Alone in the Dark Horror Games Review

Compare at: $19.99 (New)
Buy Now: $19.99 (New)

Add to Cart

Title: Alone in the Dark
Format: Video Game
Score:
Platform: PlayStation2
Publisher: Atari Inc.
Hits: 77

Review of Alone in the Dark

[ Back to Homepage | Back to Horror Game Reviews Index ]

HellHorror.com not responsible for reviews/comments and they may be removed at any time.

Comments for Alone in the Dark

• Posted on 2008-12-27
  This game should be alone in the dark...
  
  Well first let me start out, I had some high expectations for this game. I had not been a big fan of the series but I had figured this new game would warm me up to it.
  
  This wasn't the case.
  
  Graphic-wise: It's the standard average for a PS2 game. Nothing terrible, but nothing spectacular. I'm assuming it would be better on the PS3 or Xbox360, since they have better graphics.
  
  Soundtrack: This is perhaps the only positive feature this game has. It had some beautifully composed moments on some scenes.
  
  Gameplay: I found the game anything but entertaining. It felt more like a chore trying to get through levels where most of the time your obstacles are just booby traps or exploring through dark-lit locations. There are monsters here and there but they don't exactly add anything to the game. They felt more like extras. Even the boss fights consist of shooting like crazy until they fall--you'd think there would be a strategy involved since nearly the levels have strategies you need to develop to get by them.
  
  There was nothing unique about the game that I saw made this game Alone in the Dark. It felt like an average PS2 action game you'd pick up on the shelf. Or leave on the shelf for that matter..
  
  Story: Left much to be desired, in my opinion. The game began off at an interesting point where our hero encounters bad luck from the start but then it just went downhill from there. The characters do nothing to move the story along and were far from interesting and became boring/annoying very quickly. Edward himself hardly speaks most of the time in the game.
  
  The story dragged on for me. I was at first interested to find out what was going on, but the levels and obstacles you had to get through to get answers and continue the story was not worth the time. The challenges are distracting and make you lose interest in playing really fast. The story could've been better played out.
  
  After having finally beat the game, I was rewarded with more questions and a disappointing plot ending.
  
  Technical Issues: When they say "Alone in the Dark" they aren't kidding!! The levels were so incredibly darkly-lit. Even when I turned my television brightness up, it hardly made a difference. This game didn't have a brightness control option so for the entire game I was running around blind. Not enjoyable whatsoever.
  
  There were also moments the sound just dropped a few levels during the game. So I had to turn up the volume a lot of times.
  
  Most of the other reviews here have touched up on the other technical issues.
  
  Overall: Weighing out everything about this game, it's not worth the time or money. The only reason it's survival-horror is because of how incredibly bad this game is.
  To satisfy your curiosity, I suggest RENTING this game!!! Then whichever you decide to do next is up to you. For me, I'm grateful that I didn't spend my hard-earned money on this.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2008-12-18
  Dying Alone In The Dark
  
  I think this is the lowest rating I've ever given any game. No matter how many times I attempted to play this game, I ended up dying, stuck, or just plain frustrated and bored. The sad thing is, is that I can see how this could've been a good game.
  
  For example, the player should have the opportunity to save whenever and where ever he or she feels compelled to do so. This way, dying wouldn't feel so emotionally painful. Also, being able to free roam without being attacked would have been nice and could've saved the game for me.
  
  The best feature of this game is the "Chapter Selections" option. But, that's not saying much when all you do is either stand there like a jack a** out of confusion or die over and over again. Shucks. Like I mentioned above, you can't even free roam in peace.
  
  For those of you who can handle it, AITD could possibly be a fun game to explore, but as for me, I don't have the patience to keep dying over and over again only to be resurrected to the same old senseless death or even worse, feeling a bit confused for not always knowing what to do next.
  
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2008-08-10
  Alone In The Dark Left Me Alone In The Dark
  
  I have been a gamer for years... 36 years to be exact and this game was filled with innovative promise. I don't even know where to begin on how bad this game is. Woulda given it half to no star but that was not possible.
  
  The concept is there... the gameplay, controls etc. is not. Even the storyline is a bit lack luster. I have worked for gaming companies and know what goes into making a single game... A LOT from start to finish.
  
