It wants to be Resident Evil so bad that it does an alright job
Alone in the Dark is known for inventing the genre of survival horror. Now to be honest I've only played The New Nightmare (PS1, PS2 and DC) and the newer one on 360, PS3 and Wii (I've only played it on 360), so I can't compare this one with earlier ones. Before AitD:TNN I had played Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3, Silent Hill and Clock Tower 2 so I was getting into this genre. When I found this I picked it up in a flash and was I disappointed? No. Yes the game is played nearly exactly the Same as Resident Evil but I got a fresh story with a fresh setting. The story wasn't great but not bad, enough to keep me wondering what was going on and why. The acting is MUCH better than Resident Evil as I found myself getting attached to both of the main characters rather than laughing at them. The atmosphere is good to. Everything is dark, which is bad for you as that's what your enemies love and you have a flash light you can move with the right analogue stick for the PlayStation versions, that hurt your enemies, and eventually letting you kill them. The camera is done just like Resident Evil; fixed positions that change once you reach the edge. This means that You control like a tank, trying to turn a very tight turn only to bump into walls. Saving is done through pendants you collect and...Well that's about it.
By all means this game isn't bad, but there are a lot more better horror games for the PlayStation. Pick this up later rather than sooner.