The Adventure Gamer: Reviewing Alone in the Dark (1992)

Apologies for the lack of updates here for a while, I'll try and add a few posts here over the coming weeks.

For now though, I've been working on a playthrough and review of the classic 1992 survival-horror adventure Alone in the Dark for The Adventure Gamer.

Catch all the updates starting with the Introduction post here: https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/08/game-99-alone-in-dark-1992-introduction.html

It's a game which I have played a few times, but not for quite a few years, so I wonder how fondly I will feel about it after playing it again. At the moment I feel very positive about it but I've only played the very start.

It was an amazing experience to play back in the early 90s (I think I probably didn't play it in 1992, more likely in 93? can't really remember though!). Proper 3D polygonal characters, orchestral soundtrack and voice-overs (mostly from the CD-ROM version).

I have both a boxed version of the Alone in the Dark trilogy, and own the games on GOG.com (which is the cheapest way to get a hold of these games if you feel like playing along).

Alone In The Dark (1992) - An adventure game?

A 3D logo! Impressive for 1992.

 Alone In The Dark is the classic example of early "survival horror" gaming. It's a genre popularised by Resident Evil, and generally involves a lone protagonist in a B-movie horror setting. More modern examples tend to concentrate on gunning your way out of trouble, but Alone In The Dark was no third-person-shooter. Bullets and guns are hard to come by, and some of the malevolent creatures you meet are indifferent to your attempts to kill them by conventional means. (here's a retrospective over at IGN)

The game has some wonderful visual moments, and I love the book-based credits.

Perhaps we have this all wrong, and Alone In The Dark is in fact the first 3D adventure game?

Decerto - setting for this Lovecraft-inspired horror adventure