Review: Alone In The Dark

Fifteen years ago a French developer named Infogames released a title that was radically different from any other previously released.  Alone in the Dark, then heralded for both its cutting edge 3D technology and its invention of the survival horror video game.  Taking root in paranormal activity the game explored a haunted mansion filled with monsters and placed the player on a quest to discover the mystery and get out alive.

Since then Infogames has seen fit to release three sequels though none of the have garnered the acclaim that the original did.  This new title, taking the name of the original bereft of a subtitle, seeks to do justice to the series and put Alone in the Dark back on top as the premiere survival horror title.  But can it be done?

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One Dark Night

Alone in the Dark takes place one evening in modern day New York and follows series protagonist and amnesiac Edward Carnby.  Shortly after having woken up groggy and confused he is lead away to be executed when all hell breaks loose.  As the building begins to crumble around him and living fissures and the possessed attempt to kill him he, along with his friend Theophile Paddington and a woman named Sarah, escape to Central Park, a place almost untouched by developers for centuries and filled with dark mysteries.  With New York crumbling around him it’s up to the trio to discover the mysteries surrounding the park, survive, and ensure that humanity will see the dawn.

While the story is definitely B material the scale of it and its intentions are far grander in design.  It is revealed later in the game that the supernatural creatures attacking New York are minions of Lucifer who intends to be incarnated into the mortal realm that very night.  The story, while quite linear in design, does not allow you to learn anything regarding the plot outside of exploring the main areas of the park in the order it is given to you but it does allow you to freely explore the park and way you see fit.  The game unfortunately comes down to two endings that are almost exactly the same and is disappointing and also leaves many issues unresolved.  The end result feels a bit rushed and can turn off players who want something a bit grander.

Real World Rules

Eden Studios, the developer, prides its work on Alone in the Dark in the interactive realism present despite the supernatural plotline.  Dubbed ‘Real World Rules,’ this system allows you to become a game version of MacGyver in almost all senses of the term as you can create makeshift weapons and items by simply combining different things found around in the environment.  Famous weapons like Molotov Cocktails are easily created as well as makeshift lanterns from glowsticks and tape and the like.

Real World Rules however does not stop at creating items however; it is instead built into the entire game itself.  Need to fill a bottle with fuel?  Simply stab a car’s fuel tank with a screwdriver and fill ’er up.   Need to get through a locked door?  Pick up a fire extinguisher and use it as a battering ram to get through.  Nearly every scenario that can be conceived of can be overcome in the game using RWR and is quite entertaining in how different it is from a lot of other titles on the market attempt to use rules like these but come off as a gimmick at best.

Central Dark

As far as this reviewer can recall this is the first survival horror title to exist in a sandbox environment.  The scale in which Eden Studios has recreated Central Park is surprisingly deep for a sandbox title, as it maps down every path, road, and bench to within a about a yard of its real life location.  While slightly twisted by the forces at work with fissures and divides that separate the park from the rest of the city and a very apocalyptic presentation thereof it is still a very nice recreation that is worthy of praise.  Every single landmark on the map is present including Belvedere Castle, Delecorte Theatre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Heck, I’m certain that if you were to play the game enough and memorize the map, upon actually visiting Central Park you would never feel lost.

Despite the set nature of the game entirely existing within the confines of Central Park, given the occult nature of the park there is a nice diversity of environments that range from sewers to building interiors and even underground ruins.   While Edward is not granted the ability to swim (otherwise known as GTA 3 syndrome) he can still travel everywhere on the map that is not a deep chasm.  Indeed, the highest point of merit within Alone in the Dark is the park itself as you will learn.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

As a survival horror game it is a given that any enemy you encounter is designed specifically kill your character.  Alone in the Dark is no exception to this rule.  However, given some fundamental flaws in the game’s design it is far from being a horror game that drives you to frantically play it safe to ensure your survival.  Dare I say it but it seems that the game does not frighten you in the least.  The horror aspect of the game is absolutely minimal and not once will it make you jump off your couch in fright.

