alone-in-the-dark posts

While most of the 3D survival horror love thrown around the industry is shoved in Capcom's corner with Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark was the first series to take the genre into 3D when it released in 1992. For the majority of the series, which has spanned over five games, players control Edward Carnby -- a professor and paranormal researcher. Originally set in the 1920s, gamers were thrust into a strange world of haunted mansions and disturbed characters. Sixteen years after its original release, Edward Carnby awakens in modern-day New York and must recover his lost memories to unlock his dark and mysterious destiny.

Released on the PC, Xbox 360 and Wii, Alone in the Dark is likely the final full featured title from Atari (also known as Infogrames) who have announced to focus on smaller titles. After playing through the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the title we compare our experience in our newly formatted feature, Big Versus. Shying away from our original concept of which is better than the other, Big Versus has transformed to a comparison piece regarding our overall experiences.

Welcome to the new Big Versus.

Your daily wrap-up of the hottest stories in PC gaming in the last 24 hours.

	Diablo II PC, Mac demos available on Big Download For many PC gamers, this weekend's official Diablo III announcement instigated a resurgence of Diablo purchases and re-installations across the globe. If you're interested in Diablo III but haven't partaken in the previous two installments, Big Download will happily take you back in time eight years with the Diablo II demo, which is available for PC and Mac gamers.
	In-Depth: Alone in the Dark It goes without saying that Alone in the Dark was one of the most intriguing games from Atari (see also Infogrames), in what seems like eons. Initial information released regarding the revival of the original survival horror title had gamers genuinely excited to step back into the shoes of the mysterious hero, Edward Carnby. So how did the franchise reboot turn out?
	Mac Monday: Freeverse's Neon Tango "If Chuck Norris had his action removed and hot-glued onto Jack Bauer, and then Mr. Bauer was blended into a protein shake, it would be called "The Neon Tango" and ... it would be Delicious!!!" It would also be extremely difficult to come up with a greater summary for any game than this one, posted on the homepage of Freeverse Software's Neon Tango.
	Hands-on: Space Siege Space Siege, the latest Gas-Powered Games title designed by Chris Taylor, looks to fill a void for action-RPG fans who prefer guns, grenades and aliens to bows, spells and dragons. But whether you prefer fireballs or flaming gas canisters, snarling aliens or slobbering orcs, Space Siege is a click-fest at its core, and it is that tried-and-true mechanic that should entice all breeds of action-RPG players to Space Siege.
	Guide to TF2 Pyro Achievements, Part 6 We have crafted for you this very guide to ease your attempts to fulfill the strange objectives given to you. You have read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth parts, so here is the sixth and final installment. Now you are ready to go and purge the world of flora, fauna, and anything else flammable.Firefighter

When the original Tomb Raider was released in 1996 it was hailed as a marvel of game design. Playing as Lara Croft gamers were thrown into a 3D world that, at the time, was state-of-the-art. The only problem? Controlling the infamous Ms. Croft was akin to turning a tank in quicksand. At the time we weren't aware it could get any better, so poor control was ignored in the majority of the game's critiques. Resident Evil, Dino Crisis and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare all cloned this control mechanic when released and still found success. But then things began to change as gamers realized how archaic the scheme was. Resident Evil 4 evolved the series, Dino Crisis 3 killed it and the new Alone in the Dark tries very hard to be relevant.

It goes without saying that Alone in the Dark was one of the most intriguing games from Atari (see also Infogrames), in what seems like eons. Initial information released regarding the revival of the original survival horror title had gamers genuinely excited to step back into the shoes of the mysterious hero, Edward Carnby. So how did the franchise reboot turn out?

Your daily wrap-up of the hottest stories in PC gaming in the last 24 hours.

