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{{Needs Disambiguation}}
[[File:alone-in-the-dark-pc-game-1_452.jpg|frame]]
'''''Alone in the Dark''''' was the progenitor of the [[Survival Horror]] genre in 1992. It was also the first game to feature [[Sprite Polygon Mix|3D polygon characters over fixed 2D backgrounds]], allowing for cinematic camera angles. Featuring a mix of combat, puzzle-solving, inventory management
''Alone in the Dark 2'' was more linear and combat-oriented, featuring a tommygun-wielding Edward Carnby facing off against 1930's mobsters led by the villainous One-Eyed Jack to rescue kidnapped child Grace Saunders. As it turns out, Jack and his gang are in fact immortal pirates, the crew of the Flying Dutchmen, who made a pact with witch Elizabeth Jarret and perform regular human sacrifices to retain their life and youth. There were also a few stealth segments where players took the role of Grace Saunders and had to evade the mobsters searching for her.
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''Alone in the Dark 3'' took place in an abandoned Wild West ghost town, with Carnby attempting to save Emily Hartwood (who was filming a western film along with a film crew in the deserted town), who has inadvertantly awakened the ghosts of the town's evil inhabitants, led by prospector Jebediah Stone. Although still linear, the game featured a more balanced mix of combat and puzzle-solving.
''Jack in the Dark'' was a short free PC game released in 1994 using the then-current ''Alone in the Dark'' engine. Using all of the standard ''Alone in the Dark'' mechanics, the small Grace Saunders, dressed as a witch for Halloween, must escape a haunted toy shop
''Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare'' was a re-imagining of the series. Taking place in modern times, the game featured a new protagonist (also named Edward Carnby. [[Tiny Toons|No relation.]]), who teams up with linguistic expert Aline Cedrac to unravel the mystery of Shadow Island and its reclusive inhabitants, the Morton family. This ultimately puts them into a battle against the Creatures of Darkness, reptilian shadow monsters originating from an underground underworld known as the World of Darkness. The game featured many control, gameplay, and presentation elements taken straight out of the playbook of ''[[Resident Evil]]''. It's most unique feature was the use of the flashlight to reveal hidden details of the environment, as well as to drive back some of the light-sensitive monsters.
The film ''[[Alone in the Dark (2005 film)|Alone in
Although not an ''Alone in the Dark'' game per se, ''Cold Fear'' was originally supposed to be ''Alone in the Dark 5''. Although the end product ultimately had nothing to do with the series, it can still be considered ''Alone in the Dark'' [[Recycled in Space|AT SEA]].
In 2008, a
In 2015, ''Alone in the Dark: Illumination'', a co-op [[Third-Person Shooter]] that had [[In Name Only|little in common with the franchise]], was released to [[So Bad It's Horrible|very negative reviews]].
{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Commands]]: Used in the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' to try and escape if you get eaten by a fissure.
* [[Action Survivor]]: Carnby and Hartwood were like this in the original ''Alone in the Dark''. By the sequels, Carnby has become a [[Badass Normal]] paranormal investigator, an occupation shared by the new Edward Carnby from ''The New Nightmare''.
* [[And I Must Scream]]: Captain Pregtz from the first game was turned into a tree and has lived in an underground city for 300 years. Subverted in that he still has servants waiting on him hand end foot. Er, branch and root. Jack in the Dark, despite being a kids game, features sentient toys living in an abandonned toy store for years. Despite this, they don't seem to mind much.
* [[And Then John Was a Zombie]]: The ending(s) of [[Ai TD]] 2008. "I'm the lightbringer! I'm the fucking universe!"
* [[Apocalyptic Log]]
* [[Arbitrary Equipment Restriction]]
* [[Attack Its Weak Point]]
* [[Back
* [[Badass Longcoat]]: Edward has one in ''The New Nightmare''.
* [[Badass Normal]]
* [[The Bad Guy Wins]]: Both endings to 2008, more or less, although one is a potential [[Sequel Hook]].
* [[
* [[
* [[Climax Boss]]: The swordfight against the pirate ghost in the original ''Alone in the Dark''. The battle against the huge Museum Beast about 1/2th of the way through the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' (complete with awesome battle music: "End to a Prelude" on the official soundtrack).
* [[Closed Circle]]: In the original game, trying to exit the mansion via the front door reveals the exterior to be an otherdimensional void which promptly eats you.
* [[Continuity Nod]]:
** The [[Big Bad]] of ''Alone in the Dark 3'' is revealed to be the child of the [[Big Bad]] from the original ''Alone in the Dark'' and [[The Dragon]] from ''Alone in the Dark 2''. Also, one of the villains in ''The New Nightmare'' is named De Certo, after the haunted mansion in the original game.
**
** Two of the characters of ''Illumination'' are said to be related to the original Carnby and Emily: the former looks quite a bit like the 2008 incarnation of the character.
