THE EDUCATION OF JARVIS SLACKS

This originally ran at www.starnewsonline.com

When Alone in the Dark was first announced by Atari, you could hear the fan boys roll their eyes. Atari has been plagued by bad games and bad game decisions. And developer Eden was taking on some fierce competition. Silent Hill and Resident Evil Games have always been a gamer’s go-to source for horror gaming entertainment. Recently, Atari allowed game journalists to play some of the game and get a feel for what they can expect later this June. And, judging from a video interview on 1up.com and a walkthrough session by Joystiq’s Andrew Yoon, this could really be a triple-A game title and contender for game of the year.

Alone in the Dark is about a guy caught in the middle of a supernatural disaster, with zombies attacking him and everything on fire. So, you can sort of imagine what the game is going to be like. Zombies coming after you. You have to kill them. Blah, blah, blah. The twist, and where Alone in the Dark could be successful, is the game play.

This is a “puzzle-shooter”, where the gamer will have to come up with new and interesting ways to survive encounters. One of the videos showed Ed, the main character, tossing an aerosol can at a zombie and shooting it, lighting the zombie on fire. Another video showed him pouring kerosene on the ground, and then lighting it, creating a barrier between him and his attackers. The game is slowly paced, so that you think you are constantly in danger. But there are resources available so that, if you think, you can get out of a situation.

Judging from the videos, the game is extremely cinematic. Comparisons to Bioshock come to mind, when what is happening, the situation the main character is in, becomes all engrossing. Eden has said that the game will have “Episodes” inside of it. You can also skip these episodes. You don’t have to push your way through a section if you are having a hard time with it. You can skip to the next chapter, and the game will tell you what you missed. This appeals to the causal gamer, the ones that want to know the story without all the grunt work. Of course, hardcore gamers can sweat and swear and toss the controller as much as they want without skipping.

All in all, the videos and screenshots that Atari have shown are truly impressive. This game is quickly ramping up from a “maybe” to a “must play”. The hardest part will be waiting for late June to get our hands on it.