Alone in the Dark Review
04 July 2008 | By Marco Fiori
You really want to like Alone in the Dark, but it’s difficult to enjoy a game when it’s continually slapping you across the face
You really want to like Alone in the Dark, but it’s difficult to enjoy a game when it’s continually slapping you across the face. The 1992 DOS classic (and in 1994 it graced the 3DO) pioneered the survival horror genre. Resident Evil (1996) may be the household name, but purists will recognise Alone in the Dark’s achievement. It spawned two sequels in 1994 and 1995 and a disconnected 2001 follow-up. The franchise went quiet until last year when Atari announced the fifth game was currently in development by the French studio, Eden Games. Fast forward to the present day and we’ve been playing Alone in the Dark (2008). Fans hoping for a series revival should tread carefully, because Alone in the Dark isn’t looking too healthy.
It’s only apt that we played Alone in the Dark on the PC, as after all, that’s where it began. When a game crashes on start-up because your control pad is plugged in (which you’ll need, but we’ll get to that) warning bells should be ringing. The official Xbox 360 controller will work fine, but it’s hardly a good start. You’ll be forgiven for thinking your playing a port as menu navigation still has press A to advance or B to go back everywhere. There is mouse support, but again, it’s not a first good impression. Either way, we progressed with the keyboard and mouse unaware of what awaited us.
Following that, the actual game starts considerably well. You’re in control of Edward Carnby, a worn middle-aged man who awakes to hell on earth. You have no idea what’s going on and it gets worse when you’re taken upstairs to the roof to die. It’s a powerful opening and it keeps you in the dark (excuse our blatant pun). The protagonist mimics your confusion and it becomes apparent in the opening fifteen minutes that Alone in the Dark is proud of its narrative. Cinematic cuts, slow motion shots and director-style touches all indicate that this is an interactive film. Attention to detail is spot on, ranging from the game making you blink to clear your vision, to the successful use of surround sound to up the tension.
Obviously, it all goes horribly wrong on both fronts (the game and the plot). New York (the Central Park area if we’re being exact) is under attack from demonic forces and people are dying in droves. When the game finally releases control, you get a big fat punch in the face. As above, cinema presentation is Alone in the Dark’s main flex. For example, if you get stuck on a puzzle or find yourself repeating a set piece because you keep falling at the last hurdle (which will happen), you can skip it. The game features a DVD like menu where you can buzz forward, to a later point. You can do this as much as you want, but the ending won’t be unlocked until you’ve completed a certain amount of segments. If you come back after a night’s rest, the game will summarise what’s happened using cut scenes you’ve witnessed.
The cinematic is continued by the choice of camera angles. The game shifts between first and third person view. Sadly though, while the obvious intention is there, the actual execution is flawed. Gunplay automatically shifts to the first person and is pretty sharp. Unfortunately it’s the only viewpoint that works. General movement can be committed in either but either way; the use of a keyboard is clumsy. The weight surrounding movement is inconsistent and has you falling off ledges and walking into things, resulting in a substantial amount of deaths. The game doesn’t let you stay in a certain perspective, shuffling between both without warning.
Hand to hand combat (or object to face) is even worse. It’s one of the most promising features that Alone in the Dark has. You swing the mouse (though an analogue stick would be better) to set up your angle of attack and then click accordingly. Locking onto your target helps your aim, but again the camera angle and lethargic pace of Edward makes combat cumbersome, especially when you’re up against multiple enemies. The AI are the expected moronic affair, chasing you around in circles, posing little threat if the combat system was tightened.
We’ll take a break from the criticism for a bit and focus on Alone in the Dark’s two genuinely interesting gimmicks. First up is the healing. If you become injured (which you will as you’re always falling about and being smacked in the face by generic possessed goons) you can enter healing mode. Healing is carried out in real time, which successfully adds a sense of urgency. Medical Spray can be applied to your wounds and bandages are needed when you’re critically injured. When that occurs you have 7 minutes to find some otherwise you die. It leads to some frantic searching in the explorable Central Park for a restroom where first aid kits are commonly found.
The second is the inventory system. You’ll find all kinds of tat during the exploration of the demon-infested Central Park and you’ll shove it in your jacket pockets. Instead of having a bland menu, Alone in the Dark’s view shifts to a downward glance at your open jacket where you can equip, drop, combine and use anything you’ve found. It adds to the immersion, effectively keeping you in the game. The combination system is based on common sense but it highlights what you can combine when you have one thing selected. A rag and a bottle of alcohol will combine with a lighter to produce a handy explosive.
It’s all part of Eden’s attempt at implementing a ‘real world rules system.’ In reality though, reality is far far away. Enemies can only be truly disposed of with fire, so you’re often tasked with lighting chairs on fire and waving them futilely at your opponent, although Edward seems to have metal hands as he feels nothing when they’re afire. He’s also ridiculously strong. He’ll hang from ledges despite the fact that the building is collapsing around him. He’s an expert driver, dodging flying cars and crashing helicopters. The car sections are pretty shocking with sloppy handling. It’s extraordinary especially when you take into consideration’s Eden’s last big budget title; Test Drive Unlimited.
Alone in the Dark seems to be a mixed bag. Its graphics sometime excels, showing off pyrotechnic heavy explosions and eerie lighting effects. Cut-scenes are particularly striking with good lip syncing and detailed character models. It’s got a fancy fire system that spreads and destroys everything organically. On the other hand, Central Park is pretty bland and car models are pathetic. Destruction is a typical jigsaw affair and every room is populated with the same set of tables and chairs. Thankfully the engine seems stable and crashing was non-existent. The soundtrack should receive recognition, using spooky orchestral pieces mixed in with emotion provoking choir chants.