  Perhaps Atari needs to revamp their development teams or pack it up, go out of biz and take a vacation...
  
  This is the worst game for the PS2 I have ever played and if it were possible to get my money back, I would. I might even ship it back to Atari.
  
  Don't buy it.
  
  A forever gamer, till the day I die.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2008-07-12
  Pretty BAD
  
  Oh dear...this is the lowest score I have given to a PS2 game for a long time. Alone In The Dark on the PS2 fails really glaringly in many ways, and provides a thoroughly unsatisfying game experience.
  
  The game is a kind of action/survival horror story, with you playing as Edward Carnby, trapped in a collapsing and monster-filled New York. Right from the start the controls will baffle you, and they conspire against you having any decent fun at every single opportunity.
  
  Yes it's that bad. The game is almost unplayable due to the terrible, unresponsive and sometimes downright un-useable control system. Nothing works well. In several chapters, Carnby has to climb up and down ropes and swing about to reach ledges. The implementation of this makes it impossible to judge when to let go. Then there are the car driving sections...awful cars that don;'t even drive in a straight line even when you don't push the L-stick at all, and which spin off into instant death at the slightest clipping of any obstacle. Then there's the fighting...a gun that can only be fired in 1st person. Melee weapons that can only be swung in 3rd person. And both with a real time lag. Then there's the camera, constantly wobbling and bouncing around behind Carnby's head. You can't see the scenery or anything very clearly, let alone where you are running. Thank heavens the 3rd person viewpoint actually keeps still. Then there's the inventory...all in your pockets which you have to look in and pick things out of. Then there's the first aid packs and general healing. How does this work? I don't even know. And then there is...eyes-closed mode. Oh my god. Words fail me when trying to describe how terrible this is. You try keeping the R3 button held down without actually tipping it from side to side. And right at the end of the game theres a perilous twisting catwalk with instant death drops at each side to traverse, that you can only SEE in eyes-closed mode. I can guarantee you will be screaming. Screaming for your money back, probably. I'll say this though, the game designers have been fiendish in making you work out exactly what you have to do. There are no clues. Walk into a museum with a couple of monsters in it and there is no way out. Not a single clue. Walk into a factory where the floor is covered with deadly slime. "Use the spotlights" some helpful dame says. How? The panel has no instructions on it. And worst of all is the saving...save spots are at set points, and if you die somehow you often have to go back and do some tortuous skill-based action sequence over and over again, as many of the set-pieces are trial and error based. Hideous.
  
  Now that just leaves the graphics, and these are no champions either. Characters are blocky and awkward. Carnby has this awful gaunt square-jawed hero face that looks really ugly. I have seen better graphics on PS2 games from five years ago! The collision detection is awful, and Carnby was forever teetering on invisible cliff edges or falling off when he should have been standing safely.
  
  But I persevered and played it right to the end, bracing myself for a very uncomfortable finale...but let me tell you though, I was gobsmacked by the feeble winding up of the game. I actually thought I had got the "bad" ending and had missed out an entire final level. But no...a final nail in the coffin. Oh well at least I was happy that I could stop playing it.
  
  Sorry folks, but this game is a stinker. Games are supposed to be about fuin, and with everything that's wrong here. Alone in the Dark is no fun at all.
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
• Posted on 2008-07-10
  RENT IT FIRST, BUT DONT BUY!!!!!!!!!!
  
  LIKE I SAID, DONT BUY THIS GAME! IT TOTALLY SUCKS. I WAS ALL HYPED UP AND WAITING FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS GAME BUT I WAS TRULY DISSAPOINTED! THE CONTROLS ARE SO DIFFICULT TO GET USED TO AND THERE ARE SOME PARTS IN THE GAME WHERE IT GETS FRUSTRATING. I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA HAVE CONTROLS LIKE THE ORIGINAL GAME RELEASED ON THE PLAYSTATION 1. THE CAMERA ANGLES ARE ALSO HORRIBLE. SO PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME OR IF U WISH TO CHECK IT OUT, RENT IT AND SEE FOR YOURESELF. DONT THROW 40.00 DOWN THE DRAIN LIKE I DID AND I WISH I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS CAUSE THERES NO REFUNDS FOR OPENED GAMES!
  
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10