Rating: 
Summary: Ackward gameplay, bad controls
Review: I played the first and second AITD games and loved them. This one leaves a sour taste in my mouth. First, when I loaded the game on my laptop, the opening animations are so jumpy that I only saw 5 "screen shots" in what was supposed to be a 30+ second animation. Then I started playing the game, and at one point the game just kept exiting back to the Operating System. After getting very frustrated I updated my standard Win 2000 video drivers (which work fine with every other game/application) to the manufacturers video drivers. It works better now. Check out their tech support site and see how many others have compatibility problems as well. The gameplay is frustrating because you are fighting creatures that are off screen. You can use the ALT key for automatic aiming, but there is never enough ammo to kill everything. The most annoying feature is that creatures reappear (but again, my ammo doesn't). For example, I'll be in the main room on the first floor and kill the monster there. There are 5 doors in this room and of course I want to check them all out. Every time I re-enter this room, the same monster is there. ARGH!!! I still want to play the game but think I need to start over and follow a different path as others have suggested. And finally - I have a PIII 700Mhz machine with 8mb video card, I would expect better performance (loading of screens, animations, etc) from a game such as this.
Rating:
Summary: Boring, Repetitive, annoying.
Review: I really enjoyed Resident Evil and thought that this would be something similar so I bought it. This game starts out decent but looses itself after about five minutes. The controls are absolutely horrible because they were made for console and are a pain to use on a PC. You're often asked pointless questions such as do you want to climb the ladder yes or no. Why would you be asked that when you have to climb the ladder either way? In some places you can lock yourself out from going back even though you might need something in a previous room (such as going back through a mirror when you first enter the house). Enemies are often placed in such a way that if you walk into the room you wouldn't have a chance to shoot them and they would attack you right away. This would have been OK if you could find extra first aid kits, or bullets for that matter. You'll also most likely run out of ammo and will have to start over many times simply because the game wants you to follow certain path around the manor and if you decide to explore for yourself you will soon end up dead. More plot/path flexibility would help quite a bit. A reviewer who said that atmosphere and graphics of this game were spoiled by bad gameplay was right. I never got very far because I found this game boring, repetitive and annoying. Not at all like good old classics of the same genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Truly scary!
Review: I really enjoyed this game immensely - the graphics are great, the storyline is very good, and it really is scary in places. A couple of times, I rounded a corner to be faced with some nasty thing, and actually yelled out loud because I was so startled. The soundtrack is INCREDIBLY creepy, the lighting is very dim, and the monsters make sufficiently scary noises, which all lend themselves to an astonishingly scary atmosphere - you'll stay on your toes, believe me. The monsters are pretty grotesque, and this isn't a game I'd want younger children to play if I were a parent. There's a huge amount of reading in the game, and much of it is superfluous - any important clues are generally easily distinguished from them. There were a couple of bugs I found, mostly with objects not wanting to be moved in the right way for the next progression to happen, but overall, a relatively bug-free and stable game. There are several weapons available, and a goodly number of monsters to fight. The puzzles can be challenging, and it's possible to get entirely lost - but those aren't bad things, in my view. Get ready to be creeped out, and go grab this one.
Rating:
Summary: I am still playing this game, but
Review: I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth. First, Alone in The Dark is a series of games that originated as PC games. They ARE NOT console games but have been adapted for several console systems. I am enjoying this game so far and it is definitely not find key goto next level as one ignorant review leads you to believe. The graphics may not be the greatest and I will agree the lack of ammo bothers me as I had the hardest time with the gator in the cellar, because you can't pass him without killing him as he throws you back to the middle of the room each time you get anywhere close to the door on the other side of the room. The one thing I have had a problem with though, is that the instructions say you can use a joystick or a mouse with or instead of the keyboard controls, but to my knowledge there is no way to set up or configure any type of controls but the keyboard.
Rating: 
Summary: Sluggish and cold.
