I played this alone in the dark
You play as Edward Carnby, a man who has lost his memory. Edward wakes up in a crumbling Central Park West apartment building. A supernatural force is ripping through the walls and turning the inhabitants into mutated killers. A huge earthquake rips Manhattan apart and on top of that there are ugly monsters spawning all over the park. It's all part of a prophecy (yawn) in which Edward must prevent Lucifer from entering into the world.
The plot is mostly mumbo-jumbo. But the main strength of the game is the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere that turns a supposedly safe environment bustling with people (Manhattan island) into a lonely, apocalyptic nightmare. As a survival horror it's not as good as the Resident Evil series, and it doesn't have tension that made those games so good. I never felt scared to look around a corner or felt fear of what was lurking in the darkness beyond the character's view. But it's fast moving enough and gives you plenty of monsters to shoot at (though it's never satisfying enough and totally bloodless). It's also the 86th game in a row I've played that features Central Park.
Despite my complaining, I never got bored with the game or felt it was hard to control (I played the PS3 version, which improves on the Xbox 360 release). Though when driving around a shrub or a bush is completely impenetrable to a two-ton car and it's kinda infuriating. The fact that trophies are handed out left, right and centre makes up for it.
The ending hints at a sequel, which has yet to materialize. But AITD is a fine way to spend a few bucks and a few days playing.
Graphics B+
Sound B-
Gameplay B
Lasting Appeal B