PC Preview: Alone in the Dark

David Hollingworth got some playtime in with the PC code of this new take on an old classic.

Alone in the Dark has a long and mostly illustrious history. It was a landmark title on the PC, but since then has evolved into a cross-platform franchise. We got a chance to play the first few levels of the game on PC, and we’ve got to say it’s nice to have this old classic back, and looking so damned good.

That’s pretty much the first thing you’ll notice about the PC version – on the right hardware it’s worlds ahead of the console version in terms of graphical complexity. Lighting and textures all look a lot more detailed on the rig we were playing on, which sported a reasonable 8800 GTS on pixel pushing duty. All effects were on high, and we’ve not seen a game that looks this dark and moody, but in a clear, non-muddy manner, in a long while. If ever, in fact.

As we mentioned in our PS3 preview, physics and physical interaction play a huge part in the gameplay, from swinging around on ropes to pushing furniture and kicking in doors. Where the PC version shines is that all of this interaction seems a lot smoother. It’s not just about a higher frame-rate and ‘better’ physics, too, but rather a matter of feel. You’ll just have to trust us – the world seems more real on PC.

What we also noticed this time around, as we were playing using a set of headphones, is the excellent score. It’s not obtrusive, but it’s a very subtle composition that is very reminiscent of the Aliens soundtrack – quite and brooding by turns, then sharp and staccato. In fact, might be too reminiscent; there was more than one occasion where we expected to find xenomorphs behind every door.

The game can be played using either keyboard and mouse, or a console controller. We opted to play using keyboard and mouse, and while some controls were a little clunky, it overall seemed a far more accurate way to control the on-screen action. Whether that comes down to the fact that the PC control scheme is actually better, or just that we are dyed in the wool PC gamers who would far rather point with a mouse than a control stick, we’re not sure. Your mileage may vary, but the extra buttons certainly make inventory management and using the environment a lot easier.

The game was announced as having gone gold yesterday, and will be shipping for all platforms bar the PS3 on July 3rd. The PS3 version ships in the spring. We’re certainly looking forward to spending some more demonic time with the game.