Alone in the Dark

Techtite ( )

This particularly creepy game (in a good way!), was based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Its unique (at the time) approach to story telling was via polygon characters, which were able to be detailed --even on slow CPUs-- thanks to static backgrounds used to depict the various "camera angles." This animation trick was to be re-used in any number of similar games and Alone in the Dark clones, including the ever-popular Resident Evil series. It also spawned two sequels (at least). A thriller classic, that even made it on Techtite's listing of Top 50 Multimedia Classics.

Top Secret (5 out of 5)

Kiedy Gloria Allen wynajęła mnie, bym przywiózł list schowany w pianinie stojącym w domu jej niedawno zmarłego wujka, pomyślałem, że łatwo zarobię te 150 dolców. List znalazłem bez kłopotów. Wynikało z niego, że ktoś, lub coś pomogło rozstać się wujowi ze światem.

HonestGamers (Staff reviews only) (10 out of 10)

If you're a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, a short story horror writer widely considered to be the master of the weird, you will enjoy this game even more. It's the best game I've come across that is based on his works by far, easily outdoing Infogrames' own Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice. From books that maim and kill once opened, to Cyclopean grottos, to undead creatures raised by dubious, mysterious methods--this is survival horror meshed with the king of horror, and the result is fantastic.

Com Club ( )

Kokonaisuutena Alone In The Dark on vuoden 92 parhaita pelejä. Grafiikan, äänen, mahtavan Juonen Ja loistavan pelattavuuden yhdistyminen on saanut aikaan uskomattoman pelikokemuksen.

Electronic Games (98 out of 100)

Although it's perfect for computer adventurers, the ultimate testimony to the wonder of this game is that even those who dislike that genre will love Alone in the Dark.

Génération 4 (97 out of 100)

Que dire de ce jeu sublime, si ce n'est que grâce a lui, les ventes de PC risquent d'augmenter de façon spectaculaire dans les prochains mois. N'ayons pas peur des mots, Infogrames vient de nous gratifier de ce que je considère comme le meilleur jeu que j'ai jamais vu sur micro. Pour reprendre le leïtmotiv d'une marque bien connue : vous en avez rêvé ; Infogrames l'a fait. Merci à eux.

Joystick (French) (97 out of 100)

Avec ce logiciel, Infogrames signe son produit le plus original et le plus achevé. Comme c'est le cas avec les jeux marquant une étape décisive, on parlera désormais de "l'avant" et de "l'après" Alone in the Dark.

Play Time (96 out of 100)

Als Fazit bleibt mir eigentlich nur ein Satz zu schreiben: Alone in the Dark hat mich in allen Punkten voll überzeugt. Ein Tip für Genießer: Ihr solltet das Spiel unbedingt nur nachts spielen.

Tilt (19 out of 20)

Je sais, je sais, 19, c'est énorme. Mais Alone In The Dark est avec Ultima Underworld l'un des jeux qui m'ont poussé à acheter un PC. Comme Dungeon Master, Lemmings ou Prince of Persia, Alone in the Dark devient une référence.

Absolute Games (AG.ru) (95 out of 100)

И еще раз вслушайтесь в само название — Alone in the Dark. Зачастую оно одно способно объяснить все, и уже незачем становится писать развернутые рецензии или нажимать на скриншоты, чтобы посмотреть на увеличенные до неприличных размеров картинки. Знайте лишь, что это самая современная, самая технологичная, самая интересная, самая интригующая, самая атмосферная, самая страшная, самая красивая, самая загадочная, самая лучшая игра современности. И ни эпитетом меньше.

PC Games (Germany) (92 out of 100)

(Disk version)
Die Tatsache, daß sich die Zahl der freiwillig geleisteten “Überstunden“ erhöhte, darf man wohl ebenfalls dem neuartigen Spielkonzept von Alone in the Dark zuschreiben. Infogrames hat uns mit diesem Spiel eindrucksvoll bewiesen, daß “Virtual Reality“ nicht zwangsläufig das Ziel aller Dinge sein muß. Es bleibt die Überzeugung, daß dieses Adventure viele in seinen Bann ziehen wird. Zu hoffen ist, daß die weiteren Vertreter der “Virtual Dreams Collection“ ähnlich kurzweiligen Adventurespaß bieten. So sollen sie denn mal kommen, die langen, dunklen Winternächte. Mit diesem Adventure-Thriller werden sie zwar nicht heller, aber sie sind auf jeden Fall mal wieder um einiges zu kurz.

