Alone in the Dark

V2.fi (83 out of 100)

Alone in the Dark on vaikea arvosteltava pelin kaksijakoisuuden vuoksi. Toiminta on alkeellista ja usein puuduttavan vaikeaa sekä itseään toistavaa, mutta aivopähkinät ja hiljaisemmat seikkailuosuudet nostavat karvat pystyyn loistavuudellaan. Peli vaatii joka tapauksessa pitkää pinnaa pelaajalta, jotta alun sekoilusta päästään kunnolla tarinaan sisään. Ensimmäisen tunnin pelaamisen jälkeen pisteet voisivat olla todella huonot, mutta mitä pidemmälle peli etenee, sen tiiviimmäksi tunnelma muuttuu ja sen korkeammiksi pisteet nousevat. Putkijuoksusta huolimatta peli ei tule satunnaispelaajien mieliä lämmittämään.

Fragland.net (81 out of 100)

Alone in the Dark in my opinion is a great game that offers hours of addictive gameplay and storyline. Nothing too complicated, just fun simple playing without too much thinking. Next to that it also offers room for your own creativity with the hundreds of possible combinations you can make with your inventory.

GameCell UK (8 out of 10)

Personally I love the game, its fresh approach should be rewarded, and fingers crossed any sequel will sort out the controls (tip for Eden, allow the camera on the right stick in third person mode and then right stick + right bumper for all the item interaction) – with a few tweaks here and there AITD could really be a close to perfect game, as it is the annoyances do mean a couple of points have to be deducted.

Official Xbox Magazine (UK) (8 out of 10)

Do yourself a favour and stick with it, though, because Alone in the Dark is something different in today's market of identikit games.

Gamigo (8 out of 10)

Die Erwartungshaltungen an Alone in the Dark waren hoch. So hoch, dass es eigentlich klar gewesen ist, dass sie nicht ganz erreicht werden konnten. Trotz der 16 Jahre Unterschied und der besseren technischen Voraussetzungen, stellt sich kein solcher Gruselfaktor wie damals ein. Dafür steht diesmal aber mehr die Action im Vordergrund und die alleine hält einen natürlich auch gebannt am Bildschirm. In Sachen Akustik haben wir uns jetzt einfach mal entschlossen auf die englische Sprachausgabe zu wechseln und somit kann man diese auch voll und ganz genießen (ansonsten dürft ihr locker 3,0 Punkte dort abziehen – so sehr zieht das „deutsche Erlebnis“ den Karren in den Dreck). Hätte man uns jetzt noch eine etwas zugänglichere Steuerung mit an die Hand gegeben, es hätte sogar gerade eben noch für einen Award gereicht. So allerdings müssen wir diesen leider einbehalten. Aber trotzdem dürften all diejenigen, die einen atmosphärischen Grusel-Action-Kracher spielen wollen gerne zugreifen.

Games Aktuell (8 out of 10)

Die Monster jagen Edward und eine Idee jagt die nächste. In diesem abgedrehten Park wird euch bestimmt nicht langweilig. Trotz kleiner Mängel ein großer Hit!

ActionTrip (7.7 out of 10)

The developers deserve praise for moving slightly beyond the constraints of the genre. Overall, the gameplay mechanics are enjoyable, as is the cool combat system. Although as much as we'd like to overlook certain downsides here, ultimately, it feels like Alone in the Dark could've amounted to a greater single-player experience if its makers made a few different choices in terms of design and if they found more time to fix a number of issues we noticed in the Xbox 360 version. If you're willing to overlook these, there's no doubt that AitD can deliver what you expect of it - a challenging survival horror game, with a reasonably interesting plot to keep you going until you've finished the last Episode.

Gamesmania.de (76 out of 100)

Der fünfte Teil des Survival-Horror-Adventures hat den Schritt komplett in die Dreidimensionalität geschafft und profitiert von der Ego-Perspektive. Faire Rätsel und geschickt dosierte Schreckmomente lassen den Spieler immer wieder zur Taschenlampe greifen oder im aufgeräumten Inventar nach den Zutaten für den nächsten Sprengsatz kramen. Einzig Steuerungsmängel und fehlende Schnellspeicherfunktion sorgen für negatives Grauen, der Rest ist angenehm Gänsehaut erzeugender Grusel. Der Central Park bei Nacht, das hat schon was, solange man sich an der Gesellschaft besessener Zombies nicht allzu sehr stört. Buh!

