Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark..."

I really didn't think I'd wind up getting this game. Especially after playing the horrendous AITD 2 for PSX. My friend got this one for PC though, and he said it was awesome. I said I’d try to check it out, but I didn't want to spend 40 to get it. One day though, I came across it used for 20 bucks, and I decided to get it. Thinking I just threw away the money, I didn't really look into this game with an open mind when I put it into my PSX. However, once the FMV's came on, I shut up.

Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare is such a step up from the last game in the series, it feels like a fresh, new horror survival game. It looks better, It plays better, and is much more rewarding to play.

The story starts out like this: Edward Carnby (the hero of the AITD series) is being sent to ''Shadow Island'' to investigate the strange death of one of his friends. On the plane to the island, he meets up with a woman named Aline, who is on her way to the island to investigate three mysterious tablets. When they are just about to land, a strange thing emerges onto the plane and kills the pilot, which sends it on a crash course. Carnby and Aline take the parachutes and jump, but they get separated on different parts of the island. It's now up to the player to decide which campaign they want to play, Carnby's or Aline's.

Each campaign intertwines with one another, very much like the Resident Evil fashion. As the story unwinds, it gets told through voice acted cutscenes, that come in between gameplay (again in the RE fashion). The gameplay is just like it is found in any horror survival game, you go through the island, solve puzzles, and shoot strange creatures.

The things I especially like here are the lighting effects. The flashlight is animated so well, and it looks very cool. You use the analog stick to control the flashlight, and direct where you want to shine it. Very cool.

You hold R1 to aim, which draws your gun. Just like in Dino Crisis, you can move around slowly when you draw it (something never in an RE game). This makes for quicker, easier combat.

The environments also look great. The rain, the mansion, the outdoor courtyards, everything looks very nice and has an ominous appearance to it. The game is scary, just like any horror game should be, and it'll keep you glued to the edge of your seat.

However, with the good, comes the bad. One is the load time. It's not too long, but it can get annoying running between screens with that pause there. Also, there isn't an auto aim, which is more realistic, but can get annoying during combat in dark areas.

With it's short flaws aside, AITD NN is a great survival horror game. While i'd probaly recommend getting Silent Hill 2 over it (if you have a PS2), this is still a fun adventure for RE fans and survival horror fans alike.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/23/01, Updated 10/23/01