Alone in the Dark Interview

[falcon]

If you wanted more information on Alone in the Dark before buying the game this week you may want to check out this interview on GamingNexus. They chat up Nour Polloni, the producer of the game about the inspiration behind the game, why they chose to resurrect the franchise, and how the open nature of the world impacted the design decisions in the game:

This presented huge challenges, not least because we couldn’t simply drop a bunch of inanimate placeables into a scene – they had to work as gameplay objects. One of the big things is the doors – every door can be opened in the game. We had to train our graphic artists not to put door textures in environments which was a hard habit to break for some of them. We had to do regular sweeps of the in-game environments to make sure they were all up to standard! The first time we actually put all these interactive elements into a playable combat situation it was really exciting to see all the things we could do, and we found in testing later that players would often come up with ways of solving situations that even the designers hadn’t thought of – that was very cool.

Anyone still interested in this game after the review fiasco this weekend?

[TrackZero]

Still waiting to see more reviews from sources I trust.

[Dukefrukem]

Still waiting to see more reviews from sources I trust.

which are? EA and EA alone? cuz i think that's all i read now...

[Commissar Rob]

Anyone still interested in this game after the review fiasco this weekend?
I'd say, but I'm afraid they'll sue me :D

Bah, I have to wait for the PS3 verison. By the time that one rolls around, I'm sure we'll have a better idea whether or not the early Euro-reviews were fair.

[Earth Djinn]

I'm still getting it, but I'm a bit more wary of it now.

I just hope it doesn't disappoint.

[thejeromer]

Still waiting to see more reviews from sources I trust.

Agreed. I'd like to read an EA review or hear what the guys at Penny Arcade think of it. I want to like it, but now I'm apprehensive about laying down the money for it.

[mkelehan]

Why anyone would choose to make a game based on that horrible movie is beyond me.
You seriously thought I meant that.

[Panthera]

Why anyone would choose to make a game based on that horrible movie is beyond me.
You seriously thought I meant that.

Please... please... PLEASE tell me this was a joke.

[vherub]

I watched the video on the Nintendo Channel and it looked an n64 game. That can't be how the wii version looks- they need to replace that video or just take it down

[Mdot23]

Please... please... PLEASE tell me this was a joke.

Lol, I'm holding my breath, too.

[Dukefrukem]

you guys are dumb

[Dukefrukem]

mkelehan, awesome work on making people look silly

[mkelehan]

mkelehan, awesome work on making people look silly

They even quoted the spoiler text!

[GodFather]

nope I was on the fence about it to begin with, and after reading it cant see purchasing it.

What bothers me more than anything as of late is hearing how these game publishers are threatening reviewers if they print a negative review about their product..everything in life is tainted..

[menage]

It averages about a 7, so it's not terrible by any means. Although 7 seems to equal utter failure in gamingland nowadays.

[Savok]

I actually ordered the game based on the bad reviews.

If god awful shit like Halo 3 gets an auto-ejaculation from reviewers, it stands to reason that it's the good (or at least interesting) games getting the bad scores.

[Khash]

I want this game to kick ass. I don't need it to be the best game ever to enjoy it. As long as it's fun I can stomach some issues.

[Khash]

If god awful shit like Halo 3 gets an auto-ejaculation from reviewers, it stands to reason that it's the good (or at least interesting) games getting the bad scores.
Here we go again!

[Wolvie]

I'll check it out when Gamefly sends me a copy. The videos I watched on Gametrailers.com looked pretty good... but something seemed a bit off.

I actually ordered the game based on the bad reviews.

If god awful shit like Halo 3 gets an auto-ejaculation from reviewers, it stands to reason that it's the good (or at least interesting) games getting the bad scores.

So you buy bad games to be different? O...K...

Also there is zero logic in your theory that games you don't like getting good scores automatically denotes a bad score on games your interested in. If Alone in the Dark sucked, then it deserved the score it gets.
But hey, it might be a good game. So how about doing what the rest of the world does and rent the games your interested in, that way ya won't buy a turd that got a turd review.

[Philonious]

Back in the day a score of 7ish meant something along the lines of 'not for everyone but good for fans of the genre'... I'm still intrigued, and since I don't really rent games, I might pick it up after a few price drops. On the bright side the price of underachieving games drop amazingly fast these days.

[Savok]

I'll check it out when Gamefly sends me a copy. The videos I watched on Gametrailers.com looked pretty good... but something seemed a bit off.



So you buy bad games to be different? O...K...

