Alone in the Dark
I'll admit it's not one of the best survival horror game's I've ever played or even platform puzzle games for that maner but it's interesting because it's something different. I like the concept, it's been done a few times from the movies "Darkness Falls", "Don't be Afraid of the Dark", and an episode of the 80's Twilight Zone called "The Shadow Man". In most survival horror games the monster/s would be visible which makes them easy to run, hide or kill; but here the monster is the whole enviorment which really puts you at a disadvantage, you put even one foot in the darkness and you'll be dragged to hell by the demons.
This game isn't jump out of your seat scary but more has a creepy feel, who as a kid hasn't had that creepy feeling there could be inhuman hands in the dark. The graphics are decent they were good enough to create a spooky atmostphere let alone the fact it's set in a high school, I've seen the inside of a high school at night twice it gives me the creeps. I even like the element of the phone calls (you should take them all if you want the good ending), hearing your girlfriend's sittuation getting worse gives you a sense of doom, dread and urgence to rescue her. The music score is good, nothing memorable though but it's good enough to add to the atmostphere, I also couldn't help but feel one track sounded a bit similar to the infamous "The Exercist" theme, whether it was intentional or not it was a good beat.
Like most platform puzzle games the objective is simply to get from point A to B. Here you have to find souces of light to help you get across, from the simple lamps, moving spotlight, computer montors, TVs, and flares. The tools at your side are a flashlight which you can use to orent yourself with the enviorment however you have to shake it since like any real flashlight runs low on juice when used a long while. A sling shot which will break windows for light or even destroy light sources to minimize light, but you have a limited amount of ammo so made the shots count. And there are other tools as well along the way. However there is one catch, on the top screen there is a light bar, if you turn on too many souces of light, the bar will fill up which means all the light will overload and be destroyed, so light you way carefully.
The game's not that hard but it's not that easy, as you get further the levels start to get more tricky, you have to take your time even practice on some levels. Each of the levels are by their nature really a step by step process, it's a matter of figuring out what the order of your actions should be, once you figure it out
the level is actually quite easy it just didn't look that way. I even like the fact the boss battles are also a step by step process, what I've always liked about those battles were you use your brain to beat them; even like the designs of the boss that look and behave creepy.
Overall it's a soild game, it's not an A lister like "Resident Evil" or "Silent Hill"in my book, but fun all the same and as a fan of survival horror and puzzles, I think this is a gem in the dark worth shining a light to.