We travel to the past, specifically to the Derceto mansion of Alone in the Dark for PC, to discover the mysteries and secrets that live there.
At FreeGameTips we continue to review the horror titles that gave rise to what we now know as survival horror. If we talk about Sweet Home a few weeks ago, the most sensible thing is that today we will talk about Alone in the Dark, an Infogrames video game released for computers in 1992. Its staging and the masterful lesson the Gauls offered on how to make us pass fear with an interactive product is well remembered by the oldest of the place.
This fascinating adventure began when we typed cd Alone, gave the command to start the executable, and the Infogrames armadillo appeared on the screen in two dimensions, typical of that time. Nothing out of the ordinary except that at the moment, as if it were voodoo magic, that flat animal with just a small range of colors was transformed into a complete three-dimensional model that turned on itself.
That brief transition was a whole declaration of intentions that would follow, after choosing one of the two playable characters, another where polygonal elements were mixed with two-dimensional scenarios. That stillness on the horizon, a lonely frog on the road, the tension of seeing lights in the apparently abandoned mansion and a strange entity welcoming us from a window already made it clear that a welcome party was not going to give us …
A first class terror
Alone in the Dark was one of the pioneering video games in the use of three-dimensional graphics. Created by a team made up solely of French developers, it was a success since its launch. It is also one of the first titles where we could choose the sex of the main character; a private detective named Edward Carnby and Jeremy Hartwood, niece of the owner of the mansion where the events take place. Although both arrive at the Derceto mansion with different objectives, they soon discover that their purpose in that place will be the same.
Books, puzzles, clues and a whole series of supernatural creatures let us see that Derceto hides more secrets than at first glance hints. In fact, the female protagonist, is the niece of the deceased owner of the mansion and arrives at that place to find some clue that allows her to discover why her uncle made the decision to kill herself right there.
The gameplay of Alone in the Dark in the 90s was quite new as the player took control of the character in an environment created in two dimensions with 3D elements. The control was rough, like a classic Resident Evil, total “tank”.
You could carry out different actions with the protagonist by pressing just one button, although for this you had to first enter the status menu and select them previously. This simple system also had the inconvenience that it was cumbersome because for each action you had to navigate through the options. A better decision would have been to assign these actions to the keyboard, although it is also true that the tension caused by this system would have gone to hell if it had been done differently.
Investigate furniture, move them — raise the hand of the one who “let” the first enemy through the window—, open doors, solve puzzles, all very typical nowadays but actions that before, all together and in a three-dimensional scenario did it only.
Derceto, the mansion where we spent a good part of the adventure, was a blank canvas. You could go wherever you wanted since, except on rare occasions, the video game allowed you to explore at your free will. The whole plot consisted of exploring and investigating the different manuscripts and books to find out what was happening in that mysterious building. There were enemies, of course they were, but they were few and cowardly. Most could dodge or make them bite the dust without the need for weapons but the truth is that we did not find too many in the title.
The combats were solved with a clean smack or with the use of weapons of all kinds, both gunpowder, cutting edge or impact. However, both the first option and the last two were not very advisable because either the battle became dangerous or the object was easily broken. In contrast, the fire, had a limited number of bullets that had to be carefully managed.
The setting included detailed two-dimensional environments that together with the 3D modeling of characters and enemies made the thing somewhat more realistic; at least much more than other titles of the time. To create tension the development team decided that the fixed cameras would help the player feel more tension in each corner. Resident Evil or Silent Hill are clear examples that the formula worked and here it was made the most of using the environment to create more scares. Two of them, for example, appear before the player as soon as the adventure begins, in the loft.
Although Alone in the Dark had a soundtrack, the truth is that most of the journey of both protagonists was silent, ignoring the guttural moans of the different enemies that swarmed there. What had worked and the quality was quite good but it was somewhat more anecdotal and pounding than anything else. In addition to typical digitized sound effects, the video game also included English voices for some on-screen texts – in Spanish.
Whether it was the novelty of the moment or how well the setting was achieved, Alone in the Dark was capable of giving you goosebumps in no time. It was also a video game strongly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe and did not hide it at all. From the mysteries surrounding the mansion, the amount of documents and books in it – even excerpts from the Necronomicon – or the different types of enemies. Everything exuded a Lovecraftian air that he pulled on his back and he always likes that.
Another seed of evil
No one doubts that Alone in the Dark laid the modern foundations for what we later came to know as the survival horror genre. However, as you have read in the Infogrames video game, it was more about exploring and solving puzzles. The second installment tried to fix the lack of action of the first but the experiment added pirates together with less freedom of movement and things did not go so well.
The French title is still available for purchase on various digital platforms and although it has aged in that way it is still fully enjoyable. In fact, you will be surprised how it is still able to put you on a state of alert and constant tension despite its age-old audiovisual section. Now imagine that but in 1992 and you will understand why it marked an entire generation of players.
CONCLUSION
Alone in the Dark is still one of those fascinating games that, even over the years, knows how to keep the type. Its accomplished setting and the mystery surrounding Derceto is the most vibrant part of this survival horror. However if you are looking for combat in this game it may not be for you; here comes to investigate. The control is too crude and a negative point to take into account, especially if you have never dealt with any other similar.
THE BEST
- Its successful setting.
- The first serious survival horror.
- The plot was interesting and well told.
- The setting and unforgettable moments
WORST
- The music ended up being a little pounding.
- The management of the actions gave more than a headache.
- Control could despair.
Very good
Game with a remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good purchase, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.
