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ALONE
IN THE
DARK
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-Complete Guide-
Game: Alone in the Dark
Platform: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Genre: Action, Horror
Developer: Eden Games
Publisher: Atari
Guide By: Kranti Nebhwani, Kranti1992
Version: 0.885 (8/18/2008)
Email: kn_the_glove@hotmail.com
Legal Information
=================
This guide should not be copied, sold, advertised, etc, as a work of your own.
No placing this guide in a website, no using bits of the guide for your own
project if there is no permission from the author. Performing any of the above
actions is strictly prohibited, and is in violation of copyright.
Contact Information
===================
If you need addition help, want to comment or correct, want to quote or use
something I've written, or should you want to place this guide in your site,
please email me before doing so. I'm likely to approve, but you must email me
first for permission. If you want help or you want to comment just send your
email- you don't need to ask for permission or anything, of course.
Websites
========
Below are all the websites that can host this guide. If anyone believes they
have seen this guide in other websites, please email me immediately to inform
me this. If any site wants to post my guide, sure, as long as you ask first.
I'll update my guide and place your website address here if I accept your
request.
1. http://www.gamespot.com
2. http://www.gamefly.com
3. http://www.cheatcc.com
4. http://www.ign.com
5. http://www.gamefaqs.com
6. http://www.neoseeker.com
7. http://www.cheatplanet.com
8. http://www.supercheats.com
Version History
===============
0.1- Guide layout made.
0.2- Finished 'getting started' chapter.
0.5- Finished most of each chapter, waiting to update others.
0.7- Guide 25% finished.
0.8- Finished first Episode in walkthrough and a bit of others, corrected
minor errors, finished 'Characters' chapter, and entire 'game basics'
chapter.
0.85- More minor fixes, added to the Side Activities and Extra's chapters.
0.88- Updated enemies, walkthrough, and extra's chapters.
0.881- Added supercheats.com as another website that'll use my guide.
0.885- Completed enemies chapter for now and up to Episode 3 in walkthrough.
Direct Section Finder System
============================
I have a system, like many other guides, that allows you to find the section
you want to read without the need of scrolling all the way down to find it.
It's a really simple system, though. All my sections have been seperated into
chapters and segments, chapters numbered and segments lettered. You can then
simply find any section, by pressing ctrl+f and typing in the segment or chap-
ter title, number and/or letter. For example, if I was looking for the game
controls for the game, I would search "2.b)" and since that is the only "2.b)"
in the guide, it will bring you there. That simple.
(c)Copyright Kranti Nebhwani 2008
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~Table of Contents~
##############################################################################
Chapter 1..... Introduction
Chapter 2..... Getting Started
2.a) Playing Alone in the Dark
2.b) Game Controls
2.c) Game Interface
2.d) The Starting Plot
Chapter 3..... Game Basics
3.a) Moving Around
3.b) The Camera
3.c) Third Person - First Person
3.d) Platforming
3.e) Climbing Ropes & Cables
3.f) PDA
3.g) Melee Combat
3.h) Ranged Combat
3.i) Interacting
3.j) Using/Driving Cars
3.k) Combining Items
3.l) Using Fire
3.m) Puzzles
3.n) The Enemies
3.o) Useful & Key Items
3.p) Environment
3.q) Episodes & Sequences
3.r) Health and Healing
3.s) Your Inventory
3.t) Area Lighting
Chapter 4..... The Characters
4.a) Tuning In
4.b) The Entire Cast
Chapter 5..... Enemies & Tactics
5.a) Ah, Foes..
5.b) General Tactics
5.c) The Enemies
Chapter 6..... Main Campaign
6.a) Introduction
6.b) Episode 1- Blackout
--Sequence 1: Wake Up
--Sequence 2: Vertigo
--Sequence 3: Fire Escape
--Sequence 4: Don't Look Down!
--Sequence 5: 24th Floor
6.c) Episode 2- Questions
--Sequence 1: Unexpected Meeting
--Sequence 2: Reception Hall
--Sequence 3: Do I Know You?
