Developed by Eden Studios, Alone in the Dark is the successor to the popular Alone in the Dark franchise created back in the early 1990’s.
Alone in the Dark is proclaiming itself to be the one game that can offer new life to a series that was one of the first horror games ever created. Ever since the original Alone in the Dark (Windows 95) title, the series was headed downhill with the release of each new sequel. Now taken over by Atari, Eden Studios hopes that their attempt will rejuvenate the series.
From what little information we gather, you play as Edward Carnby. That name should be familiar to any fan of the original trilogy as he was the main protagonist of each game. Though little is known of the actual plot, from various clips and information we can say that Carby finds himself in the year 2006. More specifically, the plot revolves around New York’s Central Park. It is here that a dark "secret" lies in wait. Something escaped from the afterlife. It is your job as Edward Carnby "The Supernatural Detective" to solve the mysteries of death, and banish the evil in Central Park back to where it once came.
Alone in the Dark revolves around one important and interesting aspect of gameplay. This is the player’s interaction with the environment. You can do anything from high-jacking cars via a hotwire mini-game, to having a choice to close your eyes while you’re being held hostage in prison. There is one instance that while driving in a car, you have the option to de-fog the windshield, change radio-stations and check the glove compartment.
It is these unusual but free movements which make this game unique. Alone in the Dark aims to please everyone by incorporating episodic gameplay sessions. Episodic gameplay allows gamers to only have to play 30-45 minutes sessions. Not the 2-3 hours some other horror games have forced on gamers. The visuals look superb and the character models look extremely life-like. If Eden Studios stays on track with everything they are doing for the series, there is no reason why Alone in the Dark should not be brought back to life. Look for Alone in the Dark sometime in 2007.