Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
| Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio |
Darkworks Spiral House (Win, PS2) Pocket Studios (GBC) |
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| Publisher | Infogrames | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
2001 | ||
| platform | Windows , PlayStation , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , Dreamcast , Game Boy Color | ||
| genre | Action adventure / survival horror | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Keyboard, gamepad | ||
| medium | CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, download | ||
| language | German, English etc. | ||
| Age rating |
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Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is the fourth part of the computer game series Alone in the Dark and was released in 2001 for Windows , PlayStation , PlayStation 2 , Dreamcast and Game Boy Color , in 2011 also for PlayStation 3 . Unlike the three previous titles, The New Nightmare was no longer developed by Infogrames itself, but as a commissioned work by the French developer Darkworks . The game served as the background for the 2005 film adaptation of the series by Uwe Boll .
action
The New Nightmare is set in 2001 and does not require any prior knowledge of the plot of the predecessor. Edward Carnby, the character in the previous installments and "Detective of the Unfathomable", is now working for the FBI in a secret investigation department specializing in paranormal activities called 713. Its founder, Charles Fiske, a friend of Carnby's, is on Shadow Island Found dead off the coast of Maine . Carnby sets out to solve the case. He learns that Fiske was looking for three ancient tablets from the Abkani tribe. Carnby flies to Shadow Island with anthrophologist Aline Cedrac. But during the approach, the plane crashes. Carnby and Cedrac can save themselves by parachutes, but are separated in the process. Aline lands on the roof of the Morton mansion, while Carnby finds herself in a wooded area. The two begin separately with the exploration of the manor house and its surroundings. This results in two different courses of action.
Gameplay
Similar to the first part , the player has the choice between two characters, the private detective Edward Carnby or the young researcher Aline Cedrac. The choice has an impact on the starting location and equipment. This results in a different course of the game, but the central plot remains the same. While Carnby's solution is a bit more action-oriented, Cedrac focuses more on the puzzles. Both main characters meet several times in the course of the plot and exchange ideas via radio. The game is presented from different camera angles. The three-dimensional play figures act in front of pre-rendered, two-dimensional backdrops and are controlled directly by the player using the gamepad or keyboard.
The game consists of a mixture of exploring the game world, solving puzzles and fighting unnatural creatures. An essential element of the game is the flashlight, which can be used in a variety of ways, such as tracking down important objects and information, solving puzzles, and chasing away creatures.
development
The game concept as well as the versions for PlayStation and Dreamcast were created by the French developer studio Darkworks. This had developed its own game engine for the game , which made it possible to correctly calculate the light of the flashlight on the 2D backgrounds. The main responsibility for the plot and the scenario was studio co-founder Antoine Vilette, who, after the deviations of the second and third parts, was again significantly influenced by the works of the author HP Lovecraft . The ports to Windows and PlayStation 2 were taken over by Spiral House. The port to Game Boy Color comes from Pocket Studios. A total of around 80 people were involved in the development.
There is a period of 75 years between the events in Alone in the Dark 3 and The New Nightmare , but the main character Edward Carnby has not aged noticeably. According to Spiral House's technical director Bobby Earl, the main reason for this decision was an adaptation to the target group, which is unlikely to be able to identify with an aged hero. According to information in the manual, Carnby was therefore only born in 1968, an information that the film also adopts. A narrative attempted explanation was only submitted with the 5th part of the Alone-in-the-Dark series.
The PlayStation 2 version corresponds to the version for the first PlayStation, with some graphical improvements such as a higher resolution and a shadow cast by the characters that is calculated in real time. It was only published in Europe. The PC version is almost identical to the PlayStation version, but has a quick save and quick load function, while the player in the console version has to find and use amulets. Shadow effects can optionally be switched on in the graphics options.
