp turn and dove headfirst into a wild tale full of undead pirates, voodoo rituals, and full-on shootouts. It might sound strange at first, but that bold shift is exactly what makes the game feel so unique.
There’s something genuinely interesting about how the developers decided to break away from the expected and leaned into a more fantastical, adventure-style narrative. The story of Elisabeth Jarret and One-Eyed Jack brings a more folkloric, almost theatrical kind of horror — and honestly, it’s not all that far from the kind of stuff we were into back then.
Sure, the gameplay has its stumbles (and let’s be honest, it’s borderline unplayable today), but it’s hard not to get swept up by the atmosphere. The upbeat soundtrack, the constant sense of lurking danger, the cursed setting — it all pulls you in. The game has aged in every possible way, yet there’s still something memorable and oddly charming about it.
In the end, Alone in the Dark 2 is a curious, courageous experience, full of personality. If you’re into old-school games with a touch of weirdness and loads of ’90s flair, this is one adventure well worth revisiting.
Take a look at the firs game here: Alone in the Dark
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