Alone in the Dark isn't survival horror, actually...

by Nick Doerr { Sep 12th 2006 at 5:00PM }

According to Eden Studios, the term "survival-horror" needs to be replaced with story-driven action. At least for Alone in the Dark, which is shaping up to be very, very cool looking. Why? It takes player immersion to the next level with the ~~inventory~~ pocket system -- the main character has a gun in one pocket, and the other pocket(s?) hold all the items you pick up. The game moves forward by allowing the use of cars, making it intuitive and easy to move to the passenger seat, back seats, etc in order to avoid attacks or get a good shot off. A bunch of fantastic effects were shown in a technical demo, as the screen clearly illustrates. A story surrounding conspiracy theories about Central Park in New York City really brings the story to life, as opposed to a fictional setting.

Finally, the episodic release idea. Imagine the game more like a television series: you can buy the first piece of the "series" in stores (since it's not a complete game, let's hope it's not a complete price...) and then download future episodes from the internet. If the downloads are free, then a complete price may be worthwhile. Maybe. You might also be able to buy the "complete season" in stores. It's up in the air. This game looks awesome. Look for it on the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 next year.

Tags: Alone in the Dark, AloneInTheDark, Eden Studios, EdenStudios, Playstation 3, Playstation3, PS3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Aragorn @ Sep 12th 2006 6:25PM

and from what I've seen of the game (though... I think it's mostly pre-renders), the game seems less spooks, more action oriented. I guess I can sorta understand why the developers would want to make this distinction... these days Survival horror is synonimous with RE and Silent Hill, and it's a pretty overpopulated genre.

Here's hoping that Alone in the Dark will bring something new to the table, like the first installation.