Alone in the Dark
Preview
Nearing its release, the hype is starting to swell
by T3HDX
previewed on PC
Ongoing Series
Some of you might be familiar with the Alone in the Dark series, some of you might not. The series made its debut back in 1992 on the PC, and has continued ever since. Although the main platform of the series has been the PC, some of the games got ported to other consoles in the later years. Now, with the nearing release of Alone in the Dark 5, the hype is starting to swell.
Alone in the Dark may have slipped by you during your childhood, but the developers at Eden Games are certainly not holding back to make their latest title in the series an unforgettable experience. The game starts with the return of the hero from the first game, Edward Carnby, who finds himself 80 years after his first adventure (without having aged a day). He is investigating paranormal elements linked to the afterlife and things that have escaped from the afterlife. It all takes place in Central Park in New York, where a deep dark secret is being kept.
As Realistic as Possible
Everyone knows how survival horror games work. The basics are simple enough for anyone to pick up. Alone in the Dark however takes survival to the extreme. The developers have gone to great lengths to adapt the game play to make it seem realistic to create more intense, lifelike situations.
Eden Games have created their own engine which allows them to create stunning visuals and use special technology such as real time dynamic lighting. With the engine they were less focused on the polygons, but were more-so concentrating on the physics and rendering of visuals. The dynamic lighting really gives an emphasis of realism as well as creating an ambience that emphasises you really are Alone in the Dark.
The physics side of the engine gives birth to a lot of different combinations of unique actions. By moving the analogue stick, it allows you to move whatever is in your hands. If you were holding a steel pipe, you could slowly move the stick to clear something out of your way that you could normally not reach, or move the stick faster to swing the pipe. Another possibility that has been shown is that you can take some objects, like a chair or a table leg, set them on fire and use them as a makeshift torch.
Everything in the game is focusing on real time situations. Whatever you are doing, the game still carries on even while you are doing it, adding a little extra difficulty into the mix, as well as a dose of reality.
No Head-Up Display
There is no longer a Head-Up Display in the game so you can’t see your health or the ammo you have left. However you will be able to tell how much ‘healthy’ you are by looking at your character. Wounds are shown, allowing you to treat them with any medicines and healing items you find.
