|
Welcome to NShooters, if we feel that you as a shooters fan will be interested in a game or peripheral, we will give it coverage right here on NShooters. If you enjoy other genres of games in addition to shooters, then be sure to visit NAdventures and NSports in order to get your fill of gaming content. Check out http://hub.ngenres.com for the highlight stories from each genre.
- |
|
Review  Alone in the Dark
- By Mike Schneider
When I first saw screenshots of Alone in the Dark, the wow factor was through the roof. “This is a GBC game?” I asked myself over and over. It was stunning that the game looked so good. Obviously there was some anticipation associated with Alone in the Dark. However, now that I’ve played through the game, that excitement was short-lived for the very reason of lack of excitement. Alone in the Dark is a classic example of a game that tries so hard to push the envelope that it forgets that games are supposed to be fun.
Aesthetics:
While wondering around the environments, the game looks as good as some Playstation titles – I kid you not. The GBC’s high-color backgrounds allow for some pre-rendered screens that are full of details as intricate as being able to distinguish individual branches or light that shines accurately across the room and shimmers against a wooden floor. The only slight draw back with the in game visuals are that some scenes are simply a little bit too dark. Moreover, when the game switches over to a separate battle screen, those graphics are very weak. Everything becomes scaled down a ton in an isometric, scrolling perspective.
Sound:
For a large portion of your adventure, you’re without any background music at all. When there is background music during the text-reading portions, it is highly simplistic tunes that are neither exciting nor chilling. The occasional frog ribbit or other various sound effects are more crisp and do add to the quest, however. For a game that is trying to create strong emotional reactions, quality sound is pivotal – and Alone in the Dark comes up short in the aural department.
Gameplay:
Alone in the Dark is a victim of an identity crisis. Is it trying to be a Resident Evil chiller? An action game? A cinematic adventure? In any case, it fails in all respects. It had a lot of ambition, but its primary downfall is the gameplay is quite boring. If anything, Alone in the Dark proves that a Resident Evilish, cinematic chiller is perhaps not possible on the GBC. Who likes reading a lot of text, solving simple puzzles that often consist of finding the proper key for the right spot, and traversing the borders of the screen trying to stumble upon the spot that will trigger the next screen in the game? I don’t, and I doubt many gamers will.
Moreover, the action sequences are terribly sloppy and very boring. From time to the time, you’ll get brought to a new screen to battle against enemies such as rabid dogs or spiderish creatures. You can move and fire at a turtle’s pace in eight different directions, but due to the simple graphics and uneasiness of the controls during the battles, the action isn’t action-filled.
Alone in the Dark was ambitious in its intent, but in the end the gameplay was just boring and no fun. To its credit, the storyline is pretty cool, if you can stick it out. In it, you play as Edward Carnby, out after his best friend, Charles Fiske. Fiske, an obsessed figure in pursuit of three ancient tablets which have the ability to unlock huge amounts of power, has been found dead off a mysterious island near the coast of Maine, and it is presumed that these tablets have somehow taken his life. You, as Edward, must find out why your friend was murdered and what powers the tablets hold.
OVERALL:
Alone in the Dark looks good on paper and in screenshots, but ultimately comes up short trying to do too much. While trying to be a thrilling adventure, it ends up being a boring test of endurance.
The Lowdown on  Alone in the Dark
| Aesthetics: Awesome |
Control: Average |
| Gameplay: Below Average |
Multiplayer: |
| Sound: Below Average |
Innovation: 2/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 2/6 |
|
Overall: Below Average!
"Has Some Detrimental Problems"
|
|
|
|
This game is:
Below Average
|
|
|
|
INFO |
Developer: Pocket Studios
Publisher: Infogrames
Number of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T
Release Date:
TBA
|
|
ADDITIONAL
MEDIA: |
|
None Yet
|
|
IN A
NUTSHELL: |
| Check out for the graphics, that's about it. |
|
|
|
|
.gif)
