Manhattan Murder Mystery: Alone in the Dark Interview

Edward Carnby returns for a different kind of adventure in a very different time. Eden and Atari tell us more.

Page: 1  2 

By Sharan Dev Jain & Alex Wollenschlaeger

It was more than 15 years ago that developer Infogrames helped kick off the survival horror genre with a PC game called Alone in the Dark. The years since then have seen several sequels, some closely related to the first game, some not. The latest incarnation of the game, coming to PC and consoles, falls into the latter category.

Most obviously that's because of the location of the game. Rather than setting the game again in decrepit Louisiana mansion, French developer Eden Studios is creating its modern mystery around Manhattan's monstrous city garden, Central Park.

Quite why there's such an enormous expanse of greenery inside one of the most populous cities in the world is a question that forms part of the thematic heart of Alone in the Dark. Producer Nour Polloni was hesitant to give away much of the game's story when we met with her recently, but a few tidbits did slip out.

Probably the biggest surprise is that, even though the game is set during 2008, you're still playing as Edward Carnby, the hero of the original game, which was set during the 1920s. Why is Carnby still around, and more importantly, why doesn't he look older? You'll have to play to find out.

Nour Polloni and Herve Sliwa from Eden Games

The Carnby seen in more recent footage from the game is slightly different from the person shown in demonstrations last year. Polloni explains that Eden "felt that the character we had previously was not quite there yet."

Eden is taking a different approach to the overall structure of the game. Episodic gaming has become something of a dirty term these days, after many of the proponents of the movements found out how hard it was to do. Eden is giving it a go, but in a more traditional sense.

Page: 1  2 

NEXT PAGE >>