Just Adventure (A-)

Overall, Alone In The Dark is one of those neat games with some irritating flaws. It sets a good atmosphere and maintains it well for the most part. Using Lovecraftian overtones adds a lot to the game. The view shifts are a novel and effective addition. Most of the puzzles are fair. The game did NOT crash on me, or exhibit technical problems (big plus right there). Graphically, the monsters could have been better; some of them looked more ludicrous than horrible, dangerous though they were. The viewing angles could have been planned more carefully, and the design in general should have been tighter to prevent nasty dead ends, such as running out of oil in the tunnels. Since you've been warned about those, however, you should find Alone In The Dark a nice change of pace from the usual run of adventure games.

Consoles Plus (91 out of 100)

Un jeu d'aventures exceptionnel qui vous tiendra éveillé des heures durant. L'adaptation est de bonne qualité.

Just Adventure (A-)

Overall, Alone In The Dark is one of those neat games with some irritating flaws. It sets a good atmosphere and maintains it well for the most part. Using Lovecraftian overtones adds a lot to the game. The view shifts are a novel and effective addition. Most of the puzzles are fair. The game did NOT crash on me, or exhibit technical problems (big plus right there). Graphically, the monsters could have been better; some of them looked more ludicrous than horrible, dangerous though they were. The viewing angles could have been planned more carefully, and the design in general should have been tighter to prevent nasty dead ends, such as running out of oil in the tunnels. Since you've been warned about those, however, you should find Alone In The Dark a nice change of pace from the usual run of adventure games.

PC Games (Germany) (90 out of 100)

CD version
Spielerisch und grafisch hat sich wie erwähnt nichts in der CD-Version verändert. Für CD-ROM-Laufwerke mit Audio-Ausgang wird allerdings Sound direkt von der CD geboten. Ein weiterer Vorteil zur Diskettenversion ist die beseitigte Kopierschutzabfrage - man kann also noch dem Einlegen gleich loslegen. Als zusätzlicher Bonus für die Käufer der CD befindet sich noch ein kleines Spiel, Jack in the Dark. auf der Silberscheibe, das bereits auf verschiedenen Messen zu sehen war.

Ação Games ( )

Originalmente lançado como game para PC, Alone in the Dark logo se transformou em clássico para os amantes dos games de terror. Agora os jogadores de 3DO tem a oportunidade de encarar este arrepiante desafio. O esquema de jogo e a movimentação estão idênticos aos do computador. Apenas os gráficos ficaram um pouco inferiores ao original. Mas não compromete. Todo o clima de suspense e terror que caracterizam o game foi mantido, prato cheio para quem gosta de diversão inteligente com muitos sustos.

Game Players ( )

The concept of being imprisoned inside an evil house has been used in dozens of horror movies, and Alone in the Dark succeeds wildly in creating the nervous, claustrophobic terror of being both trapped and pursued.

Adventure Europe (88 out of 100)

Long before the Resident Evil Era emerged – a game that define the standards to which the survival horror genre would be measured - there was a title that is now long forgotten yet it is a timeless titan that started it all: Alone in the Dark. Directed by Frédéric Raynal (creator of the LBA series), the game is a great tribute to Lovecraft's horror stories. With a spellbinding atmosphere and an eerie mood, Alone in the Dark had sent a tingling sensation down the spine of many players.

PC Joker (87 out of 100)

Dem Rätselfreund bietet das stark actionlastige Spiel allerdings fast nur schlichte Finde-den-richtigen-Gegenstand-Hausmannskost. Doch so wunderschön verpackt sah man dergleichen eben noch nie – ein neuer Grafikstandard ist geboren!

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (86 out of 100)

After the tragic Dr. Hauzer I was sceptical about how this would perform. No need, though, because this is a spot on conversion from the PC original, and it runs at a speed comparable to a 486 33mhz PC. The sound is the biz in this version and the only difference is that you can't have as many saved-game positions as the PC. Alone is an excellent game but there are too many collectibles which are of no use in the game. I'd prefer it if this had been the sequel.

