"Scary Noochies"

Silence and a flashlight. Are you alone in the dark?

Graphics 10/10

IMPRESSED! The graphics of this game are very great. Everything from landscapes to character sprites are impressive and deliver a type of realism that is very close to that of resident evil. The creatures and various characters are so finely done that there is no mistake as to who they are and what they are, and the various cut scenes were nicely rendered as well. The con of this is that the game is extremely dark but is required to be that way to impose the fear of darkness. The lighting effects from the flashlight are top notch, with the screen only being lit from the radius from the light. Nicely done.

Sound 10/10

Scary. The noises you hear allude to bad things to come, and some are so random that they scare the crap of of you. Speech and sound effects are also done well. Every conversation from the mad antagonist's to the protagonists is clear and can be understood with ease. The effects from wading in the water and from firing a gun are clear, even the ''click'' of the flashlight as they are turned on and off are perfect. The sound does it's job trying to instill fear into your subconscious. The music cues when it's needed and makes great use of the Dreamcast's hardware.

Control 9/10

The control isn't bad at all, just awkward. If you are a fan of Resident Evil then you shouldn't be bothered by the control, but if you're a first time player, then you need to get used to the way the game is first. The controls are very responsive and were well done, but the only quirk is when the camera angle changes it can confuse some gamers causing them to press opposite to what they need. Other than that flaw, control is near flawless.

Replay Value 4/10

This is the dreaded curse of most survival horror games. The replay value is nonexistent in this game. Once you have completed it through with the two characters, there is little left to do unless you are trying to write a guide to the game. The game is great for the first two play throughs but then it will become a relic in your collection until you decide to play it once again. The addition of a duel mode or something like RE2 would've been nice to gift to this game, but Infogames did a good job over all.

Overall 9/10

This game is solid. It'll make you crap your pants at times (probably not) and will make you feel afraid to be alone at times. This game does wonders to the human psyche, and owning it wouldn't be such a bad idea if you're looking for a great answer to Resident Evil. Be warned though, once you beat the game a couple of times you'll wish that you were truly Alone in the Dark. Mmmwhhhaaa...sorry, couldn't contain it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/13/02, Updated 10/13/02