The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is one of those games that leaves you with a somewhat contradictory feeling when the final credits roll. On one hand, there's an extremely interesting idea at the heart of the experience — perhaps one of the most promising in the entire anthology. On the other, there's the constant sense that what could have been one of the strongest chapters ended up falling short of its true potential.
The premise remains one of its greatest assets. The inspiration drawn from serial killers and the recreation of a hotel packed with traps and oppressive corridors create an unsettling atmosphere from the very first moments. The game tries to build tension through exploration and the vulnerability of its protagonists, leaning more on psychological suspense than on instant jump scares. When that approach works, it delivers some of the most effective moments in the series.
As the narrative progresses, however, problems begin to surface that make it hard to stay fully invested in the story. The overall structure ends up feeling somewhat confusing, especially in the way it tries to expand the universe through documents, clues, and pieces of lore that reach beyond the main plot. At several points the information feels scattered and isn't always presented clearly, which can make it difficult to grasp the true relevance of certain events or connections.
The characters also fail to reach the same level of charisma and emotional connection the studio's other titles have achieved. Although each member of the group has distinct traits, it's hard to develop a genuine investment in their fate. That dulls the impact of the most important decisions, since worrying about whether some members of the crew survive doesn't always come naturally.
There's also a persistent sense that the game's development may have been rushed. Throughout the experience you'll find situations that feel incomplete, narrative beats that never get the depth you'd expect, and several ideas that seem to have been trimmed or abandoned along the way. That impression is reinforced by the existence of cut content and by segments that leave the feeling of not having received the same level of polish the initial premise promised.
Technical issues contribute to that sensation as well. While they never completely compromise the experience, occasional bugs, small animation glitches, and moments where the pacing is broken by unnatural character behavior keep cropping up. These are details that become all the more noticeable in a game that relies so heavily on cinematic immersion to sustain its tension.
Another aspect likely to divide opinion is the limited sense of control over how the story unfolds. Although choices are still present and certain decisions carry consequences, the player doesn't always feel like they're truly shaping events. At times the narrative seems to follow too rigid a path, undercutting the illusion of freedom that's normally one of the biggest draws of this kind of experience.
Even so, The Devil in Me still has enough qualities to justify the trip. The oppressive atmosphere stays effective for most of the campaign, some sequences manage to generate genuine tension, and the central premise remains compelling from beginning to end. Even when the execution doesn't fully match the ambition of its ideas, there's always the curiosity to discover what's hiding behind the next door.
In the end, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is a game that impresses more for its potential than for its execution. It has one of the most interesting ideas in the series, but uneven execution, a sometimes confusing narrative, and the lingering sense of unfinished development keep it from reaching the full impact it could have had. Still, for fans of interactive horror, it remains an engaging experience — even if it leaves that inevitable feeling that it could have been so much more.
out of 10
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Game The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me Released 2022 Available on PC · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · Xbox Series X|S Reviewed on PC |  Cover: IGDB |
| PL | Pedro Lopes Writer · Portugal |
A games writer from Portugal running on a highly irresponsible amount of coffee — his blood type is officially "espresso". He has been a content creator at Lisbon Games Week, a jury member at Over & Out ’25 and an attendee of DevGAMM Lisbon 2025 (mostly for the free coffee). He has a Pac-Man tattoo on his finger, which contractually obliges him to chase ghosts forever.