Alone In The Dark: The Trilogy 1+2+3

This three game boxed set is published by MacPlay, a division of Interplay Productions, and was developed by I-Motion.




Content

As Edward Carnby, Supernatural Private Eye, the player journeys through spooky settings and battles terrifying evil creatures to solve mysteries. Available only for Macintosh, this three CD set contains the following adventures (each of which can also be purchased separately):

Alone In The Dark: In 1923, Carnby is compelled to solve the mystery of the Louisiana Mansion of Derceto, the owner of which was a well--known artist who complained of a strange "presence" in the old house and suffered considerable mental depression before taking his own life.

Alone In The Dark 2: In 1924, Carnby enters "Hell's Kitchen" to battle against the powers of voodoo to save and eight-year-old girl who was kidnapped by a gang of evil zombie bootleggers.

Alone In The Dark 3: In 1925, Carnby faces is greatest challenge in the ghost town of "Slaughter Gulch" where the Wild West, Navajo Indian magic, and 1920's Hollywood all mix together.

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Special Features and Price

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Game Play and Suggested Audience

Reviewing this boxed set was a fun challenge. I first reviewed each game on its own merit. I then searched for reviews by other players to compare my opinions with those of more experienced gamers. Finally, I prepared general description of the entire series, followed by a few features unique to each game.

The Entire Series

The boxed set is marketed for teen players ages 13+, and I agree. Both the animated violence (including such creatures as giant worms, zombies, and killer chicken-dogs) and the sophistication of the puzzles make this set most suitable for mature teens and adults. Because the purpose of the games are purely for entertainment, I would not recommend this set for use in a school library, but parents need not fear that their teens will be engaged in a mindless "beat-em-up" game if purchased for home use; the puzzles do challenge the player to use complex reasoning skills.

A handy booklet clearly describes game play, how to move the character, and how to manipulate objects. A five minute tutorial using the first game allows the player to acquire the keyboard skills necessary to enjoy learning new skills as the game increases in sophistication. The two sequels are very similar in play, and any differences are explained in the booklet. All three have changing camera angles as opposed to the more traditional first-person view. Skills learned in the first game seem to be built upon in the following two; for novice gamers like myself, I recommend learning them in order.

In conclusion, I can tell that I would probably need two weeks of daily playing to solve any one of the three games, given that I am a novice gamer. The stories were scary, the animation entertaining, and the puzzles challenging. I preferred the first and last games over the second because the second did focus more on fighting than solving the puzzles.

Alone In The Dark

Alone In The Dark 2

Alone In The Dark 3

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System Requirements

Note: This three-CD boxed set is only available for Macintosh.
Ease of Installation: Gratefully, all three were easy to install. When the CD is placed in the drive, double-click on the CD_ROM icon to open it, then double-click the installer application icon. From there, the on-screen instructions explain step-by-step what to do.

Alone In The Dark


Alone In The Dark 2
Alone In The Dark 3

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Other Reviews

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About the Reviewer

Danna McVey is a graduate student of Library and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin, emphasis in public library youth services pre-k through high school and school libraries.

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March 18, 1997