Topic: Alone in the Dark 2008 Thread

[MysterD]

Alone in the Dark 2008, with all its fixes and everything, will have a new subtitle for its debut on the PS3.
Alone In The Dark: Inferno is what it'll be called.

Alone in the Dark PS3 Getting New Title To Match Improvements
Atari promises to address gamers' complaints for "Inferno."
By Jonathan Fincher, 10/10/2008

When Alone in the Dark was released a few months back, it fell pretty well short of our expectations. While the fire dynamics and elaborate set pieces set the game apart from other survival horror titles, they were hampered by nagging design flaws and control issues -- check out 1UP's review of the 360 version for full details on that. Luckily though, Atari has not turned a blind eye to these issues when it comes to the upcoming PS3 port of the game. The company has announced that the next version of the game is addressing so many of the original release's known problems that it warrants a new title: Alone in the Dark: Inferno.

Inferno's many fixes include free camera movement, an improved inventory system that actually pauses the game when you check it, and even a new sequence in the game that debuts a brand new enemy. Other options and levels will be tweaked, including the infamously frustrating 59th Street car racing sequence.

Of course, a lot of these have been mentioned before -- in 1UP's own preview for instance -- but it's nice to hear that they really seem to have a feel for what's wrong and how to correct it. Fortunately, Atari has also confirmed that these fixes -- though probably not the extra action sequence -- will be available in a patch for the 360 version. I doubt that would encourage many people to give the game a second go, but at least they're taking steps to fix some glaring problems.

Yeah, so that's great and all for the X360 and PS3 versions -- that they'll definitely be fixed and whatnot.
But, the PC version better get these fixes in a patch, too. I sure could use it.

Though, what they really need to do, is fix that Roots level (next to last chapter) -- which has to be one of the most ridiculously boring levels in the history of gaming. It just sucks and is tedious as can be.

[Quemaqua]

Huh... that's actually kind of cool.  I heard enough about the game that it seemed worth seeing, and now I just might make that leap.

[MysterD]

Huh... that's actually kind of cool.  I heard enough about the game that it seemed worth seeing, and now I just might make that leap.

I'm watching some vids, where Eden Games shows off some of the new changes to the camera, inventory system, and controls (namely to the PS3 version).

Basically, it sounds like they are tackling ALL of my concerns in this AITD: Inferno version.

Other things to notes:
--Batteries are GONE (for the Flashlight).
Flashlight has now unlimited usage, so you'll have one more space for Inventory open to store junk.
--52nd Street (Car Race):
This level has taken many people ridiculous tries to finish; over 30, in many instances -- b/c one mistake and you're toast. That's if they finished it; many have skipped over this level. It took me like an hour to get through it, myself.
This level has checkpoints now; you can finish the level now with making mistakes actually; fissure speed has been slowed down (so the racing the fissure cracks isn't so ridiculously hard); car physics been drastically improved.
--Root Burning
Is now explained to you in Episode 3 (instead of Episode 7). Root burning can be done throughout the entire game after Episode 3, when you're actually in an episode in Central Park INSTEAD of it must be entirely done in the Episode 7 only (in which all this root burning must be done to unlock the next Final Episodes); since you do have to burn a lot of roots to finish the game. This makes WAY more sense now, so you won't be running around forever in ONE Episode, to just burn the roots -- which can take you a LONG TIME and can be tediously BORING, if you do it all at ONCE. (Some people have spent over 3 hours to finish this Episode 7, Sequence 1). What they are changing to this is a good plan, as you can do it here and there and not all at once. Lessening the amount of roots to burn would've been a good idea, too -- but their solution sounds just fine to me.

AITD: Inferno - Improvement Videos
Vid 1 - Game Improvements: Cam, Inventory, Etc.
Vid 2 - Driving Improvements and 32nd Street Level improvements
Vid 3 - Root Burning Fixes

All these fixes will probably turn this game into the game it should've been in the first place.

[Xessive]

Drastic improvements but as you said that's how it should have been to begin with. I really hope they make patches for the PC and X360 versions. I have a PS3 so I'm not too worried about a patch but I really symapthize with anyone who bought the game in its previous state.

[MysterD]

Drastic improvements but as you said that's how it should have been to begin with. I really hope they make patches for the PC and X360 versions.

The concern was the X360 wasn't going to get the Inferno patch b/c Microsoft was complaining about the patch size over XB Live -- b/c it was going to include the fixes also the new extra content (which Eden is not revealing much about yet). So, it looks like at least the X360 version just get the fixes/improvements -- and not the brand new extra content.

Which really, more than anything, this game just needs the fixes. The game deserves the fixes.

I have a PS3 so I'm not too worried about a patch but I really symapthize with anyone who bought the game in its previous state.

I bought it cheap for the PC, so...

At full price, yeah -- I'd sympathize. It's not a horrible game entirely, as there's a lot here to like, actually. There's a lot of great stuff here, to say the least. It's just a lot of the great stuff is majorly overshadowed b/c of the handful of design issues that are there are very, very glaring bad.

The PC version, all it needs is the fixes, honestly. Sure, the extra brand new content would be nice and all -- since we can just DL the patches ourselves here and really won't have to worry about patch size here on the PC, Atari's and Eden's servers would have to worry about that -- but I just really want the glaring issues to be fixed, more than anything.

[MysterD]

PS3 version - Alone in the Dark: Inferno reviews
B- from 1UP
7.25 from GameInformer
7.0 from Eurogamer
70% from Play UK

Here's the deal w/ these reviews, to sum it up -- pretty much, they're all on the same page.
This PS3 is the best version of Eden's AIDT right now.
They all are glad Eden fixed the gameplay issues, which definitely improved the gameplay itself.
Most think the story is passable, though.

[Xessive]

With all that work the best they could muster was an average of 70%.. At least that's better than a mediocre 50% due to gameplay problems and bugs.

I played the demo a while back and it was alright. The controls were much better than what I remember of the 360 version I tried before.

[MysterD]

I actually finished this on the PC tonight. I saw 2 different endings...

The Two Different Endings

(click to show/hide)

...which either way, the Devil's coming back to this world.

Depends on if you shoot Sarah or not -- when she tries to join you and your power.

Shoot her, Devil reincarnates itself into you.

Don't kill her, devil goes into her instead.

All in all, this game could've been really good -- but yeah, in the end, the major design issues and major flaws drag it down to basically being just decent. The game does have its great moments -- yet, it also has too many horrible moments, too.

The PC version really could use the fixes that the PS3 version of AITD: Inferno has -- that'd probably be the best thing to happen. Did the X360 version of AITD get the fixes thrown patched into it yet?

Regardless, time to free-up some 8 GB worth of HD space.