Review: June 10, 2002 "Alone In The Dark' is a cinematic puzzle-solving
game that is very heavy on story. It is saturated with
cut-aways that aren't particularly interesting and drag
play too much. Picking up objects and inspecting clues
are mandatory game-play events that frequently resist
easy action, take forever, and can drive you nuts. Because of these characteristics, `Alone In The Dark'
is not the paranoia-inducing game that it means to be.
There are a lot of games out there, shooters mostly,
that can make you nervous and give you thrills. Since
the combat in `Dark' is mechanistic and unchallenging,
there is no real sense of peril, and since the problem
solving and story are so repetitive, it's far from
engaging.
Rating:
Summary: Sluggish and cold.
Review: June 10, 2002 "Alone In The Dark' is a cinematic puzzle-solving
game that is very heavy on story. It is saturated with
cut-aways that aren't particularly interesting and drag
play too much. Picking up objects and inspecting clues
are mandatory game-play events that frequently resist
easy action, take forever, and can drive you nuts. Because of these characteristics, 'Alone In The Dark'
is not the paranoia-inducing game that it means to be.
There are a lot of games out there, shooters mostly,
that can make you nervous and give you thrills. Since
the combat in 'Dark' is mechanistic and unchallenging,
there is no real sense of peril, and since the problem
solving and story are so repetitive, it's far from
engaging.
Rating:
Summary: Only played the demo - but that's as far as I wanna go.
Review: Just a warning for those that aren't familiar with the Alone in the Dark series that they may want to try the demo first. The reason being I tried the demo and have never been more unimpressed by a game hyped such as this. Fans of the Alone in the Dark series might find the sequel entertaining but some of my gripes with the demo - (And keep in mind it was the demo so I can't give you an idea on the entire game, but like I said, the demo made me determined not to buy the game.) -- The perspective is constantly switched. In other words, in one scene, you are looking at the front of the character, when he moves to another area (zone) that is downloaded, you are looking at him from the side, etc... Each small area (zone) has to be downloaded and the viewing perspective constantly changes which is very annoying. -- The mouse didn't work. At least on the demo. It was keyboard only. -- Great FX on the character, but the scenery (especially the pouring rain) was TERRIBLE. It was a giant clash comparing this beautifully, lifelike character with some aspects that looked like the old CGA graphics. -- The gameplay system was very cumbersome. It wasn't managed to give you a smooth flow when you are switching items, etc.. With lack of a better way to explain it, the game reminded me of an 80's game. For instance, the downloading of every small parcel of land (zone) as opposed to smooth flowing through the entire area like ALL games today. And as far as the horror/spooky theme, it was very cheesy. I would recommend Clive Barker's Undying as a game that is everything this one attempted to be.
Rating:
Summary: Alone in the Dark
Review: Just plain fun. Great way to escape from reality. The graphics are great and the creepy creatures literally made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. In this game I get to be a beautiful red head, lost in a spooky manson loaded with nothing but a shot gun, granade launcher, and rapid fire pistol. Great way to take my mind off a lousy day at work.
