Alone In the Dark: Inferno – PS3 – Review

What would
you do if you got a second chance? Would you fix that one big mistake in your
life or take a chance on that certain something that you missed out on when the
opportunity came up? Atari and Eden Games gets a second chance at fixing a game
that showed a lot of promise but just fell apart by the weight of its ambition
and weak gameplay. Alone in the Dark: Inferno for the PlayStation 3 is an
improvement over the Xbox 360 and PS2 version of the game but it’s still far
from a completely better game because of it.

 
“It’s
called Inferno … by Calvin Klein.” 

Inferno
still tells the same story as the previous version of the game and it still
plays out like an episodic television show. Once again, Alone in the Dark
fans take up the role of Edward Carnby but a lot has changed since the last time
we’ve seen him. Waking up in a strange room surrounded by strange men, Edward
finds himself wondering why he doesn’t remember anything about himself.
Suddenly, the walls begin to rip apart and the building around him begins to
burst into flames. Stuck in a high-rise building in New York City, Edward Carnby
fights for survival and for the answers to his questions.

The story,
told in a series of episodes complete with closing credits, takes Carnby through
various areas throughout NYC as well as a large section of Central Park. The
problem is that the story isn’t very compelling nor is it very original. I won’t
give away the revelations that are made in the game but let’s just say you’ll
see it coming a mile away. In fact, even the ending leaves much to be desired.
Still, that’s not to say that some interesting do happen in the game because
there are a number of interactive moments that really stand out nicely.

One of the
major improvements in Inferno happens to be how you control Carnby as well as
the camera. On the Xbox 360, Carnby brought back memories of the early
Resident Evil games that made the characters move like a tank. Inferno,
on the other hand, improves movement greatly so it feels more like Resident
Evil 4. Even the over-the-shoulder camera is implemented during third-person
mode and you can swivel it around a bit to see your surroundings better. Of
course, it’s still not perfect but the change is noticeable and, well,
appreciated. The first-person view is actually a lot better as well and it’s one
I tend to turn to often during exploration.

 
“What?
Do I have something on my face or something?”

The
interactive moments I spoke of earlier does spice up the game and many of them
are enjoyable while the rest are downright frustrating to get through. While
strictly trail-and-error in nature, these moments often have you trying climb
out of the way of crumbling balconies while you’re in the burning building to
attempting to swing your way down an elevator shaft while burning debris comes
raining down on you. The game also features a number of puzzles to solve … a few
of them are actually quite inventive in their own way.

Aside from
the puzzles and exploration of segments of the city, you’ll be driving vehicles
in the game. The driving controls weren’t so bad the first time around but it
just didn’t feel like you were driving a car thanks to a few balance issues.
Inferno manages to fix a few of the problems, making driving through the
city a lot less burdensome and definitely a lot less awkward than before. As I
mentioned before, Carnby moves a bit more naturally now and, although there are
no exclusive SIXAXIS control features, you just have to love the analog control
to bash things in with certain objects. Even shooting your gun is simplified and
improved as a result of the control improvements.

Sadly,
combat is still not quite satisfying thanks to the fact that you have to drag
almost every possessed demon into the fire in order to get rid of them for good.
Carnby can still concoct his own weapons such as a small flamethrower when you
don’t feel like dragging a knocked out demon into the flame but battles just
aren’t as satisfying as they should be in an Alone in the Dark game. The
boss battles are interesting – especially the new one found in this version of
the game – and the new areas are a nice touch.

Visually,
the PS3 version of the game looks just as good as the 360 version. The wonderful
details in the environments and character models are a highlight and the
lighting effects are excellent. Aside from the fact that character’s faces look
plastic; the game handles the atmospheric creepiness rather well. The visual
effects really stand out in this game to the point that everything from flames
to the demonic presence the shows up often in the game look good.

“Dude, just
remember where we parked the chopper.”

The game
also has a great score that plays throughout the game and becomes more intense
during all the right moments. It does a great job of accompanying the detailed
sound effects that is good enough that you’ll known when something bad is going
to happen like falling segments of the roof in the earlier episode.
Unfortunately, the voice acting in the game is definitely cringe-worthy and the
dialogue is just as clichéd as the story itself.

Unfortunately, even with the improvements, Alone in the Dark: Inferno for
the PlayStation 3 just doesn’t take advantage of a second chance at making this
a far superior version. This is actually quite disappointing seeing as there was
a lot of great potential and interesting concepts that should have made this an
excellent survival-horror game filled with creepy thrills and chills worthy of
the genre.

Gameplay: 5.0
Moving Edward
around feels less awkward now and the camera has improved greatly but not all of
this makes much of a difference when combat is still more of a chore than an
enjoyable experience. Driving has improved as well and the new boss battle isn’t
bad. Still, the story is far too clichéd to be interesting.

Graphics: 7.0
The lighting
effects look good on the PS3 and Central Park looks exceptionally pleasing to
the eyes but the characters still have that shiny plastic sheen that makes them
look unreal. Is it me or is Edward Carnby now looking way too creepy?

Sound: 7.0
As far as the
sound is concerned, the soundtrack is appropriately creepy and wonderfully
cinematic. Even the sound effects will run shivers down your spine … just like
the horrible voice acting and dialogue in the game.

Difficulty: Medium
You’ll be up
against a number of supernatural foes and the fact that you can’t kill them
unless you drag them into fire adds an extra challenge to the mix. There are a
number of cool sequences in the game but these are mostly trail-and-error
challenges.

Concept: 5.0
The Alone in
the Dark franchise attempts to push the series into new and interesting
heights that is certainly appreciated but it ultimately falls flat in a number
of areas. Inferno does fix a few of the original release’s various flaws
such as the driving segments and Edward’s movements but it’s ultimately the same
game as the 360 and PS2 version of the game.

Overall: 5.0
Inferno
for the PS3 might have fixed a few of the problems that plagued the Xbox 360
release of Alone in the Dark but, sadly, it’s not enough to make this a
completely better version of the game. This is really too bad seeing as the game
has a number of great ideas that could have made this a great entry in the
series.