Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare

• Release Date: June 20, 2001
• Genre: Adventure
• Style: Survival Horror
• Similar Games: Clock Tower (PlayStation), Resident Evil (PlayStation), Silent Hill (PlayStation)

Game Description

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is the fourth entry in the Alone in the Dark series, continuing the story set up by the previous installments. Charles Fisk has gone missing on Shadow Island and is presumed dead. His good friend, private investigator Edward Carnby, has chartered a plane to Shadow Island to investigate the disappearance of his friend and discover what the island's owner, Obed Morton, is planning. Ailene Cedrac, an ethnology Professor at Boston University, also has an interest in the island -- she believes that her long lost father is located there. Driven by intrigue as well as a desire for closure, both Cedrac and Carnby fly to the island on Halloween night.

Players venture through this horror-themed game with polygonal characters in 3D pre-rendered backgrounds similar to the Resident Evil games. Weapons such as pistols, shotguns and knives are used to battle the shadow-like demons on the island. In addition to survival tactics and defensive play, gamers also solve a series of puzzles in order to progress through the various mansion, laboratory and underground levels. There are two different versions of the game, one being from Carnby's perspective and the other from Cedrac's.

The original Alone in the Dark is often considered the pioneer of the "Survival Horror" genre, inspiring games such as Resident Evil series and countless other games of the same type.

Review: Overall

Alone in the Dark pioneered the survival horror genre almost a decade ago with simple polygon made characters in a haunted house. In addition to creating the genre of "Survival Horror" (which was subsequently popularized by the Resident Evil series) the series spawned several sequels, none of which were extremely noteworthy. Now, almost a decade later we have the newest installment in the series. The graphics engine has been significantly altered to the standard pre-rendered backgrounds with polygonal characters moving around in them (again, popularized by the Resident Evil series), voice work has been added as well as CGI. So how does the end product stand up to its previous incarnations, as well as the high water mark set by Resident Evil 2 and Dino Crisis?

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare starts out kicking with innovation and genuine, deep, horror themes. From the beginning of the game, frightening visions, Hitchcock-like camera angles, and heart racing confrontations are plentiful. Although there are tons of "jumper" that will startle you (similar to those found in the Friday the 13th movies), they are brilliantly woven into an eerie atmosphere accented by the music and environmental sounds (similar to The Shining and Jacob's Ladder). Most of the game is played in the dark (no pun intended), and your flashlight is your guide, which brilliantly illuminates darkened areas, forest paths and caves as you traverse through Shadow Island.

So the end product starts out being a successful mix of the paranoid dementia found in Silent Hill as well as the gun blasting action in Resident Evil 2. Anyone familiar to the survival horror genre will recognize the puzzles that will have you scratching your head, wondering what goes where and what to do next in order to advance. The puzzles range from the insanely easy to somewhat difficult, but none are so challenging as to have you pondering over solutions for more than an hour or so.

As you progress through the game, particularly the mansion area in the beginning, you'll begin to appreciate the fine intricacies of the game, such as the light sourcing and visions of apparitions, however, the more you progress the more you will gradually become disappointed in the game. It's almost as if the creators made this game linearly, and that their bag-o-horror tricks began to run out towards the end. The fighting aspect of the game becomes increasingly stranger and ranges wildly in the difficulty range. Also, some of the camera angles make it near impossible to aim directly at enemies. This could have been solved easily with an auto lock on function. Escape is also difficult, as there is no 180 degree turn button, something that is now standard in survival horror games.

The ending sequences and locations are utterly ridiculous. This, coupled with horrible voice acting, make for a game that could have been so much more, and while many will point out that it is not fair to judge a game based solely on potential, it is nearly impossible to not be so critical of Alone in the Dark 4 because the series A) pioneered the survival horror genre and B) is being held up to high standards set by Resident Evil. The puzzles also become increasingly annoying, commonly resorting to the all too common task of getting key a to door b and then finding key c for door d, etc, etc. The storytelling is also mediocre, and the annoying voice acting (ESPECIALLY the voice of Ailene) makes you have no emotional connection to the characters--you don't care about their problems because they are so shallowly illustrated, and players will find it extremely hard to give a damn whether or not they get off of the island at the end.

This game should have been in development longer and more polished (there are numerous graphical glitches and clipping that occurs). A good game, but it could've been great.

As with all survival horror games, play this game in the dark, and only at night. It's vital that you do, and it accents the game.

Review: Enjoyment

This game started out strong and kicking with frightening while still unique visuals, great music that sets the tone perfectly and moments that will undoubtedly send chills down the most hardcore gamer's spine, but these eventually subside into a sloppily thrown together plot. It will, however, give you a nice little survival horror fix...just don't expect Silent Hill quality...

Review: Graphics

Absence of any source of light (save for your flashlight) is common, creating a creepy atmosphere. Light sourcing is nice, and the poly count on the characters is high even though they are a bit sloppy...

Review: Sound

Creepy Lightning, Insane music, scratchy voices=good. Horrible voice acting akin to and arguably worse than those found on Lifetime Original Movies=bad.

Review: Replay Value

The game is playable with two different characters, offering two different perspectives, puzzles and challenges ({%Ailene} is MUCH harder than {%Edward}), however the plot and storyline, as well as the enjoyability, won't draw many gamers back in for a second romp.

Review: Documentation

Standard manual with controls, backstory, weapon descriptions, etc.

Production Credits

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