Alone in the Dark: the definitive horror experience

by Nick Doerr { Jul 3rd 2007 at 5:00PM }

You know that feeling you get when your gut just tells you something is going to be good? It's usually wrong in the end, but until you know for sure it's just a great means to power the hype train? We've got that feeling about Alone in the Dark. Because they scrapped using a subtitle or a numerical indicator, it tells us they've re-imagined the franchise and will take the game down a new, hopefully scary, path. An interview with producer Noir Polloni explains more, after the jump.

We're going to list the neat features, because writing a narrative on each one would make us go crazy and force you to read a lot more than necessary! Let's begin, shall we?

Survival is tantamount -- use what's around you to survive. Polloni likens this experience to Die Hard and everybody's badass, John McClane.
The game will take narrative cues from shows like 24, Lost, and Prison Break. Expect cliffhangers and revelations during play to keep you wanting more.
The game is part of the franchise, though. The Edward Carnby you play in this title is the very same Carnby from the first Alone in the Dark. Yep, the 1920's guy. How'd he get to modern New York? Other smatterings of games past will keep you titillated if you're a follower of the series.
Pressure and tension are key elements to the fear in the game, instead of the weird long-haired Japanese children of most other horror titles. People's phobias, expectations, music all play a role in scaring you. It's like Silent Hill, without the excessive flesh and blood strewn about.
Most unique feature? Fire! Polloni elucidates: "We implemented realistic, unscripted propagation across all flammable surfaces and objects. It looks great, and behaves just like the real thing, burning at different speeds depending on the material. It can be a tool - setting fire to a broken table leg makes a useful torch and fire is a key weapon in your arsenal against adversaries, but it can also become an enemy itself - don't hang around too long in a burning room."
The character can be manipulated in both third and first-person views, varying depending on situations and whatnot. Think Silent Hill 4: The Room meets first-person weapon use like Metal Gear Solid 3.
Downloadable content? Sure! But no firm plans until they finish the "first season" -- the game is going to play out like a show, after all.

We're very excited for this game. It has a ton of promise and from what we learn about it every month, it's just more and more of a reason to start looking into the game. It's going to be different and often times, different is, in fact, better.