Megablast (85 out of 100)

Die Optik mit den superben Animationen hat sich auch am 3D= das Prädikat „brillant“ verdient, und die mit Digi-Sprache und Wolfsgeheul aufgepeppte Soundkulisse steht da kaum zurück. Binnen Kürze bereitet auch die Padsteuerung viel Freude, man kann hier also nur zuraten. Der technisch opulente Besuch im Dunkeln hat so viel Atmosphäre und aufregende Monsteraction zu bieten, daß Adventure- und Metzelliebhaber gleichermaßen auf ihre Kosten kommen – uns sich jetzt schon auf die Fortsetzungen freuen werden. Denn am PC/CD-ROM geht Alone in the Dark bereits in die dritte Runde!

Abandoned Times Magazine (8.5 out of 10)

As I said at the beginning of this review - play this game with the lights off and the volume up and you will be on the edge of your seat, waiting for something to jump out and get you. I highly recommend Alone in the Dark to any lover of the horror genre, try it out and see if you can defeat the many traps and dangers inside Derceto.

Game Players (85 out of 100)

The 3DO version improves some on the PC title by adding extra digitized sound effects and voices. Overall, this is a scary little number that's well worth the time and effort. Go for it!

ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (10 out of 12)

Gut, hübsch sind sie nicht, unsere Helden, aber das läßt die schaurig-schöne Atmosphäre des Spukhauses sehr schnell vergessen. Nicht nur die Hintergrundmusiken passen zu dem gruseligen Szenario, auch und besonders die Soundeffekte hauen da voll mit rein. Wenn wieder irgendwo krachend ein Fenster zersplittert, ein Werwolfheulen die Wände erzittern läßt, die Bodendielen knarren und unerwartet die Tür hinter einem ins Schloß knallt, dann zuckt nicht nur die Spielfigur zusammen, da laufen auch dem Spieler kalte Schauer den Rücken hinunter. Wer sich Alone in the Dark abends im dunklen Zimmer mit aufgedrehtem Sound reinzieht, der wird sich schnell in einen (Horror)-Film wiederfinden und die Wirklichkeit vergessen.

The Retro Spirit (5 out of 6)

Alone in the Dark er et fantastisk godt gjennomført spill, med både overlevelses- og mystikkelementer nøye innvevd i hverandre. Setter du dette sammen med mange utfordringer gjennom husets mange dører og rom, har du en opplevelse du sent kommer til å glemme. Vi tar hatten av, dette er en \"Golden Dos Spirit\" på noe av sitt beste.

3DO Magazine (UK) ( )

unlike most adventures the design and innovation of Alone becomes more not less impressive towards the games climax. Clearly, as the programmers became more comfortable with their original idea they got more ambitious, imbuing their product with a degree of artistry rarely seen in a video game. So despite being a drearily unimaginative conversion, the strength of the original game makes it still well worth a look.

Power Play (80 out of 100)

Seit einigen Tagen linse ich verstohlen hinter die Tür, bevor ich mich in andere Zimmer wage - Alone in the Dark fordert Tribut. Nach dem fraglichen Hound of Shadow ist Alone in the Dark das erste Spiel, das ein Gruselflair auf H.P. Lovecrafts Niveau an den Spieler vermittelt. Die Fürchte-Dich-Story der Infogrames-Schmiede ist eine gelungene Adventure-Arcade-Mischung - eine Gruselmixtur, die immer wieder mit neuen Überraschungen und Effekten aufwartet. Dabei halten sich knackige Rätsel und handfeste Schlägereien die Waage. Musik und Geräusche gehen ins Ohr und bringen das gewisse Etwas in die Story. Knarrende Türen und quietschende Geister gehören ebenso zum Alone in the Dark-Alltag wie der Donauwalzer. Die Grafik ist extrem spektakulär.

Press Play On Tape ( )

Een grote plus voor mij was dat deze game destijds ook op mindere systemen nog vrij aardig liep, vooral door het inventieve gebruik van 2D achtergronden en 3D beelden. Hoewel ik de game destijds heel sfeervol en eng vond valt me nu op dat de monsters er tegenwoordig ietwat lomp en ridicuul uitzien. Desondanks is dit een game waarvan ik me kan voorstellen dat de hedendaagse gamer er ook nog de nodige lol uit kan halen. Er is soms wel wat geworstel met het camerastandpunt, een veel voorkomend probleem met de eerste 3D games.

