Alone in the Dark: Inferno

true Name: Alone in the Dark: Inferno Genre: Survival Horror Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC (Reviewed on PlayStation 3) <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12283356291xIyIVtyAk.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12283356291xIyIVtyAk.jpg" width="440" height="250"></a> Alone in the Dark: Inferno is unique. When released on the Xbox 360 a few months ago, it was a memorable experience for both for its triumphs and catastrophes. Atari, in a surprise move, decided to delay the PlayStation 3 version to fix the laundry list of problems. They polished it up, added the surname “Inferno,” and re-released it, promising a better title and, in many ways, it was a success; the PlayStation 3 version takes giant strides in the right direction. But it doesn’t get far enough. No port, no matter how far removed, can fix the issues in the game, and it would take a complete remake to even consider turning the disaster that was Alone in the Dark into what it should have been. Playing still feels like watching The Dark Knight with scenes from Batman and Robin spliced in intermittently. There are true, magnificent moments of brilliance in gameplay and design surrounded by horrendous moments of stupidity in gameplay and design. <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335649cPSxuMm6v2.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335649cPSxuMm6v2.jpg" width="440" height="250"></a> Among the fixes are an improved camera which now hovers several feet father from Edward and is controllable most of the time. Within moments, the game feels much better than before, and being able to manipulate the camera completely helps move from the broken feel the game had. However, still too often it is ripped from the player and affixed into a random corner of the room, and the improved camera gives the false sense that the controls were also fixed, which isn’t really the case. Melee combat is better, but still bad, and the game still feels like the controls are misplaced. Driving was also modified to be much easier, and the notoriously difficult section early in the game was toned down in difficulty with a number of simple, yet clever modifications. Another character shouts directions when faced with a confusing section of road, and some areas were cleaned up to make it easier to maneuver through the streets. Still, this wonderful looking and incredibly epic scene is marred with glitches and poor design, and it will likely still take several attempts to navigate the crumbling city. <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335747yBEDKBjwZb.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335747yBEDKBjwZb.jpg" width="440" height="250"></a> There’s also an entirely new action sequence, set aboard a train being chased by a massive beast, which serves as a shining example of both the game’s flaws and triumphs. It’s a great idea implemented poorly, and it almost works, but the framerate doesn’t hold together at all, rendering the area nearly unplayable. Just like every other aspect of the game, as soon as it feels innovative and brilliant it breaks, adding a sloppy mechanic. While there’s no doubt that Inferno is, indeed, the definitive version of the game, it’s still not good enough. It’s short of its own potential, it’s frustrating to play, and while the fixes make it a better game, it doesn’t enhance the flawed experience. Just as before, something just doesn’t add up about it, and the real mystery in Alone in the Dark isn’t what happened in Central Park, but what happened inside of Atari’s offices. It’s easy to point out all of the problems in the game, but none of them detract enough from the experience to stop me from recommending that everyone tries this game, even if it is just for a few days.   <img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1179941578DGVahDLFCu.jpg" width="275" height="175"> <img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1204908946PhJqwa60Wv.jpg" width="275" height="35"> <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42"></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51"></a>   Related Articles: <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/coop/reviews/article/alone_in_the_dark_xbox_3601/">Review: Alone in the Dark - Xbox 360</a> <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/sarah/news/article/new_alone_in_the_dark_trailer/">New Alone in the Dark Trailer</a> <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/coop/news/article/atari_s_focus_to_shift_to_multiplayer/">Atari’s Focus to Shift to Multiplayer</a> review

2008-12-03T15:26:29-05:00

Name: Alone in the Dark: Inferno Genre: Survival Horror Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC (Reviewed on PlayStation 3) <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12283356291xIyIVtyAk.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12283356291xIyIVtyAk.jpg" width="440" height="250" /></a> Alone in the Dark: Inferno is unique. When released on the Xbox 360 a few months ago, it was a memorable experience for both for its triumphs and catastrophes. Atari, in a surprise move, decided to delay the PlayStation 3 version to fix the laundry list of problems. They polished it up, added the surname “Inferno,” and re-released it, promising a better title and, in many ways, it was a success; the PlayStation 3 version takes giant strides in the right direction. But it doesn’t get far enough. No port, no matter how far removed, can fix the issues in the game, and it would take a complete remake to even consider turning the disaster that was Alone in the Dark into what it should have been. Playing still feels like watching The Dark Knight with scenes from Batman and Robin spliced in intermittently. There are true, magnificent moments of brilliance in gameplay and design surrounded by horrendous moments of stupidity in gameplay and design. <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335649cPSxuMm6v2.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335649cPSxuMm6v2.jpg" width="440" height="250" /></a> Among the fixes are an improved camera which now hovers several feet father from Edward and is controllable most of the time. Within moments, the game feels much better than before, and being able to manipulate the camera completely helps move from the broken feel the game had. However, still too often it is ripped from the player and affixed into a random corner of the room, and the improved camera gives the false sense that the controls were also fixed, which isn’t really the case. Melee combat is better, but still bad, and the game still feels like the controls are misplaced. Driving was also modified to be much easier, and the notoriously difficult section early in the game was toned down in difficulty with a number of simple, yet clever modifications. Another character shouts directions when faced with a confusing section of road, and some areas were cleaned up to make it easier to maneuver through the streets. Still, this wonderful looking and incredibly epic scene is marred with glitches and poor design, and it will likely still take several attempts to navigate the crumbling city. <a href="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335747yBEDKBjwZb.jpg"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1228335747yBEDKBjwZb.jpg" width="440" height="250" /></a> There’s also an entirely new action sequence, set aboard a train being chased by a massive beast, which serves as a shining example of both the game’s flaws and triumphs. It’s a great idea implemented poorly, and it almost works, but the framerate doesn’t hold together at all, rendering the area nearly unplayable. Just like every other aspect of the game, as soon as it feels innovative and brilliant it breaks, adding a sloppy mechanic. While there’s no doubt that Inferno is, indeed, the definitive version of the game, it’s still not good enough. It’s short of its own potential, it’s frustrating to play, and while the fixes make it a better game, it doesn’t enhance the flawed experience. Just as before, something just doesn’t add up about it, and the real mystery in Alone in the Dark isn’t what happened in Central Park, but what happened inside of Atari’s offices. It’s easy to point out all of the problems in the game, but none of them detract enough from the experience to stop me from recommending that everyone tries this game, even if it is just for a few days.   <img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1179941578DGVahDLFCu.jpg" width="275" height="175" /> <img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1204908946PhJqwa60Wv.jpg" width="275" height="35" /> <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/12049090913D6uenyIJz.jpg" width="111" height="42" /></a><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/games"><img src="http://gamervision.com/contributed/1204909164Gepk74pXtB.jpg" width="154" height="51" /></a>   Related Articles: <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/coop/reviews/article/alone_in_the_dark_xbox_3601/">Review: Alone in the Dark - Xbox 360</a> <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/sarah/news/article/new_alone_in_the_dark_trailer/">New Alone in the Dark Trailer</a> <a href="http://gamervision.com/gamer/coop/news/article/atari_s_focus_to_shift_to_multiplayer/">Atari’s Focus to Shift to Multiplayer</a>

8663

6382

2009-10-06T20:28:45-04:00

2008-12-03T15:26:29-05:00

11240

7.0

alone_in_the_dark_inferno_ps3 published There's Still Something Wrong in Central Park Alone in the Dark: Inferno - PlayStation 3

2009-10-06T20:28:45-04:00

328