--Sequence 4: Parking
--Sequence 5: 59th Street
6.d) Episode 3- Painful Answers
--Sequence 1: Call 911
--Sequence 2: Down the Fissure
--Sequence 3: Filthy Waters
--Sequence 4: Stiches and Truth
6.e) Episode 4- Fight Back and Loss
--Sequence 1: Ride to the Museum
--Sequence 2: The Nest
--Sequence 3: The Kidnapping
--Sequence 4: Fight the Living Scar
6.f) Episode 5- Note Alone Anymore
--Sequence 1: Bring Her Back
--Sequence 2: Museum's Visitors
--Sequence 3: The Huge One
--Sequence 4: One Step From the Truth
6.g) Episode 6- Truth
--Sequence 1: Room 943
--Sequence 2: An Ancient Path
--Sequence 3: Light From the Sky
6.h) Episode 7- Path of Light
--Sequence 1- Hang On!
--Sequence 2:
--Sequence 3:
--Sequence 4:
6.i) Episode 8-
6.j) Achievements (1)
Chapter 7..... Side Activities
7.a) The Good and the Bad
7.b) Side Activities
--Side Stuff
--Side Jobs
--Root Evils
--Achievements (2)
Chapter 8..... Extras
8.a) The Review
8.b) Frequently Asked Questions
8.c) Cheats 'n' Codes
8.d) Tricks and Glitches
8.e) Achievements (3)
Chapter 9..... Closing
9.a) Final Words
9.b) I'll Be Back
Chapter 10..... Credits
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Chapter 1..... Introduction
~"Introductions are a must"
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After playing this game, I only have two words to say. It's good. It may not
be everyone's dream game, but then again, no game really is. Some games are
made for certain people and some have fun while others do not. Alone in the
Dark is a gem though, one that is so unique you owe it to yourself to give it
a try. Yes, not every single person out there will like it- it has it's own
share of flaws, but it's definitely worth the attempt. Because what Alone in
the Dark is is more than words can explain. It must be experienced first hand.
I personally do not see much flaws in this game. The flaws are minor, and can
be easily ignored as if it was designed that way for a purpose. The occasional
weapons partially going through doors might be designed that way because they
didn't want the character to be pushed off walls just because they're holding
a weapon. Again, this depends on if the game interests you or not. I have
never played this type of game before, meaning a game with a horror, puzzle
genre. But this still completely grasped me tight, and I suggest you look into
it yourself. Flaws aside, let's talk about some of the good stuff.
Before anything else, before reading the guide or starting the game, know that
this is a survival action game, basically. This is good stuff. You have many
chances to interact with a wide variety of objects, pick them up for later
use. They will not only be used for puzzles, they can be used against enemies,
to refill flashlight batteries, and so on. What's more, you can combine items
for different situations. The game includes many nice camera angles, game
moments, a good story, good graphics, nice themes and sound effects, varied
game play (platforming, puzzling, combat, driving, exploring, scavenging, and
so on), and presentation. You will not have played a game like this before.
The story is simply about you uncovering secrets of evil in Central Park, but
it gets deep and intriguing as the story moves on.
Anyways, the game is one of my favourites now on any console, so I've decided
to make a guide for it. This guide will be the ultimate for Alone in the Dark,
more than enough for you to beat it and become an expert. This guide will also
allow you to get as much out of the game as possible, seeing the game's length
is only average, you should appreciate this. I've included all the extra stuff
to do, all the ways of acquiring achievements, some neat tricks and codes to
use, and some nice ways of playing the game differently. The layout of the
guide is simple, there's all the legal & guide information above the table of
contents and below it are all the guide features.
The table of contents shows you where every bit of information is. I've inclu-
ded not only the main walkthrough, but side chapters such as the enemies
chapter, characters chapter, and a full, detailed basics section. Note that
the basics section is not only for beginners, but also for experts who want
some hints. Then there are the side activites chapter naming all the side
stuff you could do, which is followed by the extras chapter which is a list of
all the cool extra stuff to check out. It's a game that allows you to dig for
more stuff, and right here I've done it for you. Also take note that with each
chapter title there's a quote that goes with it. Just thought it would add to
the atmosphere of the guide. Now then, enjoy the game, have fun. And read my
guide.
...
Before we actually start though, I would like you to know a bit about myself.
I have been a hard core gamer for around 10 years, and will be until I'm old.
Well there is a lot to say about myself in the gaming world actually but I'll
break it into a easy section for you to know me just a little bit better..