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (40 out of 50)

A faithful translation of the PC title, this game has excellent graphics and sound plus is more strategy-oriented. Getting used to the perspective and controls takes a little bit of time. But for fans of more deliberate gameplay, this is the one to get. Playing as a man or a woman is a nice touch (each with their own stories), with plenty to explore.

Adventure Classic Gaming (4 out of 5)

The game Alone in the Dark is considered to be the grandfather of all action adventure games. Released in 1993, little do developer Infogrames and publisher I-Motion know that this title will someday inspire a whole new breed of computer games that combines action with adventure elements in a real-time generated 3D game world. Using a revolutionary polygon based graphic engine, the game unfolds through the artistic use of multiple camera angles to create dramatic cinematic shots that play in a movie style. Together with a horror epic story inspired by the work of H P Lovecraft, Alone in the Dark gives a chilling new face in the genre of graphic adventure gaming.

Just Games Retro ( )

Alone in the Dark is long-credited with being the first true "survival horror" game. If you're unsure of what this genre entails, all I have to say is Resident Evil. If you're not familiar with either game, "survival horror" generally describes a type of adventure where you are alone in some kind of terrifying/haunted situation, and must find a way to solve a mystery and escape. There are always more enemies than you have weapons. There's always some kind of inventory management going on, and frequent item puzzles. Any puzzle that cannot be solved with an inventory item is solved by moving some mobile object in the world. All of these requirements fit Alone in the Dark to the letter.

Play Time (79 out of 100)

(Top Games 1993 issue)
Infogrames‘ Reise ins Jenseits ist durch die Kameraperspektiven derart spannend inszeniert, daß sich der Geisterjäger bald verstohlen im Zimmer umsieht. Die Puzzles sind von unterschiedlichem Niveau, werden aber insgesamt auch dem anspruchsvollen Abenteuerer gerecht. Wer sich jetzt noch nicht ins Geisterhaus traut, sollte weiter Tetris spielen.

MAN!AC (79 out of 100)

Lovecraft-Horror in angestaubtem Polygon-Look: Überzeugendes Grusel-Flair und faire Rätselkost fesseln nicht nur Geisterjäger.

PC Player (Germany) (77 out of 100)

Wenn Sie einen ausgewogenen Kompromiß zwischen Adventure-Grübelei und Action ebenso schätzen wie eine doppelte Portion gepflegtes Grusel-Feeling, werden Sie an diesem Spukhaus-Besuch Ihren Spaß haben.

Just Adventure (B)

Alone in the Dark has a very cool cinematic feel, scary monsters, and fun gameplay. On the down side, lots of combat makes this not a game for adventure purists. Alone in the Dark is a game that lives up to its hype!

Power Play (3 out of 4)

(CD version) Die CD-ROM-Fassung des ersten Teils der um die Geschichten von H. P. Lovecraft angesiedelten Polygon-Gruselmär erfährt nicht nur durch neue, orchestralere Musikstücke und eine gute Sprachausgabe eine Verbesserung. Vielmehr bemerkenswert ist die Dreingabe des unabhängig vom Hauptprogramm spielbaren Mini-Adventures Jack in The Dark, (klassisch untermalt von Haydens „Kindersinfonie“), in dem Ihr ein kleines Kind heil aus einem wildgewordenen Horror-Spielzeugladen führen müßt.

Just Adventure (B)

Alone in the Dark has a very cool cinematic feel, scary monsters, and fun gameplay. On the down side, lots of combat makes this not a game for adventure purists. Alone in the Dark is a game that lives up to its hype!

GamePro (US) (3.5 out of 5)

Alone in the Dark is for gamers who want a little puzzle, a little challenge and lots of hangtime. While the action is nothing to write home about, you'll marvel at use of fully animated polygons and 3-D views. The problem is, after that you'll be all alone.

GameOver (Greece) (7 out of 10)

Το σίγουρο είναι πως το Alone in the Dark ήταν τουλάχιστον επαναστατικό και εντυπωσιακό για την εποχή του. Ωστόσο, λογικό είναι ο τίτλος να μην έχει γεράσει και τόσο καλά, με απεικόνιση και μηχανισμούς πεπαλαιωμένους, δύσχρηστο μοντέλο χειρισμού και νοοτροπία άλλης εποχής. Με δεδομένα τα παραπάνω, η διασκέδαση που αποκομίζει ο παίκτης από την εμπειρία μπορεί να μην είναι η ίδια όπως άλλοτε, εκτός φυσικά και εισέλθει στην εξίσωση ο παράγοντας «νοσταλγία».