Xboxdynasty (XD) (7.6 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark hätte ein super Titel werden können! Aber auch nur dann, wenn die Entwickler sich noch mal richtig zusammen gesetzt hätten und das gesamte Spiel überarbeitet hätten. Vor allem die häufigen Frustmomente verringern den Spielspaß nach kürzester Zeit. Hinzu kommt eine haklige Steuerung, eine fast nicht vorhandene Story, ein sehr nerviges Inventar, dumme Dialoge und grafische Schwächen. Auf der anderen Seite gibt es einige tolle Ideen, viele Schreckmomente und eine wunderbare Musikuntermalung. Das reicht aber noch lange nicht aus, um das Spiel uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen, denn dafür ist das Spiel dann doch zu schlecht ausbalanciert worden und an manchen Stellen extrem unfair und schwach. Alone in the Dark ist sicher kein schlechtes Spiel, aber auch lange nicht der erwartete Meilenstein. Fans der Serie und Spieler mit starken Nerven, einem dicken Fell und vielen Ersatzcontrollern in der Schublade sollten auf jeden Fall einen Blick auf diesen Titel werfen.

360 LIVE (7.5 out of 10)

Ist das neue »Alone in the Dark« ein Reinfall? Nein. Eine Enttäuschung? Ja. Man wird gepackt und will wissen, wie es mit Edward weitergeht, welche Kräfte in Manhattan wirken und weshalb. Aber irgendwie ist da immer der Wunsch, das Ganze möge sich aufregender, abenteuerlicher und handlicher anfühlen. Das Gesamtgefüge wirkt unentschlossen, will einen einerseits mit simplen Rätseln und anfangs geradlinigem, später zunehmend weitläufigerem Spielaufbau anfixen, ärgert einen andererseits mit einer über die Maßen komplizierten Steuerung. Man muss sich halt in Toleranz üben und gelegentlich durchbeißen, um die zweifellos vorhandenen Qualitäten kennen und schätzen zu lernen.

Power Unlimited (74 out of 100)

Alone heeft veel prachtige dingen, die helaas deels worden overschaduwd door de krakkemikkige besturing en het mindere camerawerk. Een mooi verhaal, een prachtige setting en een leuke innovatieve gameplay die ik vaker wil terugzien; des te spijtiger dus dat de besturing pas na een paar uur gaat wennen. Maar… doorzetten loont.

Game Captain (74 out of 100)

Alles in allem ist AitD zwar nicht der Überflieger für den man sofort in den Laden rennen muss, aber für Fans des Genres durchaus eine Überlegung wert.

GameTrailers (7.3 out of 10)

Edward’s trip to the park is no picnic, but suffer through the controls and some aggravation and you’ll be compensated with a lot of unique moments. The game needed more gestation to really iron out the interface issues, but it remains an adventure worth pursuing. And with its DVD affordances, feel free to treat it as such: rent it and skip to the good bits.

Xbox World 360 (7.3 out of 10)

Even with its issues you can really see where those four years went. As much as Alone In The Dark deserves to be criticised for its problems, it equally deserves to be lavished with praise for some outstanding ideas and set-pieces. A gracious failure, AITD should stand as a lesson for other developers to see what they should be striving for.

XBox Front (71 out of 100)

Warum sich Atari die mitunter tolle Atmosphäre mit abnormen Gameplay-Schnitzern selbst zerstört, bleibt mit dicken Fragezeichen versehen im Raum stehen. Die verhunzte Zielsteuerung, einige Kamera-Probleme, die frimeligen Kletterpartien und das kuriose Fahrverhalten der Fahrzeuge sind nur einige von vielen Patzern. Um dem Höllentrip durch den Central Park zu echtem Ruhm und Glanz zu verhelfen, wäre noch eine Menge Feinarbeit nötig gewesen. Horror-Fans, die ein dickes Nervenfell haben und einige Frustmomente verkraften, dürfen aber getrost einen Blick riskieren.

Gamers.at (71 out of 100)

Die große Ära der Adventure-Games ist schon lange vorüber. Manche Gamer mögen wohl glauben, dass wenn ein Adventure nicht das LucasArts-Logo trägt, es fabelhaftes Material für die Billigspielwühlkiste ist – nicht mehr, nicht weniger. Aber schaut, ihr Ungläubigen, blickt auf euren Untergang! Alone in the Dark hat einige wirklich gute Ideen, vom dynamisch-innovativem Feuer, über das DVD-Feature bis hin zum nicht-existenten HUD und den kniffligen Rätseleinlagen. Zwar ist es kein voller Erfolg geworden, aber den vielen kleinen Minuspunkten zum Trotz aber dennoch ein Pflichtkauf für alle Adventure-Veteranen und Neueinsteiger in das Genre – auch wenn es etliche andere Titel um einiges besser gemacht haben.

