Alone In The Dark 5 (PC/FullIso/Multi)
Game Platforme(s) : PC | Language : Multi (5) | Release Date : Jun 23, 2008
Publisher : Atari | Developer : Eden Studios | Genre : Horror/Action/Adventure | Size : 3.68 Gb
Game Platforme(s) : PC | Language : Multi (5) | Release Date : Jun 23, 2008
Publisher : Atari | Developer : Eden Studios | Genre : Horror/Action/Adventure | Size : 3.68 Gb
Qualitysurvival horror games are woefully hard to come by on consoles thesedays, and its easy to understand why. As hardware gets more powerfuland gamers expectations grow, building a big, beautiful world full ofmind-bending puzzles, creepy creatures and compelling storylines is anincreasingly Herculean task. But its a job Ataris Eden Games studiobravely took on with Alone in the Dark, an ambitious adventure game setin and around New Yorks Central Park. Alone in the Dark (only nominallyconnected to its genre-spawning predecessors) follows the tale of aparanormal investigator who wakes up in a burning building, unable toremember who he is or how he came to be surrounded by menacing thugs.
He soon learns that he is Edward Carnby, a foul-mouthed tough guy whosmixed up in some devilish doings. As he makes his way out of the crumbling skyscraper he meets up with the feisty Sara, and they fleeinto Central Park to uncover the mystery of Edwards background and the secret behind a stone with mysterious properties.
I love a good yarn, and I was hoping to find one in Alone in the Dark. Instead I was introduced to yet another amnesiac fighting demons and carrying around a spooky stone. It doesnt help that our hero is challenged in thedialogue department, having been endowed by the games writers with a nasty blue streak. You can count on hearing the words f*** or s***nearly every time our scarred-up hero opens his mouth, an attempt at gritty realism that comes off as adolescent and trite. Its a shame that there's not more depth beneath the surface of Alone in the Dark, butits not just the tired storyline that makes it a disappointment. There are many genuinely inventive ideas at play in Central Park, but few ofthem work as well as they should and most are failures. As a result, the game feels loosely cobbled together, and the experience ends up being full of inconsistencies, aggravations and contradictions. Its been apoint of pride with the developers of Alone in the Dark that they've implemented realistic fire effects in the game, and they have reason toboast. Flames lick the walls to stunning effect; objects catch fire and can be used against enemies; puzzles, especially near the end of thegame, make use of fires destructive properties; and flames can help light your way in dark corridors. At times, the flames behave so realistically that you forget theyre an illusion. Now thats a feat.
The problem is, fire is the only way to kill enemies (inexplicably named Humanz), which is interesting at first but quickly becomes tedious.Although, there are many different methods you can use to dispatch your enemies -- lobbing Molotov cocktails, blowing up cars, using make shift blow torches, touching monsters with burning furniture -- your gun (youonly have a single handgun throughout the entire game) is useless against them. Unless, that is, you pour flammable liquid on your ammunition to create fire bullets. Even then, you can only killmonsters by hitting them directly in their fissures, which are glowing fiery scars on their bodies. Most of the time, youll find access toexplosive items severely limited, which means the most effective and consistent way to kill monsters in Alone in the Dark is to touch themwith burning chairs. Yawn.
Unlike the Resident Evil series,which scatters storage chests around the game for quick access to your stockpiled items, Alone in the Dark restricts you to only a few slots in your jacket. And each side can only hold a certain category of items.Manipulating items in video games can be cumbersome enough without havingto delve into a jacket and poke around while monsters attack you in real-time. Combining items to make new ones, a central part of the game,is also frustrating. Want to combine a wick with a bottle You can't select the bottle first -- it has to be the wick. Good luck sorting out inconsistencies like these when Ratz and Batz are nipping at yourheels. What was intended to add tension and challenge instead creates a situation in which you must constantly wander around the game, combingglove compartments and trash cans for disposable weapons. And once in your arsenal, theyre deployed inconsistently at best, both against enemies and the environment.
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