Also there is zero logic in your theory that games you don't like getting good scores automatically denotes a bad score on games your interested in. If Alone in the Dark sucked, then it deserved the score it gets.
But hey, it might be a good game. So how about doing what the rest of the world does and rent the games your interested in, that way ya won't buy a turd that got a turd review.
I live in rural Australia and we don't have Gamefly here. The one company I was renting from was so crap (the return envelops actually had fucking stamps on them, crooked stamps) they basically went out of business.

At any rate, full disclosure. I watched the videos for it on Youtube, it seems to be a horror game based around putting sticky tape on stuff and setting shit on fire to make torches, which to me just screams awesome.

Also I have a long history of loving games that got "eh" reviews. I enjoyed Mega Man Legends more then all the MGS games combined.

[aries100]

The reviewer from Eurogamer gave the game a 7/10

According to their scoring policy this means that it may not be for everyone but fans of the genre might like it. Also, the 7/10 seemed to be given mostly for the game's horrid control system, not the actual content etc. in the game.

On the hand, one could argue that we need some gutsy devs. and publishers that are willing to to try new things in games...

[AboveAvgCharles]

I really want to like this game, so I'm waiting for an EvAv review. Word of mouth is the only review source I trust anymore.

[atariv8]

I got $10 off in a preorder so I guess I'll stick with it.

[Panthera]

They even quoted the spoiler text!

Damnit...

I am way too jaded by the amount of idiocy around here. :p

[WSwwan]

I was only just starting to get excited for this game, but I'll definitely wait for some trustworthy reviews before I plop my cizash. Plus, this is a really nice week in games anyway.

[Demo_Boy]

I was really excited about the game until I read all the criticisms about game control.

How could they ship without brillinat controls? It's essential to any game.

[Tel Prydain]

Well, bad controls aside - I'm still getting it in two days time. And I'm paying an extra $10 for the collecters edition.
Reading the reviews, they seem to say that it was a 'failed' attempt at something grand. As PA said: The text of most reviews generally registers some disappointment, coupled with the assertion that the game really is trying its best. That's is really all I want to know in advance of my purchase: that it swung for the fences, even if it became dizzy as a result.

[Goronmon]

If god awful shit like Halo 3 gets an auto-ejaculation from reviewers, it stands to reason that it's the good (or at least interesting) games getting the bad scores.This logic is flawless. Flawless I tell you!

;)

[TrackZero]

which are? EA and EA alone? cuz i think that's all i read now...

Something you know, from my own continent.

[Tel Prydain]

Reviews like the one here (http://www.totalvideogames.com/articles/Alone_In_The_Dark_13394.htm)and here (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=154462)still suggest that there is good to be found in this game.

[johnperkins21]

I'm on the fence. No amount of reviews, negative or positive, will sway me more than getting my grubby little hands on a demo.

[FreezaSama]

I picked it up today anyway. I'm not far in yet, but it's not as horrible as a lot of people are making it sound.

I'd say if you're more interested in the story than anything else, it's worth checking out.

One thing that annoys the shit out of me though is the game's tendency to automatically revert to the 3rd-person perspective every single time you complete an action in the first-person view. Ugh.

Character models look nice, some of the architecture (especially stone gargoyles and such) looks even nicer.

[Tel Prydain]

I wonder if there is any chance of a patch to fix some of the more annoying aspects.

[Mephistopheles]

For me as a PC gamer if SecuROM is confirmed then it doesn't matter what reviews it gets.

[Blog]

Agreed, Mephistopheles. I really want this game, but I'm having second thoughts not because of the lackluster reviews it's getting; but because of the DRM it carries.

[Wolvie]

I live in rural Australia and we don't have Gamefly here. The one company I was renting from was so crap (the return envelops actually had fucking stamps on them, crooked stamps) they basically went out of business.

At any rate, full disclosure. I watched the videos for it on Youtube, it seems to be a horror game based around putting sticky tape on stuff and setting shit on fire to make torches, which to me just screams awesome.

Also I have a long history of loving games that got "eh" reviews. I enjoyed Mega Man Legends more then all the MGS games combined.

Ah, kinda like Earth Defense force? Sounds like you like a good "bad" game. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

[Tel Prydain]

I like a good "bad" game (I love the Transformers game), but this doesn't sound like a "bad" game. It sounds like a great game with terrible controls and badly placed save points.

[Wolvie]

I like a good "bad" game (I love the Transformers game), but this doesn't sound like a "bad" game. It sounds like a great game with terrible controls and badly placed save points.

So its gonna be like Silent Hill 2? AWESOME!!!