Computer Bild Spiele (2.49 out of 6)

Macht nichts, denn spielerisch wird viel Abwechslung geboten. Die Gegner lassen sich auf originelle Weisen bekämpfen, einige Rätsel lassen verschiedene Lösungen zu. Aber die Steuerung ist nicht einsteigerfreundlich. Sie lässt Ihnen zwar große Freiheiten beim Experimentieren mit Ausrüstung und Umgebung, überfordert Sie in brenzligen Situationen aber regelmäßig wegen der Vielfalt von Aktionsmöglichkeiten. Wer bereit ist, diese neuen spielerischen Wege mitzugehen, wird mit einem "guten" Abenteuer belohnt.

GamesCollection (7 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark potrà regalare ore di divertimento a chi sarà in grado di sopportare le mancanze tecniche ed i controlli macchinosi che rendono a tratti frustrante il gameplay.

IGN UK (7 out of 10)

It really is a shame because, this particular aspect of design stupidity aside, Alone in the Dark really does deserve the somewhat overused accolade of ‘flawed masterpiece’. Sure, its plot is hugely contrived, it’s occasionally frustrating and really lacking in the kind of polish we expect from big-name games in this day and age. However, it’s also undoubtedly one of the most imaginative, ambitious and exciting titles to hit a console in the last few years.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (7 out of 10)

Yet in spite of all this, Alone in the Dark is ultimately likeable, even lovable. If you go back and read those opening paragraphs again, there's a game there that every gamer would want. Inventive, flexible, considered. It's stunning to look at it in places, too, and it's capable of classic gaming moments: quieter than the Would You Kindlies and This Was A Triumphs, but just as special. And in Edward Carnby's practical survivor, Eden has a tool players will enjoy sharpening. The problem is that every time you get excited about Alone in the Dark, it shuts you down. At times it's akin to Atari's Boiling Point: Road To Hell of three years ago; throw any score on the ten-point scale and it will stick to something, but there's so much friction on the lower end that it's often impossible to pull away and remember when you brushed past genius. You want to love it, but it just keeps letting you down, and in the end that's the impression that sticks to the wall and stays there.

Xbox World 360 (7 out of 10)

As much as Alone In The Dark deserves to be criticised for its problems, it equally deserves to be lavished with praise for some outstanding ideas and set-pieces. A gracious failure, AITD should stand as a lesson for other developers to see what they should be striving for.

gameZine (UK) (7 out of 10)

There are thousands of great ideas in the new Alone in the Dark (AITD), as it is, after all, a compelling, original, and utterly unique game. It’s just a pity nobody bothered to pick up a pad and play the damn thing before releasing it.

TotalVideoGames (TVG) (7 out of 10)

Despite its issues ('glitch-tastic' is certainly a word that's become a part of TVG lingo thanks to the game), it's not difficult to see the ambition that's driven Alone in the Dark - and for that, Eden should be applauded. It doesn't manage to pull off everything with flying colours - far from it - but if players do stick with it, then the twists and turns will be more appealing than the story of Oceanic 815 (at least, its videogame adaptation). The fact that Eden Games has also focused solely on the single-player experience means that we've been saved from the prospect of another tacked on multiplayer 'just for the sake of it'...other developers please take note.

PlayDevil ( )

For all its many faults you might be surprised to find that I really enjoyed the latest "Alone In The Dark" and saw it to the very end! Yes it is broken, very broken in places but for me I can just about forgive that because of what Eden have tried to do here. I remember watching the dev vids for this game in the run up to its release and was so very impressed. The gameplay switch's up nicely and even towards the end of the game were it turns into a 'Tomb Raider' escape type game with rooms that need both logical and lateral thinking to solve them was a nice change of pace, even if the final room was far to easy to solve.