Video Games (70 out of 100)

Zugegeben, der zweite Teil sieht grafisch besser aus. Dafür spielt er sich aber schlechter. Auch wenn Ihr stillsteht, hampelt Euer Charakter permanent rum, schaut sich die Gegend an oder macht sich mit der Knarre wichtig. In Konfliktsituationen wird hierdurch und durch die oft lausigen Blickwinkel das Zielen beim Schießen oder Schlagen erschwert. Im ersten Teil ist die Kameraposition zwar auch nicht immer optimal, behindert werdet Ihr dadurch aber seltener. (...) Durch bessere technische Qualtät und die tiefere Schauergeschichte ist Alone In The Dark 1 in jedem Fall das bessere Spiel des Duetts.

All Game Guide ( )

You have been warned, so save often! Fans wanting that thrill of horror or those who enjoy reading authors like H.P. Lovecraft, this game will provide hours of entertainment and more than a few thrills and chills. While the game is not so horrifying as to make nightmares a real possibility, those players not into horror might want to give this game a miss.

JeuxVideoPC.com (14 out of 20)

L’ancêtre des « survival horror », ce style de jeu qui plonge le joueur dans une ambiance glauque à souhait, incarnant un personnage en 3D dans des décors en 2 ou 3D (pour certains objets), vu à la troisième personne, s’appelle Alone In The Dark et a indubitablement marqué de son empreinte griffue l’histoire du jeu vidéo. Dans ce premier épisode de la série, vous incarnez soit le détective Edward Carnby, soit la nièce d’un pendu, Emily Hartwood. Selon le personnage choisi, bien entendu, l’histoire se présente différemment. Dans le cas de Carnby, vous êtes engagé par un antiquaire qui souhaite récupérer de vieux objets dans un manoir abandonné. Si vous incarnez Emily Hartwood, vous vous rendez dans le manoir de votre oncle pour découvrir ce qui a poussé cet homme si charmant à s’y pendre.

Edge (7 out of 10)

Of course, despite these flaws 3DO Alone In The Dark is a great game – even a group of particularly stupid monkeys would have had a job mucking up this conversion. It looks good, the gameplay is engrossing, and the soundtrack is atmospheric. And it’s worth noting that this two-year-old title is more playable than much modern 3DO software.

Joystick (French) (70 out of 100)

Alone accuse son grand âge (putain, deux ans !), mais reste un jeu d'aventure agréable à découvrir (si vous ne possédez pas Alone 2).

Imperium Gier (6.4 out of 10)

Dziś - w 8 lat po fakcie - AITD wciąż pozostaje tytułem przyzwoitym. Jego magia wciąż działa, i to niekoniecznie za sprawą dwóch kolejnych części, które były, mówiąc delikatnie, przęciętniakami... Ponieważ zaś robią już AITD 4, proponuję wam sięgnąć po jakiś zakurzony dysk starszego brata i odpalić pierwszego Alone. Z pewnością stracicie kilka jakże cennych godzin.

Mega Fun (62 out of 100)

Die 3DO-Umsetzung des bekannten PC-Spiels hat in Sachen Grafik glücklicherweise nichts eingebüßt: Es sieht immer noch gut aus, wie die Dame im Rock das Gewehr lässig über die Schulter legt. Grafik allein reicht aber leider nicht: Die (häufig verhinderbaren) Kämpfe sind recht reizlos, da die gegnerischen Figuren - auch die eigene - ihr Pensum an grafisch anregenden Manövern schnell ausgereizt haben. Imposant sind die Auftritte einiger Monster, die von guten Sounds unterstützt werden. Ein Gefühl von Action während des Kampfes vermisse ich aber, da Interplay seinen bösen Buben kein eigenes Taktikgefühl zuerkannt hat. Schade, daß die sehr schön gestalteten 3D-Räume durch den mangelnden Reiz des Spieles fast wie ein Innenarchitekten-Demo wirken. Das Mysterium zu lüften. sollte für Fans dieser Spiele-Kategorie jedoch ein Grund sein, sich dieses Spiel einmal anzuschauen.

