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Alone in the Dark pc Game Reviews
Alone in the Dark
Critic Score
Metascore: 55 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
4.1 out of 10
based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 56 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Taking inspiration from the presentation style and structure of a number of acclaimed and globally popular TV action dramas, Alone in the Dark is split into a number of distinct episodes in a season-style format. With approximately 30-40 minutes of gameplay comprising each episode, the structure of Alone in the Dark is adapted for an audience familiar with the hard-hitting bite-size delivery of contemporary TV dramas, offering easy accessibility whether the player has hours to devote or only wants a quick TV-style fix. Each time the player launches a saved game, the episode begins with a video summary of the previous episode to quickly re-immerse the player in the story, removing the need to remember where they were or what they were doing. Every episode closes with a nail-biting cliff-hanger ending to rattle players' nerves, and if the player is leaving the game a video teaser of the next episode plays to leave them wanting more. Alone in the Dark returns with a heart-stopping survival experience realized through the use of state-of-the-art real-time physics and unprecedented environmental interaction. Delivering an action-orientated experience within a highly detailed, open environment, Alone in the Dark once again strives innovation and excellence within the genre. [Atari]

PUBLISHER: Atari
DEVELOPER: Eden Studios
GENRE(S): Action, Adventure, Survival Horror
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

82
GameStar
Alone in the Dark is a perfect example of how to stage games: a story with twists, fantastic scripts and interesting characters. It could be a great cocktail of action and horror, but it comes with a bad aftertaste. Every minute obvious design errors can be observed. This could have been avoided with two more months of development time. Players who are easily frustrated should wait until patches fix the problems.
Read Full Review
78
Gamer 2.0
Alone in the Dark proves that with a little time and patience, a good game can be created from innovative ideas.
Read Full Review
75
PTGamers
Ambitious and imaginative, it's a guilty pleasure. Those who are able to deal with its issues – that aren't easy to ignore – may end up living a very interesting adventure.
Read Full Review
71
Gamers.at
A valiant attempt at elevating Alone in the Dark back into the Pantheon of genre-defining adventure-games – much innovation, and even more atmospheric awesomeness.
Read Full Review
65
Game Informer
Alone in the Dark can be applauded for its innovation, but it cannot be saved from its dysfunction. Had Eden Games added polish, or dare I say it, play-tested the game, it could have been a welcome addition for survival horror fans. [Aug 2008, p.85]
64
PC Format
Poor controls and too much reliance on trial and error in order to progress within the game. Hacking up the zombies is good fun, though. [Sept 2008, p.102]
62
Strategy Informer
Buy it on a console if you must play it, but don't expect things to be much of an improvement.
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60
Boomtown
There are some unique ideas concerning health replenishment and inventory management.
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60
VideoGamer
It has more than enough good ideas to make a brilliant, must-own game, but features even more bad game design and gameplay issues. As such it's without doubt the biggest disappointment this generation of consoles has seen and a game that's impossible to recommend.
Read Full Review
60
Cheat Code Central
Despite the numerous obtuse moments, the interesting story should keep you playing at least a little while.
Read Full Review
60
Total PC Gaming
Great environmental puzzles and a chilling soundtrack are sadly let down by a poor port with dodgy controls. [Issue#9, p.46]
60
Play (Poland)
A horror that isn't scary? Fail. Awkward controls are tiring, gameplay is shockingly plain. There is a lot of new concepts, but technical deficiencies take out the fun from this game. For example the fires are amazing, but fireproof wood does the whole idea in. [Aug 2008]
55
Computer Games Online RO
Alone in the Dark could have been a great game, but in its current shape it’s just a disappointing failure.
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49
YouGamers
Alone In The Dark truly horrifies me. How can such a big-budget title actually get to the stores with such unfriendly controls and gameplay glitches? The game is clumsy, completely linear and absolutely no fun to play.
Read Full Review
46
PC Zone UK
Hateful game. [Sept 2008, p.60]
39
PC Gamer UK
Almost - but not entirely - worthless. [Aug 2008, p.70]
35
IGN
Nice visuals, great fire effects and valiant efforts at innovation don’t make up for boring combat, frustrating controls, poorly designed levels and a hackneyed story.
Read Full Review
28
PC Gamer
Think about it: the developer built in a level skip. I recommend a cheaper alternative: the game skip. [Oct 2008, p.66]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 4.1 (out of 10) based on 56 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Freddy N. gave it a2:
A very crappy survival horror game, even for hardcore survival horror fans. There really isn't much else to say.

Daniel L. gave it a0:
Any game of Atari should be downvoted to the max, because they tried to force some gaming magazines and portals, who had less favourable reviews of this game, to remove those reviews. No Atari game should be bought, unless Atari has to file chapter 7!

Bellino P. gave it a10:
It a game that dares to be different and has some bugs, but over all it’s a great game.

Nug gave it a5:
Alone in the Dark could have been one of those games that stood out amongst the crowd, and it is... Only in a bad way. The game had lots of potential and some great ideas, such as the inventory system, analogue movement of objects and weapons, episodic gameplay, real time fire, etc. However, the game lets itself down on what should be the basics! For example, some functions are only available in a specific view (e.g. if you pick up a fire extinguisher you need to go into first person to spray it, but third person to hit stuff with it. that wouldn't be so much of a problem, however you cannot strafe in third person view, yet you can in first person. You can imagine this gets extremely frustrating as >> the player naturally tries to move around the same way, no >> matter what view is selected. To add to this, when the game loads an event (e.g. a wall falls down and the floor opens up in a room) the game automatically puts you in third person view, so you have to manually change view back to first person if thats what you prefer. These events usually happen more than once in a short space of time, forcing you to either stick to third person view, or keep changing back to first person! ggggrrr! Another really simple but annoying flaw is that the game has one button for open, and one for close! (you don't need two buttons for this! just one would have done!) There are also alot of other buttons that contribute to an over complicated control system that only serves to confuse the player, rather than help them through the game. Ultimately, this removes the player from the "experience" and the game loses all hope of immersing you in, what could have been, very atmospheric gameplay. This frustrating control system also applies to the way in which objects are held (maybe analogue sticks work on the 360) and the combat is badly effected. On one particular occasion i was fighting a bad guy, and had knocked him clean out. All i had to do was drag him onto the fire to finish him off. simple in real life, but frustratingly difficult in the game. Its a shame, because the game has some nice ideas, just nowhere near the polish of other AAA titles.

Alexa L. gave it a1:
I don't recommend it. a total waste of time and money. @atari: I am very disappointed.

Dave S gave it a0:
This is the single worst game I have ever played. Avoid at ALL costs. Atari should be charged with a crime for releasing this steaming turd.

Alka H. gave it a0:
This game is a nightmare. gameplay is bad. Story is worse.

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