Gamereactor (Finland) (7 out of 10)

Alone in the Darkille ei mielellään antaisi lainkaan pisteitä. Pelissä on valtavasti lupausta, paikoitellen ratkaisut ovat jopa nerokkaita. Hyvistä osista tulee enemmän kuin osiensa summa. Mutta juuri kun peli imaisee sisäänsä, se potkaisee itseään hampaisiin samalla vauhdilla. Hieno tunnelma katoaa kuin pieru Saharaan pelaajan hakiessa kolmatta kertaa oikeaa ajoitusta nappien näpyttelylle. Se on sääli, sillä Alone in the Dark olisi voinut olla oikeasti hyvä peli. Ehkä lykätty Playstation 3 -versio onnistuu karistamaan edes osan Xbox 360 -version ongelmista.

XboxAchievements (70 out of 100)

A title that should be heralded for its innovation that clearly attempts to do things its own way. However, a few faulty mechanisms mean that if you’re easily frustrated... Steer well clear. Despite the fairly mediocre score, the title is worthy of anyone’s time. However, as we’ve come to expect higher standards in the games of this day and age, having fundamental gameplay features that are not up to scratch prohibits me from giving the higher score it may otherwise deserve.

UOL Jogos ( )

Não é de se espantar que o novo episódio de "Alone in the Dark" gere tanta controvérsia. Se por um lado ele foge do lugar-comum dos jogos de terror, mesclando perspectivas em primeira e terceira pessoa, sistema inteligente de manuseio e combinação de itens, ação incrivelmente variada e narrativa baseada em seriados norte-americanos, por outro, nada funciona tão bem como deveria. Os problemas e bugs assolam o jogo praticamente por inteiro, arruinando parcialmente a experiência do jogador. Porém, se você conseguir fechar os olhos para os defeitos, descobrirá uma mecânica competente, quebra-cabeças inteligentes e cenas de ação de tirar o fôlego.

Peliplaneetta.net (69 out of 100)

Alone in the Darkista jää kokonaisuutena vaikutelma, että sitä tehnyt Eden Games ei ole lopulta aivan tiennyt, mitä kaikkea he haluava peliinsä mahduttaa. Lopulta tuote on pitänyt kuitenkin saada kauppoihin, ja onnistuneemmat osiot on siksi ripoteltu keskinkertaisuuksien ja mokien väliin. Tähän kauhukokemukseen kannattaa uskaltautua vain, jos todella haluaa nähdä vilauksen siitä, mikä olisi voinut olla huippupeli puolen vuoden lisähiomisella.

Gameswelt (68 out of 100)

In den Previews wurden Mängel angesprochen, von denen wir gehofft hatten, dass die häufigen Terminverschiebungen dazu genutzt werden, diese auszumerzen. 'Alone in the Dark' ist für Atari der wichtigste Titel in diesem Jahr und deshalb ist es umso unverständlicher, dass dieses Spiel, das sehr starke Momente hat, am Ende doch nichts als Frust hinterlässt. Zu viele Fehler vermiesen das Spielerlebnis. Vor allem ab der zweiten Spielhälfte stören zu viele Fehler und unfaire Stellen das Spielerlebnis. Ständig bleibt man irgendwo hängen oder stirbt nach langer Autofahrt doch wieder wegen eines Dämons, der einem aufs Dach steigt. Nein danke, dieses Horrorspielwochenende hat wahrlich wenig Spaß gemacht.

4Players.de (68 out of 100)

Am Ende bietet dieses Abenteuer zu viel Beliebiges, zu wenig Dramatisches: Man klettert, man löscht, man ballert, man rast, aber das Herz klopft nicht. Aus der versprochenen Wiedergeburt von Alone in the Dark ist trotz guter Ansätze und einiger kreativer Ideen letztlich eine Totgeburt geworden. Denn statt spannendem Survival-Horror gibt es einen undefinierbaren Action-Race-Kletter-Kuchen mit viel zu vielen, teilweise schlecht dosierten Zutaten. Hoffentlich war das der letzte Auftritt des Edward "Ich-erschieß-dich-persönlich" Carnby.

1UP (B-)

As a lesson in ambition and creativity, AITD is an awkward (but welcome) role model. Though no one element is particularly polished, the game's plenty varied, and it happily defies genre characterization wherever it can -- racing segments, rappelling, and a handful of great ideas keep things fresh.

