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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yes I have played it! It's a pyromaniac's heaven, 22 Jun 2008
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Just before I begin I would like to point out how annoying it is when idiots review games before they come out! Grow up you saddo's.
I am a big fan of horror games so I rush out and buy them as soon as they are released (yes I am sad also). Now I didn't bother playing the first one because I couldn't get over the bad graphics and non-scrolling non-3D game play so I gave up. I knew however that this game would be NOTHING like the old one. In fact it couldn't be more different. I am also disappointed that the PS3 release has been set back until October and I don't think I will bother buying it.
Now on to the review. I am about 2/3rds of the way through and will try to give a review with no spoilers although I will give a warning.
The game comes complete with full chapter select which is one of the reasons I have down graded the score because I have enjoyed playing it. You can go right to the final chapter and see what happens in the end before even playing the game if you wish and I think this undermines the challenge of the game as chapter select should only become available upon completion. I have also down graded the score because it is very short. I was amazed when I checked to see how far I had got through the game (thank you chapter select for letting my nosiness get the better of me) when I felt like I should have been on level three or four, not at the end of level six so this game will be over very soon.
Aside from that the game is a little different from the usual 'find the key, solve the puzzle shoot the monster type'. It utilizes a LOT of fire within it's puzzle aspect which is good fun and there is also jumping, grabbing, shimmying etc. not too dissimilar from Ms. Croft although it only takes place occasionally throughout the game and it doesn't spoil it in any way. The camera is free roaming and the game can be played in first person or third person view. I normally hate first person games but sometimes the view comes in very handy and I switch between the two.
The game is rather linear though. There is one route and the levels are very contained but it can take quite a bit of working out to decide what to do next. The game is high on the action but not so much with the shooting but well, other things! There has not been a dull moment so far I can say that. There are several driving sequences but I will say no more on that. I would not say this is a horror game as such, more of an action game with a supernatural story line. It's about as horrific as Devil May Cry (but not nearly so much fighting). There is a story and just enough cut scenes but I am not sure what it's about. Something about light, Central park and zombies.
Some people may not like the controls and they do take a bit of getting in to but after an hour or so I was OK. I would advise to fully study the booklet before playing. The game has a new healing system which makes it more realistic and it autosaves. There are many times when you have no choice but to re-do some sequences because they take practice but then again I like a challenge (think Tomb Raider Anniversary but not quite as tough)and every level is achievable. Of course re-doing bits over and over again can get annoying but it's not a terrible issue with the game as autosaves are fairly frequent. The puzzles did not give me any major grief so far, just a little investigation and there is just the right amount of enemies without feeling overwhelmed by them. Melee weapons can be used but not stored in the inventory but they are a necessity to save on ammo. The inventory is very simple.
Collectables are stored in Mr. Carnby's big, long coat which is more realistic than the character suddenly pulling a gigantic axe out of thin air and you will also come across a PDA which stores lots of interesting things. So far I have not come across any keys or artifacts as the puzzles are more action based but I think the developers were trying to get away from the traditional 'spooky house with locked rooms' setting and have opted for high octane, movie style gameplay instead. There are a few quiet exploration moments so don't get worried thinking the game is non stop action, it just moves at a faster pace than some games of this type.
The graphics are very good on the whole but we have come to expect high quality graphics after such games as RE4 and TR Anniversary so it's up to Parr at least. There are some very nice facial animations on the cut scenes and some lovely lighting effects with regards to fire and sunsets, that kind of thing. I am also pleased to say that other characters which sometimes accompany Edward on his travels don't keep getting in his way (remember Maria from SH2? What a pain she was). The sound is very good too. Nice and atmospheric whilst not being intrusive, works especially well in first person mode.
On the whole a rather enjoyable game with of course, faults. The control system could be smoother (it is a trifle jerky in parts) but I have played worse. The camera is easy to use and perspective-switching helps and the game does have some original features which I won't mention. As for whether they work - well, that's simply a matter of opinion. Once familiar with the controls and using this new technique I found it very helpful. I think if the chapter select was ditched (I like mystery) and the levels had more size and explorability (not enough hidden things and I miss finding documents to read)then it would have been a real winner. As it is the game just falls short (literally) but don't they all?
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Huge disappointment, 4 Jul 2008
Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars
I am not going to write a lot about this, will try to make it simple. First, this is hardly a horror game, it easily classifies as an action game with some 'horror' bits, which are very few. Second, before the game came out, the expectations were very high cause it had some nice and a bit original features in it, like combining inventory items to make new weapons, and all these nice things do not exist in this PS2 version.
Third, game play is sometimes over complicated, and a bit repetitive. Fourth, the ending of the game is the worst I have ever seen, you are left with nothing, no answers, not even a final battle, only a puzzle to solve, and voila. Fifth, the controls and camera angles are horrible, especially in third person mode, full of glitches, and you can see the character disappear in a wall many times for instance. Sixth, the graphics are ok, but not something fancy or great. Seventh, it feels that the PS2 version is one that is done in a hurry, or that it did not receive the attention it did as the PS3 version did for example.
Eighth, some parts of the game are really annoying, like the parts where you have to drive, it left me wondering, why would a horror game waste all this space to make you drive a car around, if this is considered original and fun, then it is neither, has been done before and seen it in many games, and would not expect to find it in Alone in the Dark.
The best part of the game is the music really, quite good music to accompany a quite bad game. Piece of advice, do not bother buying the game, rent it and save yourself some money.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very very disappointing, 31 Oct 2008
Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars
When I first heard that a new Alone in the Dark game was coming out, I actually couldn't wait, so I kept nagging everyone and hinting that I'd like it for my birthday. Finally I got it, and had to play it right away.
Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of misery.
I have to admit though, that the sudden change to 1st person view was a surprise that worked quite well...that's the only thing good about this game. First of all, it seemed to me as if there was no storyline to follow, and you're sort of thrown into the middle of chaos, though this was probably intentional, it doesn't work so well. As you progress...the only thing you seem to constantly be doing, is running around, there is no set objective, so you're left aimlessly passing level after level wondering what it's all really for. You'd expect a little more clarity as the game goes on, but you're still as confused as ever and just continue playing for the sake of it. Added to this, were the annoying character voices! Not to mention the lack of weapon variety...I mean, sure the home made flamethrower was fun, and smacking zombies with a fire extinguisher was strangely satisfying...but after a while you miss the old rifle and grenade launcher of the previous Alone in the Dark (the New nightmare). Perhaps they opted for the more "Realistic" approach. Also the lack of monster variety...I mean you just have big zombies, little zombies (that are surprisingly docile), flying bat things, spider things...and annoying bad guys who chase you in a car.
Another big complaint is that it's extremely short, it seems like I only started playing it a while ago and I'm one chapter away from the end! Now I'm not one of those people who sits around playing games all day and boasting about finished them in an hour. I like games to last a good 40+ hours. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say this only has about, max 30 hours.
The biggest disappointment of all, is that when I had a look at the PS3 preview of this game, it is 100% better than this version. It's as if the makers of the game skimped out on putting an effort into this one just so they could work on a better pimped up version on the PS3. This fact annoyed me the most of all, because I feel ripped off and overall very displeased. I did have high hopes for this game, but on playing it, I found they were misplaced.
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