Alone in the Dark Preview

Yep, we're still in the realm of monster-killing, bloodshed, guts spilt everywhere, murky corridors, screams echoing through the night, and all that jazz. (That's not jazz. - Ed.) Basically, everything that makes a good survival horror game. Now, in that domain, any veteran PC gamer should recognize a brand like Alone in the Dark. It's actually one of the pioneering games in the genre, if we don't count pixelated oldies like Atari's Haunted House (Atari 2600) and Capcom's Sweet Home (NES).

The original Alone in the Dark game was created by Infogrames and has seen several sequels. So, what's all the fuss about the first Alone in the Dark game? Well, although it didn't exactly revolutionize gaming as we know, it did set standards for modern-day type horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

Relying on the success of the franchise, Alone in the Dark has moved a long way since the original and its sequels. The designers of the new game are shooting for a completely new feel this time, inspired by contemporary TV dramas and making for a more intense narrative. This denotes a few neat concepts that will break away from the confines of video game story-telling. Alone in the Dark will, actually, play out similar to a modern-day TV series, with separate episodes, each with a full intro and end segment.

The story introduces gamers to a paranormal investigator named Edward Carnby, who finds himself unraveling a grave mystery related to New York's iconic Central Park. First of all, Central Park is not what it seems. For years, the parkland has been hiding a great secret. Suffice it to say, as you piece together clues in an attempt to solve the mystery, you stumble upon horrifying monsters and must figure out how it goes from there (yep, that sounds like Central Park, all right). The developers (Eden Studios) and Atari refuse to give out any further details on the story, so these hints just about cover it for now.

The next-gen edition of Alone in the Dark uses a brand new-engine to allow for more complex gameplay mechanics. Dynamic lighting and realistic shadow effects are the key ingredients in this one. Developers are working to make that aspect just right. Also, the environment features a high level of interactivity, so players will often have the freedom to overcome obstacles in diverse ways. Certain sections in the game will, of course, be pitch black and Edward's gonna have to make his way through somehow. In order to light the way, he can smash down neon lights from the ceiling and illuminate part of the area. The bad news for Ed (we'll call him Ed) is that the neon light doesn't operate on batteries (wouldn't you know it), so he carry the neon light until he runs out of cable. Bummer. Still, it's a cool, realistic moment.

While making your way through the shadowy locations of AitD, there are several things you need to keep an eye on. The game features a very handy inventory system, which is slightly different than what we're used to seeing in most games. When browsing through the inventory, players will see the main character simply opening his jacket and peeking at whatever items he has stored in his pockets. Combining items can be fun. By improvising and mixing some of them, you may get a temporary source of light. Usually, Ed carries stuff like matchsticks, blood pouches (dude, I never leave home without at least one of those), spray-paint, tape glow sticks, med spray and so on. One of the more interesting combinations is using lighted matches with spray-paint to provide a custom-built, but very efficient, flamethrower. (It's not THAT efficient. I know. - Ed)

Killing enemies can be a process of coming up with the right combo of items. Next to creating a handy flamethrower to torch monsters, you can also employ blood pouches as a decoy. Just make a hole in the blood pouch, toss it at a hostile creature and watch as other monsters flock around it, eventually attacking it.