Xbox World Australia (XWA) (66 out of 100)

Alone in the Dark has enough innovations to warrant being experienced by most gamers, but is crippled by poor design at the most basic levels. You will die a lot, become extremely frustrated and most likely create a few new swear words along the way, but the game is still more than worth a rental. The soundtrack, art design and television show presentation style are definite highlights but the ability to overlook the games many faults will vary from gamer to gamer. Harking back to my earlier glitter coated turd analogy, Alone in the Dark may shine in many areas but these sprinkles of innovation and style only serve to disguise the games underlying problems.

GBase - The Gamer's Base (6.5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark zählt zweifellos zu den grössten Enttäuschungen dieses Spielejahres. Dabei wäre mit etwas mehr Feintuning durchaus mehr möglich gewesen. Das gilt neben der unnötig komplizierten Steuerung und der nicht sonderlichen geschickten KI vor allem auch für die unterirdische deutsche Sprachausgabe sowie die dürftigen Dialoge, welche ein echter Atmosphäre-Killer sind. Darüber kann auch die gelungene Musikuntermalung nicht gänzlich hinwegtäuschen. Genauso wenig wie die rasanten Fahrsequenzen, welche aufgrund der ziemlich ungenauen Fahrzeuglenkung für mehr Frust als Lust sorgen. Daran ändert auch das komfortable Vorspul-Feature nichts. Der erwartete Survial-Horror-Hit ist Alone in the Dark also definitiv nicht geworden. Schon allein deswegen, weil die Action ganz klar im Vordergrund steht, wodurch die genretypischen Schockmomente leider viel zu kurz kommen. Fans der Serie dürften daher besonders enttäuscht sein. Denn da wäre sicherlich mehr drin gewesen.

MS Xbox World (6.5 out of 10)

I've been looking forward to Alone in the Dark for a long time, and on paper the game's ideas sound very promising indeed. Having now played and beaten the game, there are some pure moments of excitement and some real intuitive gameplay ideas and scenarios that will have you sit back and say "wow, that was quite clever". However these moments of grandeur are somewhat washed away when it comes to the cumbersome controls, which you are forced to get used to with an almost like it or lump it approach. Fans of the series and those of you who aren't inclined to head for the skip feature in the store prior to purchasing, will undoubtedly enjoy the good parts of the game for what they offer, but will still be shocked at the game's overall lack of polish. Sadly it's this that will be more shocking that any of the game's enemies or dramatic moments. Alone in the Dark games have always played second fiddle to the Resident Evil games, and sadly this latest game looks like it will follow suit.

Jeuxvideo.com (13 out of 20)

On espérait peut-être trop de ce Alone in The Dark qui se sera fait attendre. Bien que proposant moult bonnes idées lui conférant un véritable charisme, cet opus s'englue souvent dans des mécaniques de jeu trop lourdes plombées par divers bugs et autres approximations de gameplay. Pour autant, le travail d'Eden est très honnête même si on regrettera que l'aventure connaisse pour chaque "haut" un "bas" malgré quatre longues années de développement. Si cette énigme ne risque pas d'être résolue de si tôt, vous pouvez néanmoins tenir la main d'Edward pour tenter de résoudre toutes les autres afin de percer un mystère vieux d'un siècle.

Game Informer Magazine (6.5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark breaks new ground just as much as it breaks gameplay.

GameSpot (6.5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark is an ambitious game that features a lot of cool gameplay and bucks a lot of gaming conventions. Unfortunately, the technical execution does not match this ambition, and the resulting roughness will prove too high a cost of entry for many gamers. Still, if you are craving a game that tries new things with a reasonable degree of success, you'll definitely be able to get some enjoyment out of Alone in the Dark.

Planet Xbox 360 (6.4 out of 10)

I wouldn’t suggest running out and buying this game right now, but it is fun to rent for a week and just try progressing through the levels. The achievements are an easy 700 if you beat the game without skipping any parts. I would recommend renting Alone in the Dark for a week and seeing how you like it because it’s a unique game that can keep you gaming for over 10 hours with no amount of replay-ability. There is only one difficulty setting to try out and no online play, wait for Resident Evil 5.

Pelit (64 out of 100)

Kaikkine kamaluuksineen Alone in the Dark on kankeuden ja epäreiluuden osalta sentään uskollinen vanhalle sarjalle. Vaikka kiroilu tympii, Edward on persoonaton mies eikä dialogikaan vakuuta, on tunnelma ihan hyvä ja tarinakin siedettävä. Mutta kun itse pelissä asiat tehdään vaikeimman kautta, kömpelösti ja suorastaan väärin, ei kokonaisuus kuin ärsytä.

