Alone in the Dark (1992 video game)
| Alone in the Dark | |
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| Developer(s) | Infogrames |
| Publisher(s) | Interplay |
| Platform(s) | PC, 3DO |
| Release | PC-1992, 3DO-1994 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror, Action, Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Alone in the Dark is the 1992 survival horror video game series created by Infogrames (now Atari). The game has spawned several sequels and is considered one of the first survival horror video games, after the 1989 Capcom game, Sweet Home. In 2005 a film adaptation was released, which did poorly at the box office.
Plot
Template:Spoilers Jeremy Hartwood, the owner of the legendary Louisiana mansion Derceto, has committed suicide. His death appears suspicious yet seems to surprise no-one, for Derceto is known to be haunted by an evil power. The case is quickly dealt with by the police and soon forgotten by the public. Now, a local antique dealer has hired you to enter Derceto and make a list of all the valuables within. Against your better judgment, you agree to seek out the mansion's precious antiques. Soon after you enter Derceto, you are thrown into a nightmare that has been Jeremy's daily life. Hideous hidden monsters around the mansion, creepy catacombs down underneath, shadowy corridors foreshadow a great evil that fills the atmosphere and the very house itself. As detective Edward Carnby or Jeremy's niece Emily, you must uncover the truth behind Jeremy's mysterious death (a pirate's curse) and survive through the night by escaping from the mansion through a maze in the cavern.
About The Game
Players are given the option of choosing between a male or female character (Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood), and are then trapped inside the haunted mansion of Derceto after dark. The player character starts in the attic, having ascended to the top of the mansion without incident, and must battle their way down. Players are tasked with exploring the mansion in order to find a way out while being assaulted by supernatural enemies including zombies, giant bipedal rat-like creatures, and other even more bizarre foes. However, combat only plays a partial role in the gameplay. For example, the total number of zombies throughout the entire game is only about a dozen, and many monsters are meant to be defeated through puzzle-solving rather than a straight fight. Much of the game involves exploration and puzzle-solving, and searching the house for clues to advance the story.
The story is broadcast to the player through an extensive series of books and notes found throughout the game, and is heavily influenced by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The occult tomes found in the mansion's library include the Necronomicon and De Vermiis Mysteriis, both taken from Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. There are also books narrating the history of Lord Boleskine, a direct reference to another Infogrames Cthulhu Mythos based game, Shadow of the Comet.
Sequels
The game managed to produce several sequels.
- Alone in the Dark 2 (1994)
- Alone in the Dark 3 (1995)
- Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001)
- Alone in the Dark 5 (TBA)
Movie
- In 2005 a film adaptation was released called Alone in the Dark. It was directed by Uwe Boll and was complete box office flop, costing $20,000,000 and making less than $3,000,000. The movie draws no inspiration from the original series, but is a sequel of sorts to the 2004 game Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.