And did I mention that you have to do this tedious mission TWICE! That's right, just when you thought you were done spending hours blowing up plants; you're back at it again ... only this time you have to do twice as many. I can only imagine that if this was still an episodic game most people would have completely ignored the eighth chapter all together, no matter how intriguing the story was. Toss in the freezing problem I mentioned earlier and these two root killing missions may just be enough to make you stop playing games altogether.
Now throughout this review you've noticed that I've spent a lot of time talking about how interesting the story is. Outside of the ludicrous endings (there are two, neither of which really bring any resolution to the story), the story itself is really pretty good. Unfortunately the cast of characters aren't quite as interesting. Edward Carnby isn't a likeable character, no matter how many snarky comments he says. While I'm all for profanity, Mr. Carnby takes cursing to a whole new level. It's as if the script writers were getting paid by the four-letter word. Toss in some forced sexual tension, some questionably voice acting and no character development and you have an episode of Alone in the Dark. Some of that I can get over (I'm not a stickler for voice acting), but did they have to make the main character such a jerk?
Oddly enough, the best part of this game is an option that allows you to completely skip big chunks of the game. I'm not joking, even the back of the box states that you will "never get stuck" because the game's "DVD-style chapter select lets everyone reach the game's climax." This isn't just something that lets you go back and relive the levels you've beaten; it's actually something that will allow you to skip ahead. Heck, you can go all the way to the end of the game if you want, even if you haven't beaten a single level yet. It's as if the game is daring you not to skip; daring you to play through all of the painfully tedious moments for a miniscule reward. This sort of extra makes me wonder if Eden Games already knows how bad parts of their game are.
On the presentation side the game really shines. The graphics are outstanding, especially when you're in the middle of a big action sequence. If you're just watching somebody drive through the cities or run through Central Park then you're going to be wowed at every turn. The game's graphics aren't always as consistent as they could be, but when they are good they are spectacular. The same goes with the music, especially when it goes into full opera mode. I can see the music fitting in perfectly with a primetime TV drama, which is certainly what they were going for in this game.
But killer graphics and a gorgeous soundtrack aren't enough to make this game worth playing. The story itself is captivating, but it won't take long before the game's confusing controls, floaty car physics and annoying characters start to bring the whole thing down. If they could have cleaned up a few of these issues this game would have been easily recommendable, but as long as the game has terrible gameplay and that tedious ending, it's extremely hard to recommend. When the game is at its best it's amazing ... however, when it's at its worst it's an absolute train wreck. For that reason I find myself unable to give it anything more than an average score. Some people may be able to work through the pain, but I'm not so sure the payoff is worth the effort.
C
Alone in the Dark could have been amazing. It could have been one of the best survival horror games since Resident Evil 4. It could have been a real showpiece for what the Xbox 360 could do. But instead it's marred by confusing controls, terrible gameplay, abysmal camera angles and, worst of all, a character I couldn't stand. Then again it does let you skip as far ahead as you want to without actually playing the game. That's something, right?
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