The publication in Japan was originally secured by Capcom, manufacturer of the competitor series Resident Evil , but this publication never came about. In 2002 the game was finally published by CyberFront in Japan, but only with English voice output and Japanese subtitles. In 2011, the PlayStation version was re-released for PlayStation 3.
reception
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Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare received mixed ratings. The console sockets for PlayStation and Dreamcast were rated the best ( Metacritic : 77 out of 100 (PS) / 75 (DC))
“DarkWorks really tickled the last of the PSone! The game has everything: atmosphere, variety, challenge, a terrific story, and all of this without any noteworthy drawbacks. […] Alone in the Dark: The new nightmare [sic] does not need to hide behind a Resident Evil or Silent Hill - quite the opposite! Because where Resident Evil & Co. left off, Alone in the Dark only begins. Alone in the Dark: The new nightmare is not just a game, it is an experience! "
Other magazines rated significantly less positively, including the PC version (Metacritic: 66 out of 100):
"It's a clumsy port, but what's even more disappointing is that it's a clumsy port of only a middling console game."
“It's a poor port; but what is even more disappointing, it is the poor porting of a mediocre console game. "
The technical quality of the PS2 version was also criticized:
"Alone in the Dark: The new Nightmare [sic] for PS2 is identical in content to the PSone version. The exciting story is no less captivating and the moments of shock also provide enough goose bumps. Unfortunately, in terms of technology, the PS2 implementation has not made a lot of effort. Although the characters now have a shadow calculated in real time, the bottom line is that one could have expected a bit more graphically. Above all, the small loading breaks during the change of perspective have no place on a high-end console. The PS2 is technically far superior to its little sister, and this should not only be expressed through a higher resolution. "
Comic & film adaptation
- Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier (authors), Aleksi Briclot & Matt Haley (drawings): Alone in the Dark: Life is a Hideous Thing , Semic Comics 2001 (France) and Image Comics 2002 (USA).
Prehistory to Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare , with a story about Edward Carnby and Aline Cedrac in search of the lost city of Aggartha in Tibet and the crown of Genghis Khan . The title corresponds to a quote from HP Lovecraft. -
Alone in the Dark (2005)
adaptation of Uwe Boll with Christian Slater as Edward Carnby. Starts shortly after The New Nightmare .
Web links
- Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Q&A
- ^ A b c Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
- ↑ Special: Alone in the Dark - The new Nightmare
- ^ A b c Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
- ↑ Have you scared today?
- ↑ Capcom editará en Japón Alone in the Dark
- ↑ http://bcc.hatenablog.com/entry/20110219/p2
- ↑ Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare rated for the PS3
- ↑ Game Rankings (DC)
- ↑ Gamerankings (GBC)
- ↑ Game Rankings (PS)
- ↑ Gamerankings (WIN)
- ↑ a b Metacritic (Dreamcast)
- ↑ a b Metacritic (PlayStation)
- ↑ a b Metacritic (Windows)
- ↑ Test: Alone in the Dark - The new Nightmare (DC)
- ↑ Test: Alone in the Dark - The new Nightmare (PS)
- ↑ Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PS)
- ↑ ANOTHER WALK IN THE DARK ( Memento from July 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW WILL KILL YOU ( Memento from June 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Review: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare ( Memento from May 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Review: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare ( Memento of February 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Review (Dreamcast)
- ↑ Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Review (PlayStation)
- ↑ a b Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Review (Windows)
- ↑ Test: Alone in the Dark 4 (PS)
- ↑ Test: Alone in the Dark 4 (PS2)
- ↑ Test: Alone in the Dark 4 (Win)
- ^ IGN editors: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare PC Review . IGN. July 12, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ Craig Harris: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare GBC Review . IGN. July 6, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ Test: Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare
- ↑ Test: Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare
- ↑ Test: Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare (PS2)
- ↑ Test: Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare (Win)
- ↑ Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare - Horror-Action-Adventure with cult star Edward Carnby, detective
- ↑ Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare ( Memento from February 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Hardcore Gaming 101: Alone in the Dark
- ↑ author page