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By Lonnie on October 23rd, 2001
Introduction Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is the forth game in the Alone in the Dark series. For those of you who don’t know what AITD is, Alone in the Dark is the game that started survival horror as we know it. So to call it a Resident Evil rip-off is purely incorrect. The reason so many people recognize RE, as the founder of survival horror is because AITD was ill fated to be released on lesser-known consoles such as the Sega Saturn and the Panasonic 3d0. Both versions of the originals were fair. While lacking impressive graphics, and sound it surprised many as to how many AITD fans there are. So when Infogrames announced back in ’99 that they would be bringing a fourth game to the series many had their doubts as to weather or not it could improve. Unlike the RE series AITD: TNN actually improves upon the previous and manages to squeeze some new life into what could have been a dying series.Presentation
From the very beginning the game shows its likeness to the RE games. The opening sequence sets the groundwork for the basic story line. After this you are given a choice between two players. One female, one male. Each with their own story and encounters.
Options are also very simple; you have your screen adjust and your sound adjust, not to mention the almighty "load saved game" option, which in case you are wondering, you will see a lot.
Graphics & Sound Have I mentioned the graphics are pre-rendered with Polygonal characters. However the Flashlight adds for some really interesting twists, as everything in AITD is viewable with the flashlight. However not only does the flashlight effect the surroundings, you have other real-time events such as thunder and lightning that effect the environment adding for a realistic touch to an already terrifying game. What makes the game the most frightening I would have to admit is the music, without this the game would feel like a rip of from RE. It has everything you would expect from suspense to sheer terror.Gameplay Gameplay is a lot like Resident Evil. You have your grotesque monsters and strange doglike creatures that attack you from behind and always seem to grab you where you cannot defend. As well as your basic get this to do that to do this type of puzzles. However one major thing we liked about AITD was the flashlight. Silent hill had a flashlight, however no game has yet to use the flashlight like AITD, except maybe Silent Hill 2. You will find your self-using the analog stick to aim your beam of sunshine looking for keys, switches, ammo, and many other items you could not see without the light. Thanks to a very well written plot each characters adventures tie in frequently. Characters communicate in cut-scenes via walkie-talkies giving each other the update on their progress, thus advancing the plot by giving the player clues that may or may not help solve some more difficult puzzles. While AITD has a great plot, beautiful graphics, and some very challenging puzzles, it is all something we have seen before, only this time it’s done better.Lasting Appeal This game should appeal to fans of both the original AITD games as well as fans from games such as Silent hill, and Resident Evil. Alone in the Dark 4, as we call it, Combines elements from all of these into what has got to be the Survival horror game of the year.Conclusion While Capcom made survival horror famous, it was Infogrames that "made" it. No better way to top of the short-lived life of the dreamcast than with this exceptional title. I really see no reason any dreamcast owner would not want to buy this game to fill their collection. For more information please visit http://www.aloneinthedark.com. |
