PC Game Review: Alone in the Dark Review For the PC Platform

PC Game Review: Alone in the Dark Review For the PC Platform
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Unimpressive (3 out of 5)

The dos game version of Alone in the Dark had impressive graphics and gameplay. The game was an action-adventure revelation in the early 90’s. In fact, it was the first game that inspired survival-horror games. But, unfortunately, its revival in 2008 is a bit disappointing.

Average Storyline (3 out of 5)

The latest Alone in the Dark PC game is developed by Eden Games, a subsidiary of Infogrames Entertainment who created the classic dos version way back in 1992. But, Edward Carnby, the protagonist, looks more like a Hollywood action hero than the original one in the dos game version. The game lacks the creepiness and reminds you of some John Woo action flick. The story lurks around Central Park in New York, where evil forces have been unleashed, and the park is shrouded in complete darkness. You, as Edward Carnby, have to escape the park by battling zombies and monsters and save the world from this diabolical menace. You also have a female companion along your side to hack and slash those hideous monsters. The game is a bit episodic and is divided in chapters to add some excitement and difference.

Complicated Controls (2 out of 5)

A significant aspect of a good PC game is its simple and effortless keyboard controls. Alone in the Dark has something else to offer. The controls are ridiculously inaccessible, making gamers wonder whether they may be able to finish it in the near future. The use of the ‘print screen’ key for an important maneuver is utter nonsense. Moreover, gamers have to struggle with the first-person and third-person views. The camera angles can be toggled, but can change strangely according to the situation. This adds more frustration. Developers have certainly designed the worst controls.

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Innovative Approach (4 out of 5)

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Alone in the Dark has some good ‘Out of the Box’ features that is quite unique from other games. The chapter selection menu allows players to play its dramatic climax in a wide-screen presentation style. Gamers have the ability to use the environment in improvising and creating new weapons. For example, to hunt down zombies, all you have to do is pour some fuel on your gun and it will shoot flaming bullets on them. The healing system is another novel approach. It lets you attend to wounds individually.

In spite of new features and great innovations, Alone in the Dark still is a substandard game. The graphics are okay, but the movements of characters are stiff. The story is not impressive and the controls are complicated.

System requirements

CPU: 2.8 GHz processor

RAM: 1 GB

Hard Disk Space: 9.5 GB

Graphics card: ATI Radeon X1950 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or better

Developed by Eden Games

Screen Shot courtesy: https://www.atari.com