Video games are much like Hollywood- the same ideas get recycled constantly, and it seems as though genuinely new concepts or innovate control schemes are a thing of the past.  However, every once and a while, a game comes along that is so different, it must be applauded for its efforts- whether the game rocks or hits rock bottom.  “Alone in the Dark” is once of those games.  Technically, this is a reboot of an old PC franchise, but it still delivers some gameplay mechanics previously unseen.  Unfortunately, even the great ideas present couldn’t mask the bad game breathing underneath.

“Alone” takes the known survival-horror format but throws it into a setting not commonly used- Central Park.  Without divulging too many details, the story is basically centered on a paranormal investigator who becomes trapped in a New York City that is invested with evil monsters.  For some strange reason, the namez of all these creaturez end in “z” (example- ratz, humanz, vampirz).  All of these creatures can only die if they are burned, so the game focuses A LOT on the physics and appearance of fire.  This concept of death by fire proves to illustrate the games awesome item combo system.

Let’s you are running down a dark hallway and you know that doom lurks on the other end.  Instead of going into a menu system, you will look down at your jacket, and mix and match various items to aid you in your quest.  No lights anywhere?  Try wrapping a glow stick in double-sided tape and throwing it onto the ceiling.  Don’t have any glow sticks?  Break off a chair leg and dip it into nearby flames.  You get the picture- the possibilities are endless.  I love that the player has the ability to douse their bullets in lighter fluid- fire away at an incoming enemy, and the flames are abundant.  I don’t want to spoil too much of the fun, but there was definitely some awesome choices I could make while playing the game.

Besides gameplay innovation, Atari decided to structure the game like a DVD.  Out of the box, you can skip to any chapter in the game, which is something that might not seem too intriguing in the beginning.  However, say you are stuck mid-way through chapter six, you can pause the game and tap the right trigger to breeze into the next section of the level.  It is a very nice attempt to alter the way we traditionally think about playing games.  Similarly, if you continue a game from a previous save, you get a brief recap of what has happened thus far (similar to Lost and 24).

I know all of this sounds amazing, but read this second half of the review very carefully.  This game is marred by shoddy controls and a sometimes glitchy physics system.  The combat controls are downright atrocious, which really sucks considering how creative the game is.  The games controls get much better while in first person, but trust me- this game is gorgeous.  It’s supposed to be played in the third person perspective, and this can really hinder the overall level of satisfaction you might feel.  The physics problems don’t really show until you get to the driving sequences.  Though these are extremely innovative as well, the car can sometimes handle like your worst nightmare.  Was that a pothole in the road, or did my car just flip three times for no reason?  I think you get the picture.  Also, the intelligent jacket inventory system is very flawed.  Though extremely new and impressive, it is very annoying that you are open to damage while concocting your elements of destruction.

I really wanted to like this game- in fact, I have been reading about it for months, and even let a friend borrow it to see if maybe I was a little bitter.  I was met with a strong opposition- the game has a great story which might keep many people engaged.  This is true, but if the controls mar the action, why not just read a book or watch a movie for a good plot?  Most will probably read the first portion of this review, and jump for excitement at all the innovative possibilities.  That’s how I was at first, until I clearly saw the monster lurking beneath the surface of this gorgeous game.  Take my word for it, if you really enjoy great video game story and gameplay that is average, rent this guy now.  However, if you are like me, and focus more on the control aspect, you might wanna think twice about this game.  Maybe this game is worth a rental for all, but I can’t recommend anybody buy it. Let’s hope they fix these problems in the undeniable sequel- as I said, the game industry mirrors the film industry.  Expect “Alone in the Dark” 2 within the next two years, but if they fix these problems, we may have a great game on our hands.

Overall Score: 6.0