Video game fans the world over know that E3 (The Electronic Entertainment Expo) will descend upon California May 9th. The biggest showcase of video game software/hardware in North America, the big names pull out all the stops in an effort to sway your pocket book. Plus it’s damn fun, from what I’ve heard.
In an effort to give gamers a taste of what to expect, Gamespot have begun doing previews of upcoming games which are scheduled to appear at the show. Among them is a new series’ entry into the originator of Survival-Horror games, ALONE IN THE DARK. Now, forget the film adaptation for a second (or longer, if you choose). This is what it’s all about: you play as paranormal investigator Edward Carnby (the same dude you played as in the very first game back in 1990), except unlike the first game which took place in the 1920’s, the new game (simply titled ALONE IN THE DARK) takes place in modern times circa 2006. How Carnby managed to stave off death and old age won’t be revealed for the time being, nor why he changed his hair colour and shaved his mustache. Regardless, Carnby is now in New York City (not London, like the original), in the thick of an investigation, which according to game developer Eden, will ultimately explore what happens to people after they die, and exactly what lies beyond this life.
The game (which is currently being developed for the XBOX 360) takes place specifically in Central Park, though it’s more of a metropolitan area than a park, which Eden says will serve to differentiate the game from the claustrophobic buildings that are so prevalent in other games in the same vein. Gameplay-wise, AITD will be a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, stealth, and even melee combat. The developer suggests that the action will focus mainly on the game’s interactive environments, which with the aid of the Havok 3.0 physics engine, will be highly intuitive and won’t require learning a new control scheme. That is, Carnby will find himself in “survival” situations in realistic environments, and will be able to use whatever he finds there in a logical manner. Eden has hinted that fire will be implemented in a unique way that will affect gameplay, and yes, Carnby will be tangling with otherworldly baddies, whose behavior is being scripted with the help of next-gen middleware developer Kynogon.
One of the cool ideas of the game is the unusual narrative structure, which will be a kind of episodic, cliffhanger-style that you would see in 24 and LOST. Namely, these sessions let busy people pick up and play the game without missing a beat, and each session will also have its own concluding cinematic sequences, along with some “coming up next” sequences that tease the next part of the adventure. And when you return to the game later, you’ll even be treated to brief plot summaries that will catch you up on what has happened so far, so you won’t have to worry about forgetting where you left off.
While the game itself is about a year away from completion, the footage that has been shown is nothing short of brilliant. Carnby was shown (real-time, mind you) to have beads of perspiration and tiny, bloody cuts after a fierce encounter, as well as shown standing opposite a hanging corpse in a dark corridor in various types of lighting, including low light and light filtered through a rotating fan that cast highly realistic shadows. According to Eden, the graphical look of the game is intended to mimic the expressiveness of professional photography by creating highly picturesque scenes. In short, it will look f*ckin’ awesome!
To read more on the preview, including shots of the game in action and a sweet-looking trailer, click here. Time to book those tickets!
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