Cheat Code Central (3.1 out of 5)

Obviously, Alone in the Dark didn't come close to living up to expectations. It seems like the development team bit off more than they could chew. However, there is an interesting story to be found and many of the components are decent. I think many people will find $60 worth of enjoyment out of the title, but it's not the shiny gem we were expecting. I commend Eden Games on the risks they took and the daring they displayed. In an industry rife with cookie-cutter sequels, it's nice to see someone stick their neck out. Hopefully, the creators will take their time with the Fall release of the PS3 version and address many of the game's faults.

Hooked Gamers (6 out of 10)

If you are looking for a solid survival horror experience you should look somewhere else, but if you are seeking a game with a decent plotline and creative gameplay this may just be the ticket.

GamingHeaven / DriverHeaven (60 out of 100)

All in all, Alone In The Dark fails short of the promises made, the art design is good and the graphics range from extraordinary to rather mundane. The most annoying facet of the game, is that under the annoying sequences there is a fantastic concept which occasionally is able to poke its head from under the plethora of quirks and issues which land this game firmly in the one to miss category.

JeuxVideoPC.com (12 out of 20)

Quelle déception ! La frustration ressentie à l’égard de cet Alone in The Dark se place à la hauteur de l’attente suscitée par ce titre plein de promesses. Des promesses jetées aux oubliettes par une maniabilité exécrable ainsi qu’une absence de scénario consistant. La première aventure de Carnby sur Xbox 360 possède un arrière-goût amer qui nous abandonne dans la nostalgie du premier volet. Alone in The Past en quelque sorte…

videogamer.com (6 out of 10)

Atari's ambitious next-gen take on Alone in the Dark is packed full with potential. It has more than enough good ideas to make a brilliant, must-own game, but features even more bad game design and gameplay issues. As such it's without doubt the biggest disappointment this generation of consoles has seen and a game that's impossible to recommend. With the PS3 game not due out for a few months, we can only hope that Atari takes the time to deliver the game this should have been.

VicioJuegos.com / uVeJuegos.com (59 out of 100)

Pero el punto más importante de un juego, la jugabilidad, arruina toda la fiesta, encontrándonos con un control muy impreciso y una larga cantidad de bugs que denotan la prisa que tenía Atari por lanzar el juego. Actualmente existe una versión optimizada de este juego lanzado para Playstation 3 titulado Alone in the Dark: Inferno, que es el juego que tenía que haberse lanzado en un principio, pues muchos de los errores aquí descritos han sido corregidos en esa versión. Por desgracia, XBox 360 se ha llevado la peor parte. Mucho os tiene que gustar la saga o los juegos de este género para que os pongáis a los mandos y pasar por alto todos sus fallos.

IGN Australia (5.9 out of 10)

Graphically inconsistent, oddly paced and quite unwieldy, AITD is not without its charms - unfortunately they seem to be mostly at the start and latter eps of the game. There's a lot of filler on display here and for every "pretty cool" moment there are five irksome, mood-killing flaws. Alone feels unfinished and honestly - we have a hard time recommending it. What a pity, there are the makings of a good, even great, game here. But as it stands it's merely okay. Sorry fellow gore hounds, looks like we're going to have to wait until Resident Evil 5.

Official XBox Magazine (5.5 out of 10)

Maybe we’re just bitter. There’s so much lovely intelligence lurking under Alone in the Dark’s hamstrung, occasionally glitchy surface (unforgivably, we found a few crash bugs in even the retail version!) that it’s hard to let this one go quietly into the night. We certainly appreciate its laudable ambitions, but we’re hard-pressed to recommend this uneven experience to anyone without the stamina to bite, scratch, and claw their way to uncovering its inventive charms.

GamePro (US) (2.5 out of 5)

Alone in the Dark is a frustrating and inconsistent mess that truly disappoints. By the time I reached the seventh episode, which degenerates into a needlessly painful time-sink grind to upgrade Edward with "spectral vision" points, the few things the game had done right had been virtually drowned in a murky sludge of ill-conceived and half-baked failures. A handful of memorable visions might linger in the mind's eye after Alone in the Dark's credits roll for the last time, but you'll still need supernatural patience to make it all the way to the feeble cliffhanger ending.

The Review Busters (5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark use to be a series to get excited over, but things have changed. Once you play the new Alone in the Dark game, you will want to beg your local store to give you your money back. Skip this game, if you have to play it then just way for the price to drop to twenty dollars. I bet you anything that price drop will happen within the next two months.