It’s only apt that we played Alone in the Dark on the PC, as after all, that’s where it began. When a game crashes on start-up because your control pad is plugged in (which you’ll need, but we’ll get to that) warning bells should be ringing. The official Xbox 360 controller will work fine, but it’s hardly a good start. You’ll be forgiven for thinking your playing a port as menu navigation still has press A to advance or B to go back everywhere. There is mouse support, but again, it’s not a first good impression. Either way, we progressed with the keyboard and mouse unaware of what awaited us.
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| Disco Inferno | Draw Distances |
Following that, the actual game starts considerably well. You’re in control of Edward Carnby, a worn middle-aged man who awakes to hell on earth. You have no idea what’s going on and it gets worse when you’re taken upstairs to the roof to die. It’s a powerful opening and it keeps you in the dark (excuse our blatant pun). The protagonist mimics your confusion and it becomes apparent in the opening fifteen minutes that Alone in the Dark is proud of its narrative. Cinematic cuts, slow motion shots and director-style touches all indicate that this is an interactive film. Attention to detail is spot on, ranging from the game making you blink to clear your vision, to the successful use of surround sound to up the tension.
Obviously, it all goes horribly wrong on both fronts (the game and the plot). New York (the Central Park area if we’re being exact) is under attack from demonic forces and people are dying in droves. When the game finally releases control, you get a big fat punch in the face. As above, cinema presentation is Alone in the Dark’s main flex. For example, if you get stuck on a puzzle or find yourself repeating a set piece because you keep falling at the last hurdle (which will happen), you can skip it. The game features a DVD like menu where you can buzz forward, to a later point. You can do this as much as you want, but the ending won’t be unlocked until you’ve completed a certain amount of segments. If you come back after a night’s rest, the game will summarise what’s happened using cut scenes you’ve witnessed.
The cinematic is continued by the choice of camera angles. The game shifts between first and third person view. Sadly though, while the obvious intention is there, the actual execution is flawed. Gunplay automatically shifts to the first person and is pretty sharp. Unfortunately it’s the only viewpoint that works. General movement can be committed in either but either way; the use of a keyboard is clumsy. The weight surrounding movement is inconsistent and has you falling off ledges and walking into things, resulting in a substantial amount of deaths. The game doesn’t let you stay in a certain perspective, shuffling between both without warning.
 |
 |
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| Film Noir | Mission Impossible Moment |
Hand to hand combat (or object to face) is even worse. It’s one of the most promising features that Alone in the Dark has. You swing the mouse (though an analogue stick would be better) to set up your angle of attack and then click accordingly. Locking onto your target helps your aim, but again the camera angle and lethargic pace of Edward makes combat cumbersome, especially when you’re up against multiple enemies. The AI are the expected moronic affair, chasing you around in circles, posing little threat if the combat system was tightened.
We’ll take a break from the criticism for a bit and focus on Alone in the Dark’s two genuinely interesting gimmicks. First up is the healing. If you become injured (which you will as you’re always falling about and being smacked in the face by generic possessed goons) you can enter healing mode. Healing is carried out in real time, which successfully adds a sense of urgency. Medical Spray can be applied to your wounds and bandages are needed when you’re critically injured. When that occurs you have 7 minutes to find some otherwise you die. It leads to some frantic searching in the explorable Central Park for a restroom where first aid kits are commonly found.
The second is the inventory system. You’ll find all kinds of tat during the exploration of the demon-infested Central Park and you’ll shove it in your jacket pockets. Instead of having a bland menu, Alone in the Dark’s view shifts to a downward glance at your open jacket where you can equip, drop, combine and use anything you’ve found. It adds to the immersion, effectively keeping you in the game. The combination system is based on common sense but it highlights what you can combine when you have one thing selected. A rag and a bottle of alcohol will combine with a lighter to produce a handy explosive.
 |
 |
|
| Open Plan Gone Too Far | Pre 2 hour 'Getting Ready' Session |
It’s all part of Eden’s attempt at implementing a ‘real world rules system.’ In reality though, reality is far far away. Enemies can only be truly disposed of with fire, so you’re often tasked with lighting chairs on fire and waving them futilely at your opponent, although Edward seems to have metal hands as he feels nothing when they’re afire. He’s also ridiculously strong. He’ll hang from ledges despite the fact that the building is collapsing around him. He’s an expert driver, dodging flying cars and crashing helicopters. The car sections are pretty shocking with sloppy handling. It’s extraordinary especially when you take into consideration’s Eden’s last big budget title; Test Drive Unlimited.
Alone in the Dark seems to be a mixed bag. Its graphics sometime excels, showing off pyrotechnic heavy explosions and eerie lighting effects. Cut-scenes are particularly striking with good lip syncing and detailed character models. It’s got a fancy fire system that spreads and destroys everything organically. On the other hand, Central Park is pretty bland and car models are pathetic. Destruction is a typical jigsaw affair and every room is populated with the same set of tables and chairs. Thankfully the engine seems stable and crashing was non-existent. The soundtrack should receive recognition, using spooky orchestral pieces mixed in with emotion provoking choir chants.
ALONE IN THE DARK VERDICT
The game is on the cusp of greatness. It’s got plenty of unique touches and tells a cracking story. As a game, one that must be controlled and manipulated according to the player’s wish, it fails. It’s abysmal. It really is a hashed creation. Alone in the Dark has attempted too much and ignored the fundamentals of game production. Let the player move about without screaming at the screen. Buy it on a console if you must play it, but don’t expect things to be much of an improvement.
TOP GAME MOMENT
Getting bored with puzzle solving and flinging Edward out of a building.
