Alone in the Dark

Video Game
1992
T

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Jeremy Hartwood, owner of Derceto has died recently. As either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, explore the now abandoned mansion to discover why Jeremy committed suicide and what terrible s... Read allJeremy Hartwood, owner of Derceto has died recently. As either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, explore the now abandoned mansion to discover why Jeremy committed suicide and what terrible secret lies within the walls.Jeremy Hartwood, owner of Derceto has died recently. As either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, explore the now abandoned mansion to discover why Jeremy committed suicide and what terrible secret lies within the walls.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

401

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos5

Storyline

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Trivia
According to the French book La saga des Jeux Videos, by Daniel Ichbiah, the original title would have been In the Dark. The idea came from the Infogrames' PDG, Bruno Bonnell, and one of his collaborators, Eric Mottet. The player would have been constantly in the dark, having only 3 matches he could use to progress. Frédérick Raynal, an Infogrames coder who was working on a 3D engine in his free time, tried to integrate the project very soon, but he didn't succeeded in convincing Eric Motet. He then finished his 3D engine and made a demo with an Infogrames artist Didier Chanfray. The result was shown to the managers in 1991 and it was judged so good Raynal became the project leader. After a first attempt by the team itself, the scenario was written by Hubert Chardot, an independent writer who had worked for the 20th Century Fox and was a real Lovecraft fan. The definitive version was finished in only 3 afternoons, the whole team participating. Chaosium, judging it was unfaithful to Lovecraft's work, refused to validate it, thus losing any right to perceive royalties on it. It's also at this moment that the definitive title was chosen. Last but not least, when the project was in its early stage, Frederic Raynal met Yael Barroz, an Infogrames artist which integrated the team. They married very soon.

Goofs
The 'rifle' is actually a shotgun.

Alternate versions
The CD-ROM version features voiceovers and a soundtrack different from the original floppy disk version.

Connections
Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #7.12 (1992)

User reviews3

Review

Featured review

Genuine horror game

Alone in the Dark is loaded with eerie music, and graphics which, by falling short of most modern games, actually preserves the horror of the game. Without extreme detail, the monsters seem scarier!

I found the gameplay difficult at first, it wasn't until years after my initial purchase, that I was able to pick the game back up.

Upon trying it once more, I found that it wasn't so hard after all, especially since this game allows the player to save at any time.

The house is as creepy as the monsters inside it, providing a naturally chilling landscape, without having to splash blood everywhere for a cheap scare.

The following statistics stand true for the 3DO version:

Graphics: 7.5 Although, technically, the graphics for the characters themselves aren't all that great, the house itself is done beautifully.

Sound: 9.5 The books, read by voice actors, provide extra background on the game's story. The walking, doors opening, fighting, all have realistic sound, without overdoing it. Also, the music has a subtle horror about it.

Controls: 6.0 Fighting, at first, can prove difficult. The Action button is constantly replaced (By pausing, selecting things like Look, Fight, Push, etc. the button takes on the form of various tasks.)

Gameplay: 8.0 The main character can seem slow at times, though running is possible. Saving is fast, loading is almost as quick, and the difficulty, in the face of the ability to save anywhere, anytime through the pause menu, is easy enough.

Entertainment: 10 The house is creepy in a genuine way, without taking the easy way out by covering the walls with blood. The 2 selectable characters aren't superheros, they're everyday people, which adds to the horror, as well as the realism.

This game remains my favorite Survival Horror game. It is available for PC and the 3DO.

I also recommend the game's sequels:

Alone in the Dark 2: One eyed Jack's Revenge (PC/3DO/Playstation) Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PC/Playstation)

My overall rating for this game, based on comparison to other games of the genre, is *****/*****