Rating:
Summary: there's some fun to be had
Review: Most of the reviews I've read of ALONE IN THE DARK 4 : THE NEW NIGHTMARE didn't exactly embrace the game, but when I saw a copy of it..., I figured what the heck. How bad could it be? The previews instalments were pretty cool... AITD 4 - sure enough - has a few setbacks, but also enough strong points to make it a fun experience. If I had bought the game at full price I would have been disappointed, but if you catch it at a reduced price you shouldn't be worried if your money will be well spent or not. First off, you've got to love the scenery. Overgrown thickets of weed creep and crawl around a menacing manor. It's raining. It's after dark. And you're alone. Ambient sounds pulsates from your speakers. A flash of lightning jars the sky in half. Something is moving in the bushes. I suppose this is what Edgar Allan Poe pictured his House Of Usher would look like. I haven't felt atmosphere like this in a game since I first played RESIDENT EVIL. The graphics also look nice. Whenever you pick up a game at a reduced price, because it's been a while since its original release, there's always the chance that the graphics will be such a letdown that you just won't stand to play the game (Sure it's gameplay above graphics, but it doesn't hurt that the graphics don't make your eyes eek). This is not a problem with AITD 4. Even though the game runs on low resolution, the developers have managed to tweak the most out of their engine. The backdrops look beautiful. Okay, so the characters may look a bit glued on, but not enough to make it annoying. The game also has great replay value, in that you can choose to play as either to character, Edward Carnby (Who looks an awful lot like Nick Cave) or Aline Cedrac, and the two of them starts out the game at different locations. It may not be two completely different games, but it certainly warrants a second play-through. AITD 4 also features a nice blend between action and thinking. You'll need both muscle and brains to complete the game. Problems. The biggest setback of the game is the combat engine. The developers have gone no further than aim, point and shoot. You can't aim low, middle, or high, like in RESIDENT EVIL, just turn a 360 and pull the trigger when you're facing your enemy. Reloading your weapon is not a simple task of pressing a key. You'll need to access the inventory screen, select your weapon, and then choose to reload. The end result is that you feel you've got very little control over the combat. You'll get used to it, and eventually it won't bother you that much, but the game would have been a lot better if the developers would have fleshed out a better combat engine. It should be fun shooting at monsters... I also don't like games that only allow you to save at certain points. AITD 4 features the RESIDENT EVIL solution, in where you have to pick up these tablets that are good for one save. Games are less scary when you save at every corner, but this should be the player's choice, and not the developers. It's not much fun going over the same ground twice. Summing up. AITD 4 may not be good enough to warrant a full price purchase, but if you can pick it up at a reduced price then the game will be worth your money. People who are not die hard fans of the genre should perhaps be a bit more cautious and instead go with a safer purchase (NOCTURNE is a recommendation), but those of us who enjoy this sort of entertainment will surely find something to appreciate the game for (Especially since there's not a great number of this type of titles for the PC).
Rating:
Summary: Picky faults aside, this is great fun.
Review: Now, i don't spend nearly as much time playing games as many of the folks represented in this forum; i'm no "authority" or "expert," but i know what i like, and i really liked this. Ok, so the screen goes dark when you open a gate to reveal the open gate. That doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the game. That's picky stuff. The atmosphere with its dark look and dark music is very effective, especially when playing the game in a darkened room. The nasty creatures each have their own challenges and appear just enough so that the anticipation of creatures is as nerve-wracking if not more than their actual appearances. i think the artists did a great job creating a detailed environment of dread. You can look at the dishevelled rooms and bloody hallways and piece together what must have happened there. The scenery is very detailed with a lot of character. Playing as two different characters with their unique respective scenarios is a giant plus, despite the fact the female's scenario tends to be a little arbitrary and linear (i.e. being magically forced to a certain door in the mansion at one point was a bit silly). The puzzles are reasonably challenging and logical. The family history is well-developed and fun to delve into, especially how the two characters in their respective scenarios find out different things about certain characters that changes one's view of what they were all about. (i.e. J.M.'s fortress workshop notes) Unlike your standard shoot-em-up, strategy plays a bigger role than blowing everything to smithereens. Despite what some reviewers said, i completed both scenarios with hundreds of shotgun shells and other ammo left. It's actually pretty easy to run past many nasties without firing a shot. The saving system isn't really a big deal as long as you plan well. Some of the flirtatious talk between the two characters while they're supposed to be trudging through the next thing to hell seemed a bit incongruous to me but i suppose that must have something to do with setup for sequels. i've read many complaints about the controls on the PC version, but i found no problems with the interface, myself. i changed a couple of the default buttons and that was enough to make the interface pretty easy. (and this is coming from a fellow who has a terrible time getting about in first-person shoot-em-ups)
Bottom line: it's scary, bloody, moody, immersive, challenging and therefore fun and recommended.
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