Not So Alone In The Park
The visuals are disappointingly poor, and highlight how long this was in development. Graphics are rough and jagged, and characters display a waxy complexion. Yet AITD has plenty of atmosphere. The apocalypse is conveyed well by the games environments. Collapsed buildings and strewn corpses add to the feeling of sudden and devastating carnage.
Inventory items are stored in Edward Carnbys coat, which is accessed in real-time. It has very limited space, so re-arranging and discarding items will take more time than necessary. Combining items is also tricky, and needs performing in the correct order to register. This leads to a frustrating case of trial and error, especially when first playing. Items like blood packs, which can be used to distract enemies, are fiddly to use. This leads to no experimentation, favouring guns and violence over more thoughtful approaches. The sluggish controls dont help. AITD can be played in both 1st and 3rd person perspectives, but neither mode is particularly fun. Specific actions are better performed in a certain mode, so its soon a matter of convenience, rather than personal preference.
The games many set pieces are well designed and imaginatively presented, but emphasise how linear the game is. The Central Park sections even have invisible trigger points. Vehicle sections are slightly awkward, breaking into a car is fun the first few times, trying to hotwire or find the keys, but the driving feels like a sub standard rally game.
Puzzles are formed out of obstacles in the environment, possibly the games strongest aspect. Redistributing weight on a bus teetering over a cliff is one highlight. Hooking an electrical cable out of water demonstrates how the puzzles are both logical and realistic.
Another innovative feature is how injuries are displayed physically on Carnby's body. Minor injuries can be sprayed back to health, but more serious wounds require bandaging before a timer counts down. It's a novel approach, and makes a change from the standard health bar.
AITD's story is presented in a similar style to TV shows like Lost and 24, with the game split into Chapters. Each chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, and a 'previously on' section recaps events so far. However, the narrative struggles to entertain, and lacks the characterisation of its inspirations. Carnby himself is dislikeable, and his amnesia feels like an amateur plot device. However, the explosive set pieces keep things moving along.
Also, every chapter is available to play outright, so the game can be played out of sequence. Presumably this is to remove sticking points, but ruins any sense of achievement once the credits roll.
Ultimately Alone In The Dark : Inferno is a game crippled by its own ambition, with most ideas feeling like a compromise.