* [[Cosmic Horror Story]]: A major element of the franchise's flavour, most prevalent in the fourth and first game, the latter of which containing many monsters taken directly from the Cthulhu Mythos.
* [[Depth Deception]]: A few areas in the original trilogy have pathways concealed by walls that appear to come together but are actually separate walls.
* [[Drop in Nemesis]]:
** Many puzzles throughout the original trilogy will have something appear to [[Have a Nice Death|quickly and unceremoniously kill you]] if you don't do them properly or quick enough.
** Trying to go somewhere that the 2008 game [[Railroading|doesn't want you to go]] often results in a swarm of [[Goddamned Bats|Vampirez]] instant-killing Carnby.
* [[The End - or Is It?]]: The original game ends with the hero destroying the evil force and escaping the mansion into daylight, hailing a passing cab and getting in, only for the driver to turn around and reveal himself as a cackling zombie. Of course, since he appears in the sequel, presumably this experience wasn't ultimately negative.
* [[Gainax Ending]]
* [[Game Breaking Bug]]: 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' seem to be made of these. One of the biggest problems with the much-hated 59th Street [[Scrappy Level]] is that your vehicle can and will get stuck into invisible walls. The rest of the game doesn't get much better: driving never outgrows the invisible walls, which also invade jumping puzzles, while combat is helplessly random due to both the accuracy required (enemies have only specific weak spots) and the problematic collision detection.
* [[Gameplay Roulette]]: The 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' features so many different gameplay genres, it's hard to categorize exactly what the "main" gameplay genre of the game is.
* [[Grand Theft Me]]: Ezechiel Pregzt of the first game is trying to find a new body to inhabit, and has been luring people to Derceto to that end.
* [[Have a Nice Death]]:
** Try to go out the front door too soon, and get eaten by a [[Man-Eating Plant]].
** Open the yellow book (De Vermis Mysteriis) without standing on the pentacle first, and an invisible evil spirit snaps your neck. A [[Trial and Error Gameplay]] moment.
** In ''Alone in the Dark 2'', [[What an Idiot!|just shoot a gun in a room full of gunpowder on the pirate ship]]. [[Stuff Blowing Up|You'll be treated to one hell of an explosion]].
** In ''Alone in the Dark 3'', opening the booby-trapped suitcase full of money. To be fair, Carnby did warn you when you try to open it for the first time.
** In ''The New Nightmare'', giving the mirror to DeCerto will kill you.
* [[Hive Mind]]: All the monsters in the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' are merely puppets controlled by a single entity, Lucifer.
* [[Hyperactive Metabolism]]: The main source of health replenishment in the original trilogy came in the form of [[Quick Nip|whisky-filled hipflasks]]. Considering the sheer amount of booze in the second and third games, it's a wonder Carnby was able to stand upright, let alone aim a gun.
* [[I Love Nuclear Power]]: Seen, strangely, in the wild west-themed ''Alone in the Dark 3''. It's revealed that the [[Big Bad]] discovered uranium back in the 19th century, used it to create monsterous mutants, and was planning to build a nuclear bomb to [[California Collapse|crack the San Andreas fault and sink California into the ocean]].
* [[Implacable Man]]: The mutated Howard Morton in ''The New Nightmare''. Also a [[Recurring Boss]].
* [[Infinite Flashlight]]: Seen in ''Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare'', where the flashlight was a core element of gameplay. Averted in the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'', where the flashlight had to be periodically reloaded with fresh batteries.
* [[Invincible Minor Minion]]: The Elwood Brothers in ''Alone in the Dark 3'', a pair of unkillable gunslingers whose sole purpose was to railroad you through the town of Slaughter Gulch by killing you if you tried to go somewhere the developers didn't want you to.
* [[It's a Small Net After All]]: In the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'', when asking a doctor to check his online database, the first and ''only'' result that comes up for "Edward Carnby" is someone who {{spoiler|disappeared in 1938}}. It's not ''that'' uncommon a name...
* [[The Key Is Behind the Lock]]: A puzzle in the second game.
* [[Kill It with Fire]]:
** The main premise of the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark''. All the major monsters can only be permenantly killed with fire. Fortunately, you can shoot flaming bullets, toss molotov cocktails, attack with aerosol spray flamethrowers, or simply set a chair or baseball bat on fire then whack monsters with it.
** This is also the method by which the [[Big Bad]] of the original ''Alone in the Dark'' is finally dispatched.
* [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]]
* [[Late to the Party]]
* [[Lightning Reveal]]: A lightning flash in one of the outside areas in ''The New Nightmare'' shows a massive horde of ghoulish humans surrounding you for an instant.
* [[MacGyvering]]
* [[Magical Native American]]
* [[Mind Screw]]:
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]
* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]
* [[Obvious Beta]]
* [[Ominous Latin Chanting]]
* [[One-Winged Angel]]
* [[Paranormal Investigation]]
* [[Plot Tumor]]:
* [[Pop Star Composer]]: [[The Police|Stewart Copeland]] wrote the credits song for ''The New Nightmare''.