Gamer.nl (5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark is misschien nog het best te vergelijken met een agressieve, incontinente puppy. Je wilt zo graag van hem houden, maar telkens wanneer het de goede kant op lijkt te gaan, bijt hij van zich af, krabt hij in je gezicht en poept hij je woonkamer onder. Aanvankelijk ben je nog vergevingsgezind en hoop je dat het uiteindelijk allemaal wel goed komt. Wanneer de wonden echter niet meer helen en de stank definitief in de vloerbedekking is getrokken, dan gaat de puppy toch maar de deur uit.

Games TM (5 out of 10)

Alone In The Dark plays like a productive brainstorming storming session that nobody had the good sense to stop. There are so many ideas vying for your attention that few work as they should, basic concerns like picking up weapons and opening doors are imprecise and unresponsive, and any sense of harmony is ultimately lost. There are moment of pure brilliance here, but Eden Studios becomes so wrapped up in its own originality that the idea of 'fun' trickles away like so much spilled blood. We will reserve praise for the game's chapter-skip function, however, because Alone In The Dark seems custom-built to tear your patience to shreds. A small comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

GameZone (4.5 out of 10)

While some people might be able to look over this game’s faults, I wasn’t. The language of games is its gameplay, and this game just wasn’t talking plain (although it was dropping quite a few expletives).

TeamXbox (4.2 out of 10)

I actually feel quite bad about how Alone in the Dark turned out. It’s obvious that a lot of effort was put into certain elements of the game and its presentation. But no matter how nice the car looks on the outside, if the engine isn’t working you ain’t goin’ no place. Alone in the Dark is just that, a game going no place and with no reason in the world to suffer it.

Gamereactor (Denmark) (4 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark er en maveplasker. Det er et spil, der har turdet gå nye veje, men at gå nye veje kræver også et gevaldigt overskud på udførelsessiden, noget som Eden Studios tilsyneladende ikke har.

GameSpy ( )

Alone in the Dark seems to hold open contempt for its players. Eden tries hard with many ambitious elements, but ambition is useless without competence and polish. AitD forces the player to fight against bad controls and struggle to find fun within its inherent flaws, which far outstrip its merits. The ultimate payoff just isn't rich enough for it to ask so much. One can only hope that the greatest concept that this game introduces -- episodic action that's broken up like a TV show -- will be implemented into other games. You've seen survival horror done scarier and better elsewhere. Don't get burned by this one.

Gamereactor (Sweden) (4 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark blir lite bättre än vad det är under den bedrövliga starten av äventyret. När man väl kommer utomhus och intar Central Park känns den spelmekaniska krångligheten en liten aning lättare/mildare och atmosfären tätnar mot slutet. Sammanfattningsvis är detta dock en stor besvikelse som inte bara känns spelmässigt handikappat och ofärdigt, utan även ofta korkat och ogenomtänkt. Edward Carnby. Vila i frid.

Destructoid (3.5 out of 10)

Sadly, this isn't a demo. It's a completed retail product and one that disappoints on so many cylinders that it's impossible to overlook the issues for the merits. The game is boring for long stretches, has an uneven level of difficulty and no worthwhile story. Give it a rental and at least see what they've attempted because I'd warrant that some of the concepts presented will be finding their way into future games of the genre. Just make heavy use of that scene-skip feature so you don't wind up cursing my name.

IGN (3.5 out of 10)

Alone in the Dark has some good ideas, but it fails at most because it tries them all. Nice visuals, great fire effects and valiant efforts at innovation don’t make up for boring combat, frustrating controls, poorly designed levels and a hackneyed story. There’s a certain amount of old-school adventure charm in Alone in the Dark, but it shines only as the dimmest of lights, hemmed in by the darkness of its many failures.

The A.V. Club (D+)

Valiantly tries out new ideas, but misses the forest for the trees.

Immoral Gamers (3 out of 10)

Overall, AitD’s underfed narrative and overblown delivery, married to and marred by clumsy controls, make it a difficult proposal. I hear that versions of the game on other platforms have some of these foibles fixed, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend more of my life playing this game to have a mediocre experience instead of a plain miserable one. What a pile of shite.

Gamestyle (2 out of 10)

Is there anything good about Alone in the Dark? The fire effects are stunning and the music theme is quite good. Other than that though, nothing. I hope Atari still have the address of that landfill.