What makes the game abysmal in terms of horror are the enemies you encounter.  First off there is very little variety in what you will encounter, ranging from possessed ‘Humanz,’ bats known as ‘Vampirez,’ and poison-chucking insects known as ‘Ratz.’  That’s it.  Given the small variety one would expect a number of different AI attack routines that would be random upon each encounter.  Again the game fails as the AI is in itself blatantly stupid in all regards.  The only time it seems that your enemies are smart are when they are retreating from you because you are wielding an ax that’s on fire.  This reviewer believes that everyone should flee from such an imposing weapon and those that don’t, well, you deserve a Darwin Award.  I apologize, but sticking a Z at the end of your enemies’ names does not make them unique.  The survival aspect is made redundant based on the fact that fire, essentially the arsenic for every single enemy in the game, is easily found or made and can end any encounter you have in just a matter of seconds.

The horror aspect only appears in terms of the game controls.  Put quite simply, unless the game is played almost exclusively in the first-person perspective, players will find that the game, despite being in a mainly closed-in third-person camera ala Resident Evil 4, Edward handles like a tank.  The controls are clunky at best and are one of the main reason for which you will die throughout the games.  In addition, the game does not pause when you have entered your inventory screen and can thus result in further damage should you be in the middle of a swarm.  Perhaps this is an attempt to conform to the RWR set but its poor game design for inexperienced players.

The two gameplay elements that Eden Studios can be proud of are its cinematic nature and the puzzles the game throws at you.  The game’s cinematic scale is excellent if you are paying attention.  For example, the second chapter of the game has you driving in a car through the streets of the city attempting to outrun an earthquake.  I wish I could make that up but its true and what’s just as stunning is that it’s fun.  The first two episodes of the game are by far the most exciting but once you get to Central Park it goes downhill from there and does not rise to that same level at all save for one small section toward the end of the game.

What you really have to give Eden credit for however are the physics-based puzzles the game incorporates into its design.  On par with and sometimes superior to the puzzles that Valve incorporated into Half-Life 2, Alone in the Dark’s puzzles are quite thought-provoking and entertaining.  Going beyond simple see-saw ramps, the game actually incorporates the behavior patterns of some enemies at times.  I don’t care who you are: any puzzle that has you light a car on fire, drive it at a ramp at top speed and has you dive out at the last second and you watch as it flies through the air like a comet to take down an objective is priceless.

A (Not So) Pretty Picture

The production values in Alone in the Dark are, at best, a mixed bag.  On one hand you’ll find that the graphics are on par several of the triple-A titles of last year and as such will easily look good to the average player who’s been around the block.  The audio, while far from stellar, is still sufficient to keep you entertained as the story goes on, though it’s clear that during several scenes in the game you will find it out of sync with the video.  The water looks decent enough despite your inability to swim and the lighting is interactive and fantastic at times thanks to RWR.

What will most assuredly make every player angry at the game is the sheer number of bugs present everywhere.  It’s simply startling how atrocious the gameplay experience can be at times, as you will be close to completing a timed objective only to get stuck at an invisible wall.  It’s not uncommon to fall straight through the geometry get stuck because the geography wasn’t linked together properly.  Ropes will flail as if having a seizure, enemies will get stuck in a behavioral pattern, and things that are supposed to be lit on fire simply won’t.  It’s astounding how many issues made it through QA despite over three and a half years of development and many very exciting tech demos.

Satisfaction Not Guaranteed

Alone in the Dark is another example of a game that, like Advent Rising and Haze before it, had a lot to live up to and simply did not deliver.  While the game is a definite rental and not a buy it is still a worthwhile experience for those looking to shorten the gaming drought that will span through July and into August.  If you are looking for a solid survival horror experience you should look somewhere else, but if you are seeking a game with a decent plotline and creative gameplay this may just be the ticket.