Alone in the Dark - First Look Preview

A behind-closed-doors presentation at E3'06 of Atari's Alone in the Dark ushered in the latest title in the acclaimed series, which put the survival/horror genre on the map whilst Capcom's Shinji Mikami was still caught up with Disney tie-in's for the Japanese publisher.

Although the Resident Evil series and certain others have taken the limelight away from Alone in the Dark in recent years, the series still remains popular with 1.7 million sales of the last title in the series, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, released back in 2001.

With bold aspirations the developers at Eden Studios cite Resident Evil 4 as the sole inspiration behind the new Alone in the Dark, believing Capcom's latest title the only one to push forward the genre significantly and following the emphasis placed on action as a result. Set within the open expanse of New York's Central Park, Eden Studios are attempting to break the rules of conventions and the genre, an ethos that was suitably presented with a visual metaphor during the initial stages of the demonstration. Wandering through a stereotypical corridor sequence, the main character eventually comes to an end as the walls around him literally collapse and crumble apart, leaving him to hang on desperately high above Central Park. Outlining the reasons behind the game's unusual setting, Eden Studios were keen to point out the diversity of the location, along with the reality of the scene bringing instant recognition to the experience and help to heighten the sense of immersion instilled within the player.

Strangely Eden Studios have exposed a potential twist of the game's story a long time ahead of the game's 2007 release, revealing that players will once again assume the role of Edward Carnaby, "Supernatural Private Eye" from the original trilogy of Alone in the Dark titles. Set in the present day, the obvious twist is exactly what Carnaby is doing seventy-odd years after originally making an appearance - it seems we'll just have to sit and ponder on this one for a little while yet, though Eden Studios did mention the concept of "what lies behind death" as being a core design ethos behind the game.

Prior to E3 Atari revealed the episodic structure that drives the new Alone in the Dark title. Some confusion as to what this will entail occurred, so allow us to clear some of this up. Alone in the Dark is based upon an episodic structure divided into hour segments, similar to the likes of 24, CSI or LOST. The entire game is contained within the disk, so you don't have to wait to download the next instalment and are free to play more then one episode if you wish. The design should however ensure the game appeals to those who don't have time on their hands, and to guarantee that the pace of the game remains high throughout the entire experience rather then tailing off towards the middle.

Such direction is also complimented with the attention being paid towards the game's visuals. Not necessarily pushing polygon counts or the rendering effects, Eden Studios pointed out during the demonstration the strive for achieving photographical effects. With an emphasis on post-production, lighting/shadowing and techniques such as depth-of-field, Eden Studios are striving for perfection with every single frame of the game; a point highlighted by the demo sequence being paused and the camera moved to demonstrate the quality Eden Studios is pouring into every scene they create.

This level of attention is also evident in the gameplay, which promises a greater emphasis on action if the short demonstration is anything to go by. Beginning in the first-person, TVG originally thought Eden's demonstration had fallen foul of technical issues that seem to thwart every E3, as dialogue played on top of an endless black screen. Eventually an image comes in to view revealing that the main character has been blindfolded, with over-saturation and blur effects used to stylishly portray the character's vision coming in and out of focus, adjusting to the light.

If proof was needed that Eden Studios intends to throw the survival/horror rulebook out of the window, then the promise and demonstration of vehicles playing a major role within the game certainly portrayed this. Throughout the adventure vehicles provide various different means such as transport through to the solution of puzzles. Vehicles within the game are fully modelled, with the ability to switch the radio on and listen out for clues or plot developments; a ventilator to clear the frost from the front screen; a helpful glove compartment to find and hide handy items or the ability to hotwire the vehicle when you just can't find the keys and are being attacked from all different directions - just make sure not to activate the alarm and alert yourself to everybody else in the vicinity. One further smart touch surrounds the game's inventory, or more specifically the lack of it. Instead of pausing the action and accessing a separate menu, Carnaby opens up his jacket to see what's being stored in his pockets - a highly effective, original and stylish approach to presenting a conventional aspect - much like the rest of the game.