* [[Powered Armor]]: Seen, strangely, in the wild west-based ''Alone in the Dark 3''. The [[Big Bad]] dons a primitive suit of [[Powered Armor]] (which even has an [[Arm Cannon]]!) to fight you in the final battle.
* [[
* [[
* [[Save Game Limits]]:
** The original 1992 one only let you have one save. If you made another, it replaced the previous one. Woe unto you if you make a mistake rendering the game unwinnable and then save.
** ''Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare'' required a Charm of Saving to save the game. There was a scenario early on which allowed the player to get as many Charms of Saving as desired though.
* [[Sheathe Your Sword]]
* [[Solve the Soup Cans]]
* [[Sprite Polygon Mix]]
* [[Survival Horror]]
* [[Sword Fight]]: ''Alone in the Dark'' had a swordfight against a pirate ghost as a major encounter about 2/3rds of the way through the game. ''Alone in the Dark 2'''s climax involves a series of sword fights against the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]] of pirates.
* [[Swords Akimbo]]: This is the (rather cool) fighting style of ''Alone in the Dark 2'''s [[Big Bad]] and final boss One-Eyed Jack.
* [[Tome of Eldritch Lore]]: The first game includes ''Fragments of the Book of Abdul'' and ''De Vermis Mysteriis''. Reading the former will hurt you and reading the latter kills you. The ''Vermis'' is found with another book warning you that reading such tomes can be harmful (and mentions the ''Vermis'' by name), but the game doesn't tell you what a book's title ''is'' until you've already read it.
* [[Trial and Error Gameplay]]:
** The first game has quite a few:
*** There are two "evil books" in the library's secret room (which is already a [[Guide Dang It|Guide Dang It!]] to find). The first, "Fragments of the Book of Abdul", hurts you, while the second, "De Vermis Mysteriis", instantly kills you if you '''so much as look at the front page'''. That is, unless you are standing on the pentagram symbol in the room, [[Guide Dang It|Guide Dang It!]].
*** If you accidentally bump into a ghost (touching the one by the fireplace is almost certain on the first try), they come to life as a swirling cloud of psychedelic death that chases you around the house until it kills you.
*** Another unavoidable first-time death occurs in the hallway leading to the library, where the woodsman painting starts throwing axes at you. Further down the hallway, a painting of an Indian starts shooting arrows that home in on you, at which point death is inevitable. The player learns the hard way to put the Old Indian Cover on the woodsman painting and to shoot the Indian painting with the bow and arrows.
*** Simply opening the front door of the house results in death. One of the books you can find contains something that could remotely be considered a clue to this, but it's obscure enough that it's doubtful a single player has ever been stopped from trying to open the door in good faith (rather than to see the death) on their first playthrough.
** The third game has a spike pit that you must cross by stepping on invisible platforms. Nothing gives you any indication where the platforms are. Mercifully, falling into the pit just quickly and unceremoniously returns you to the main menu.
** The 2008 game is also rife with moments like this, such as the part where you have to scale the side of an exploding building. Such instances are often due to shoddy game design.
* [[The Unfought]]: The 2008 ''Alone In The Dark'' builds up to a climactic showdown between Edward Carnby and Lucifer... and just when it looks like the two are about to throw down, the game ends with a [[Gainax Ending]].
* [[Unwinnable by Design]]: A bunch of circumstances in the original 1992 game. For example, if the mirrors are broken before you put them on the statues, you are trapped on the 2nd floor, and if you forget to unlock the basement door, and all the planks leading across the chasm have fallen down, then you're stuck underground.
* [[Updated Rerelease]]:
** The 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' is be rereleased on the Playstation 3 as ''Alone in the Dark: Inferno'', with exclusive new levels as well as improved, faster and more responsive controls. The [[Scrappy Level]] has also been made easier and much less frustrating.
** ''Alone in the Dark 2'' had a CD re-issue, with the difficult initial garden maze skippable and a further sequence with child co-star Grace.
** ''Alone in the Dark 3'' was re-released in 1996 as ''Alone in the Dark: Ghosts in Towns'', a Windows 95 compatible version.
* [[When Trees Attack]]: The boss of the original game is a tree (inhabited by the [[Big Bad]]) that shoots fireballs at you.
* [[Xtreme Kool Letterz]]: The horrific monsters in the 2008 ''Alone in the Dark'' are listed as Ratz, Vampirez and Humanz. If anyone thinks they could sound less lame in the original French... they don't.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Alone in the Dark]]
[[Category:Horror Video Games]]
[[Category:Survival Horror]]
[[Category:Atari]]
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[[Category:Acorn Archimedes]]
[[Category:IOS Games]]
[[Category:Sega Saturn]]
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[[Category:PlayStation 2]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3]]
[[Category:Wii]]
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[[Category:Video Games of the 1990s]]
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