Alone in the dark (original)(pc/Abandonware)
I’m not sure and i may be corrected on this later but i do believe Alone In the Dark was the first real survival horror game out there.
This game … gah. I love it. I have so many cherished memories of this title.
Back one i first saw it on a friends machine, him punching the execution text into dos and then it began.
Infograms it said. How i remember the company logo changing into 3d for the first time with the crack of lightning.
The problem with all this, even going back and playing that game less than a week ago. Is …
The graphics are REALLY bad. Almost so bad its hard to get over. Yet if you can get over it be prepared for one of the best Horror games i have the pleasure talking about.
I realised that during my short hand review of Silent hill 2. I don’t like reviewing horror games. I think this is because (i feel ) horror games are special and that if they are overly discussed or drawn out then you lose something, the player shouldn’t be given any hints about the story, or screen shots where you can see the bad guys because is think part of the brain remembers those little things and tries to protect you.
So that when you’re playing the game and suddenly walk down a corridor you’ve seen before you’ll also remember that in the screenshot you saw earlier there was also a monster here…so even now you are prepared although you’ve never played it.
So ok i know it’ll never happen because game sales are made up on marketing and good marketing is displaying ‘whats inside the tin’ with screen shots with dramatic emphasis or peril. Nobody really played Resident Evil the first time and thought i wonder what this game is about. No everyone had the gun prepare from the first time that zombie stood up (in the room next to the big dining room, which is left as you enter the mansion. Yes i remember alot of survival maps in my head).
So i know alot of people have heard about alone in the dark new nightmare, or of the ps3/pc/360 release that was recently released (and butchered and butchered…i hope the people that decided this game is ready to be released are hanged in a slow roasting fire) but forget them. In my opinion they may stil be perfecting the craft of making a new horror title (one that ALAN WAKE has managed to do on the first try it seems…whats you excuse ATARI…. huh …HUH!)
So take these piece of information three.
1)Play this game. there is loads of site to download it for free
2)Try to forget how really bad the graphics are
3) save often…
I mean number three alot. Alone in the dark was one of the first games i can recall to be very ruthless. If you try to be smart or obvious…the game is just going to kill you without thinking twice about it. This can happen as early as the first Three minutes of gameplay making for a very tense atmosphere.
Shorthand
Still one of the best H.P Lovecraft inspired Cthulhu-esc survival horrors out there.
Crap graphics, deadly gameplay…one of my own favourites
Recommendation for gameplay.
Surround sound headphones.