Przygodoskop ( )

Podsumowując, Alone in the Dark to bez wątpienia jedna z najważniejszych gier w historii. Zestarzała się może pod względem technologicznym (czego należało się oczywiście spodziewać), ale zawartość wciąż wciąga. I chociaż przede mną długa lista gier, w które będę grać dopiero po raz pierwszy, to czasu poświęconego na ponowne przejście "Samotnego w Ciemnościach" nie żałuję.

IGN (6 out of 10)

Unfortunately, the game hasn't aged very well. The monsters look awful. There are no lighting effects and only minimal sound (although what's there is pretty effective, particularly the weird glassy musical riff). The third person perspective is an early and egregious instance of fighting the camera to play the game; although the fixed perspectives are suitably eerie, they'll often get you killed and they completely confuse any situational awareness about how the house is laid out. Alone in the Dark should have included a map, in part to help you get around, but also because it was an early example of good level design.

IGN Italia (6 out of 10)

Questo port è, né più né meno, la riproposizione diretta dell'avventura originale, che ha quindi la stessa storia, enigmi, grafica ed animazioni, e differisce per il solo sistema di controllo, per forza di cose adattato all'interfaccia touch. Questo, purtroppo, ne è anche il limite più grande [...] Problemi a parte, rimane comunque uno dei padri nobili del genere e, se ci avete giocato in gioventù, potrebbe (a seconda della vostra pazienza) valere la pena di comprarlo solo per fare un salto nel passato.

Computist ( )

Interplay's Alone in the Dark [...] delivers near 'canned-animation' details plus great SB sound with some music. [...] Alone has a way of drawing in any player who appreciates a good horror story.

Vandal Online (6 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark es un viaje nostálgico en formato digital. El título de 1992 permanece intacto en la mayoría de aspectos técnicos, para bien o para mal, y aunque es todo un placer jugar de nuevo en la comodidad de un dispositivo versátil y portátil como el iPhone -o el iPad, donde recomendamos jugar dado el tamaño de su pantalla-, el control táctil no termina de convencernos, y requiere de varios -y duros- minutos de adaptación. Por lo demás, dado su precio -0,89 céntimos en la App Store-, creemos que es una opción recomendable si disfrutamos del original en su momento, o de si queremos conocer a fondo las características fundacionales del género de terror que marcaría a la postre el mundo del videojuego. El tiempo le ha pasado factura a nivel jugable y técnico, pero siempre es interesante volver la vista atrás, farol en mano, y volver sobre nuestras pisadas.

IGN Italia (6 out of 10)

Questo port è, né più né meno, la riproposizione diretta dell'avventura originale, che ha quindi la stessa storia, enigmi, grafica ed animazioni, e differisce per il solo sistema di controllo, per forza di cose adattato all'interfaccia touch. Questo, purtroppo, ne è anche il limite più grande [...] Problemi a parte, rimane comunque uno dei padri nobili del genere e, se ci avete giocato in gioventù, potrebbe (a seconda della vostra pazienza) valere la pena di comprarlo solo per fare un salto nel passato.

Digitally Downloaded ( )

Lovecraft fans will get a kick out of the references to the horror maestro's body of work that are scattered throughout the mansion as well. From Deep One through Necronomicon it's all there. As primitive as the game is by modern standards, Alone in the Dark is a true classic, and for a dollar or so on the iOS it's well worth playing, either for nostalgia value or to experience the very formation of the horror genre.

148apps ( )

Unfortunately the interface is a total mess that drags everything down past the point of being entertaining, even for the sake of nostalgia. Granted this game was awkward to begin with, but these controls take it to a whole new level. I’ll turn when I want to walk, walk when I want to turn, actually get stuck spinning around and around while in combat, and quite often I can’t even move forward in the first place. The movement and interaction buttons are way too small and don’t register half the time, while tending to get stuck for the other half. When it’s already incredibly easy to get trapped in a corner while an enemy unfairly wails on me (nostalgia can be a harsh mistress), unreliable controls are the last thing I need. The worst part is that I can tell the game I was looking for is still in here, buried underneath the messy interface.

Digitally Downloaded ( )

Lovecraft fans will get a kick out of the references to the horror maestro's body of work that are scattered throughout the mansion as well. From Deep One through Necronomicon it's all there. As primitive as the game is by modern standards, Alone in the Dark is a true classic, and for a dollar or so on the iOS it's well worth playing, either for nostalgia value or to experience the very formation of the horror genre.