	Big Download Interview: Alone In The Dark It's taken a long time but today is finally the day for the reimagining of the Alone in the Dark franchise to finally head to store shelves for the PC and other platforms. Developer Eden Studios and publisher Atari/Infogrames have a lot riding on the success of this huge survival horror title. Indeed the publisher is hoping to sell between two to three million copies of the game this year.
	Spore Galactic Edition evolves into online retail A special edition of Spore has appeared at online retailers for pre-ordering. It's called the "Galactic Edition," and it comes with a making-of DVD, a DVD by National Geographic called "The Human Toolkit," a hardback book of concept art, a fold-out poster, and a "premium 100-page Galactic Handbook." We're not sure what the handbook will entail, but the rest sounds pretty cool.
	Should BioShock have failed? It was one of the most anticipated games of 2007 and the final release of 2K Games' first person shooter BioShock was one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year. But should the game have failed? That was the premise of the chat made by 2K Boston lead programmer Chris Kline at this week's Paris GDC event. Gamasutra has a report on the speech where Kline admitted, " . . . it did fail a lot, over the course of time. A series of big mistakes and corrections and slipped ship dates, but all of these helped make it a good game."
	Guide to TF2 Pyro Achievements, Part 2 Glorious fire! You just love to burn things! We can't blame you, though. Nobody knows who you are, where you come from, or what your real gender even is, pyro, but we know that you sure love to set things on fire. Don't worry, though. We want to help you. We love your work. That's why we have crafted for you this very guide to ease your attempts to fulfill the strange objectives given to you. You have read the first part, so here is the second. Soon you'll be back on the road, setting fire to all the wildlife as you pass by.

It's taken a long time but today is finally the day for the reimagining of the Alone in the Dark franchise to finally head to store shelves for the PC and other platforms. Developer Eden Studios and publisher Atari/Infogrames have a lot riding on the success of this huge survival horror title. Indeed the publisher is hoping to sell between two to three million copies of the game this year.

Big Download got a chance to ask some questions to Atari US producer Todd Slepian about the game, including how it related to the previous titles in the series, the features of Eden Studios' graphics engine and more.

Your daily wrap-up of the hottest stories in PC gaming in the last 24 hours.

	Guide to TF2 Pyro Achievements, Part 1 We want to help you. We love your work. The pile of screaming, burning scouts? Exquisite. That's why we have crafted for you this very guide to ease your attempts to fulfill the strange objectives given to you. Soon you'll be back on the road, setting fire to all the wildlife as you pass by.
	MacMonday: Does Spore force your Mac to evolve? Welcome to MacMonday, a weekly column where we'll talk about issues related to gaming on Apple's platform beyond "Why isn't PC Game X coming out on the Mac?" In this inaugural edition, let's discuss Spore, Will Wright's latest masterpiece.
	Shipping this week: Alone with the glow of a monitor Hitting store shelves this week is the return of Edward Carnby in Alone in the Dark from Atari (aka Infogrames) and the Alaskan fishing simulator we've all been dreaming about, Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm. Arguably the one-two shot gamers need this summer to stave off the hot days until E3 rolls around, this week also features the addictive puzzler Roogoo and Ikea branded furnishings for your Sim characters.
	In-Depth: The Political Machine 2008 You'd think with all the mania surrounding the race to the White House that a game like The Political Machine 2008 would fit right in. Yet, when everything is said and done, putting a lighthearted and simplified spin on the political race only makes for a mildly entertaining strategy game.
	In-Depth: Armageddon Empires If you've kept up with the indie scene at all within the past few months, chances are you know about Armageddon Empires. It's a nice mix of board game, trading card game, and turn-based strategy game that the developer, Vic Davis, keeps adding on to with patches and mini-expansions. It's a game with a lot of addictiveness. It's also very frustrating at times. So in that sense, it is exactly like a trading card game. But let's take a deeper look at the game, shall we?

Your daily wrap-up of the hottest stories in PC gaming over the weekend.

