Amazing screenshots and breathtaking trailers set the bar so high for this game that most people expected it to be one of the most compelling single-player experiences of the year. Alone in the Dark was a pioneer in the survival-horror genre so there is no surprise that after almost a decade since the first title, the highly anticipated addition to the famous series raised huge interest and enthusiasm. Some call it a huge triumph, others dismiss it as a major disappointment due to its technical execution, while most people accept that this game is good, but it could have been much better.

The main character is Edward Carnby, a guy with a nasty scar on his left cheek and a severe memory problem, unable to recall his identity or the way he ended up in a hotel room in New York. To make things even worse he is held hostage by some violent individuals who are not willing to give an explanation of any sort and instead plan to take him outside and murder him. As you enter this role you discover that this is the least of your problems, when the hotel itself crumbles, zombies swarm the building and take control of a huge part of the city.

From this moment on the entire game becomes a race to Central Park, the source of the paranormal activity and the root of all evils. Finding your way through the sinister sewers, the undead infested streets or the unstable structures is an exciting endeavor, because killing zombies is just the tip of the iceberg. Puzzles of different types are scattered all around and even if there are multiple ways to overcome each dazzling situation it's inevitable to get stuck from time to time in one area trying to find the solution.

This is where an innovative concept introduced by Eden kicks in, as you are allowed to skip any sequence or even an entire episode so there is little worry of getting permanently stuck in a certain area due to a complicated puzzle. Of course this is one clever addition to this genre but it may backfire as you have the possibility of completing the game without playing a significant part. Then again, I doubt that anyone who bought the game will try to "cheat" and jump to the conclusion while missing most of the content, by skipping challenging puzzles or boss fights.

Zombies are a constant threat even if you don't have to exterminate legions of these undead menaces in order to progress to the next stage; while not extremely numerous they are very resilient and the only way to exterminate them is through fire, which is a central element in Alone in the Dark. Any wooden object can be set on fire and it's enough to touch your enemy with a flaming chair to send him back into the fiery depths of hell, but of course there are some other, more spectacular methods to get the job done.