Jeuxvideo.com (6 out of 20)

Si les optimistes verront le portage d'Alone in the Dark comme un signe fort qu'Atari n'a pas oublié la licence, mère du genre survival-horror, il faut tout de même se rendre à l'évidence : la marque ne signifie plus rien pour l'éditeur. Comment expliquer sinon qu'il puisse oser sortir un portage aussi mauvais, voire nocif à l'avenir de la série ? Au lieu d'ouvrir Alone in the Dark à un public, cette version tue tout espoir de fidéliser de nouveaux joueurs et d'obtenir un jour une suite. Quant aux vieux joueurs qui avaient connu le jeu dans les années 90, qu'ils gardent leurs souvenirs aussi purs que possible en évitant soigneusement cette insulte à un titre mythique.

The Video Game Critic (D)

The controls are a bit clumsy thanks to a confusing user interface. An "action" menu lets decide if you want to fight, search, push, etc. Thank goodness there is a "run" button, because otherwise the slow pace would be unbearable. While most of the puzzles aren't too bad, getting past some of the monsters can be a chore. A few of these creatures look downright silly - one looks like the Tasmanian devil! Alone in the Dark is at its best when you're searching and exploring, but the low frame rate makes the fighting slow and confusing. There aren't too many thrills in this game, but there is a certain amount of suspense. The sound effects and background music are particularly effective. You can save your place at any time. Alone in the Dark was an innovative game for its time, but it has not aged particularly well.

Gameblog.fr (1 out of 10)

En effet, il est évidemment que les développeurs n'ont absolument pas adapté les contrôles aux fonctions touch sur iOS, et il est extrêmement complexe, voire décourageant, de se déplacer dans le jeu comme dans les menus, ou encore d'agir efficacement dans sa partie. Le titre en devient un supplice auquel se joignent plusieurs bugs, dont des plantages parfois fréquents. Bref, vous l'aurez compris, cette version est, à mon sens, un portage éhonté à destination des nostalgiques qui fait froid dans le dos.

Computer Gaming World (CGW) N/A

Overall, Alone In The Dark is one of those neat games with some irritating flaws. It sets a good atmosphere and maintains it well for the most part. Using Lovecraftian overtones adds a lot to the game. The view shifts are a novel and effective addition. Most of the puzzles are fair. The game did NOT crash on me, or exhibit technical problems (big plus right here). Graphically, the monsters could have been better; some of them looked more ludicrous than horrible, dangerous though they were. The viewing angles could have been planned more carefully, and the design in general should have been tighter to prevent nasty dead ends, such as running out of oil in the tunnels or using the saber in the wrong way. Since you've been warned about those, however, you should find Alone In The Dark a nice change of pace from the usual run of adventure games.

Comic Book Resources (CBR) N/A

Alone in the Dark is an incredibly influential game that doesn't get the credit it deserves. It is often overshadowed big-name survival horror games that wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for Alone in the Dark's groundbreaking gameplay. While it is difficult to revisit due to its dated graphic and shoddy control scheme, it still deserves a spot in history for creating one of the most popular video game genres of all time. If any game deserves a modern remaster, it's the original Alone in the Dark.

Compute! N/A

Alone in the Dark has been described as "a poor man's 7th Guest." We should all be so poor! This game is a triumph of the spirit — in more ways than one.

Digital Spy N/A

As the first 3D survival-horror title, Alone in the Dark is a landmark release that should not be forgotten. It might look rough around the edges today, but it's still a compelling mystery coupled with decent gameplay. This one's worth dusting off this Halloween, even though its ability to deliver a good scare has diminished with age.

Retro Gamer N/A

If you can find a copy of this game, grab it. Alone in the Dark isn't going to win any prizes for best graphics, but if you're reading this, you probably don't care. What you will find is a great adventure game that should deliver more than a few scares as well.

Alle PC Spiele N/A

Wer sich also mal so richtig schön gruseln möchte, „Elvira”, „Waxworks“ und „Darkseed“ schon durchgespielt hat und ein Faible für Grafik a la Virtuell Reality hat, der sollte sich das derzeit rund DM 130,- teure Spiel mal ansehen.