	Freeware Friday: Battleships Forever This Friday brings us to all the way back to the very first Freeware Friday. Warning Forever, that classic I championed in the first article of this fine column, inspired a strategy game that has been nominated for an IGF award. It's also an excellent game, and will suck your life away if you give into the siren call of the custom content through manipulating the robust ship maker. I am, of course, talking about Battleships Forever by Sean "th15" Chan.
	Steam Saturday: 6/21/08 This week (and probably many other weeks to follow), Valve owns the world of PC gaming. In addition to a week filled with excellent Team Fortress 2 news and excellent gaming compilations, two new games and two excellent weekend sales have made their way to the Steam digital distribution platform. Yes, we think it's safe to classify Steam as its own platform.
	New gameplay videos coincide with Alone in the Dark release The game that reboots the Alone in the Dark franchise hit retail shelves in Europe on Friday. It will release in North America on Tuesday. The reviews are trickling in, and so far it sounds like the game is a work of flawed genius. But reviews aren't the only harbingers of the the imminent release.
	Eidos launches Tomb Raider Portal website For Lara Croft fans, there's a new home for you on the 'Net. Tomb Raider Portal is to be your destination for all TR-related news. This is especially timely considering that the latest iteration of the franchise, Tomb Raider: Underworld, will be launching in November, on nearly every significant gaming platform.
	ArchLord receives 3rd free expansion ArchLord, Codemasters' free MMORPG, still seems to be going strong. Codemasters announced today the addition of a new free expansion (much like the Issues in City of Heroes or the 2.x patches in World of Warcraft) which increases the game world significantly. The expansion, along with the extra zone content additions, will also include a rebalancing as well as many new skills and items. The expansion isn't live yet, but Ed Relf of Codemasters says that it's "coming soon". It may have been reviewed poorly, but this free MMORPG still has some life left in her!

Hitting store shelves this week is the return of Edward Carnby in Alone in the Dark from Atari (aka Infogrames) and the Alaskan fishing simulator we've all been dreaming about, Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm. Arguably the one-two shot gamers need this summer to stave off the hot days until E3 rolls around, this week also features the addictive puzzler Roogoo and Ikea branded furnishings for your Sim characters.

While we've all grown used to random Sim related releases that sear branding into our beloved social simulator, one can't help to pray Spore sees a release soon so The Sims 3 can move to the top of Maxis' development chart. That way we can visit neighboring Sims and kick-up our feet in their lovely Wal-Mart furnished two-bedroom starter home.

Full listing of releases for the week ending June 28 can be found after the jump.

The game that reboots the Alone in the Dark franchise hit retail shelves in Europe on Friday. It will release in North America on Tuesday. The reviews are trickling in, and so far it sounds like the game is a work of flawed genius. But reviews aren't the only harbingers of the the imminent release; a new trailer and three gameplay videos hit the web over the weekend as well.

The trailer (embedded above) is long and epic. It shows off some of the game's spectacular production values. The three gameplay videos are very distinct. One shows melee combat and fire, another depicts the act of jacking a car and driving through a collapsing garage, and another still demonstrates some Prince of Persia-style ledge shuffling and platforming.

Alone in the Dark is set for release next week from developer Eden Studios and publisher Atari and now gamers who what the PC version can now know what they are getting into in terms of both system requirements and the game's DRM. Here's the word directly from the press release:

The PC version of Alone in the Dark is protected using SecuROM online activation. This requires that in addition to the content on the game disk, players download an additional component via an internet connection in order to install and run the game. Once the game has been correctly installed and activated, it can be played whilst offline.

To install the game on a different computer, players must revoke the serial number when uninstalling from the first machine (this is an automatic option during the uninstall process).

So you have been warned ahead of time. As far as system requirements they are about as expected with a Pentium 4 .2.8 Ghz or Athlon X2 +3800 as listed as minimal processors, 1 GB of memory, 9.5 GB of hard drive space and and NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or ATI Radeon X1950 as the miminal graphics card. It looks like the game won't be using DirectX10 at all; DirectX9 is all that is listed.