Note that this section is only for people who are interested in learning about
the author, and has nothing really to do with the game. Just so you know. This
is my story, about how I got into gaming right to where I got this game:
My whole gaming experience started way back when I was a kid of age 7, when I
got my first gaming console- the NES. It was a great experience, and it still
reminds me of the great super mario bros and other cool games. But obviously
the NES didn't start making me game regularly since I was small. A year after
my beloved aunt gave me a SNES and it was even better, soccer games, mario
kart and the like was all a great experience. But then again they were treated
more like toys than real consoles, so my real gaming experience didn't quite
start there. Not until 1 and a half years later when my aunt (aw she's great)
gave me my first console which I did love and pick games for- the sony's
playstation. I had over 50 games on the PS, and I tryed to get through most of
them instead of playing each a bit everytime just for fun. I had It for one &
half more years before my dad finaly let me buy the Xbox, which was actually
the real start of my gaming experience. I chose games more carefully, read
reviews and news about games, tryed to complete every game to 100 %, started
to listen to the games story, and also started to make my own reviews and
guides. I've had it for more than 4 years, and I have over 50 games on it.
Finaly I recieved my PSP sometime last year, which I give the same respect to.
So y'see, I have a pretty straight forward gaming life, but the places I cant
forget is the times I played games like Final Fantasty on PS, Halo 1 & 2,
Conker: Live & Reloaded, and Star Wars: KOTOR on the Xbox.
The best part is after 4 years, I recieved the XBOX 360!! Now I only own 15
games because I've only got it for half a year, but games like Gears of War,
Kameo, and Bioshock are awesome and showed me how amazing games can be. But a
couple of months ago I recieved Mass Effect, which became one of my favourite
games, and it's one of he best RPGs IMO along with Fable: TLC. Mass Effect got
me right back into the Role-Playing genre, and I decided to buy Oblivion. I
knew people said it was the best, and I've wanted it but I never got round to
getting it. I did and I was so, very amazed. It's the best game I know, let
alone the best RPG game I own. I knew nothing would make me stop playing, and
I played around 100 hours with it. One game pulled me out of Oblivion's hold
though. And it was this game, Alone in the Dark. Believe it or not, give this
anticipated game a try and you'll find hiding underneath the varied reviews is
a true gem. I found it's highlights, and now it's one of my best titles. I
think I'm never going to find another game like this anymore. Maybe this will
apply to you as well, so just go and buy it, if you haven't yet.
...
Ok enough chit-chat. Now, onwards.
your pal, Kranti
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Chapter 2..... Getting Started
~"Baby steps- crawl before you walk."
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This section is the basics of the basics. It's the baby steps. I know people
out there have a manual for the game, but heck, people still include stuff
like the controls in their guides. This is because some people don't have the
manual, and some people don't bother looking. There's more influence here
though, and my suggestion is everyone learn the stuff here before you play.
You'll have a better experience right off the bat, being prepared for the game
beforehand.
..............................................................................
2.a) Playing Alone in the Dark
..............................................................................
There is actually two meanings to this title. One is how you are going to play
this game, "Alone in the Dark", and the other is that you are going to play it
alone in the dark. The latter creates an even creepier and cooler atmosphere.
However, the former is the topic we are going to talk about- actually playing
this game.
Why is this in the getting started section? Well because this game plays very
different than others. Few play alike, and a many do not even come close. How
you play this game is for half of the time depended on you, and the other half
depended on which section of the game you got up to. This is because you have
some freedom in the game, more in some areas than others though. You can make
your own cool tools and weapons by combining items, you can find different
things than other people and use different methods to take out enemies. There
is no limit to the things you can do- if you have the items and situations to
try it out, you can do it. If there is fire for example, and a chair nearby,
you can grab it and set it on fire. This can light areas up (if they're dark)
and this also makes the chair an awesome weapon.
The thing is, Alone in the Dark is a puzzle game, platform game and action
game all combined. This means you'll have to prepare to jump across certain
areas, climb various things, solve problems and puzzles, as well as take on a
variety of foes in ways you see fit. The game's objectives are not always very
linear, so sometimes you've got to go searching for them as well. When playing
always keep in mind that the next segment might have a twist or surprise. This
does not say the game is scary enough to surprise you so much you stop playing
or need to take breaks, but it's good thrills and plot twists. There are also
many game play moments, like things suddenly start falling apart and a monster
dropping down dead from a hole above.
Now the final suggestions I can give you when you play this game is to keep an
open mind, and have fun. It's that simple, believe it or not. Use your tools
at your disposal, create nifety weapons and map them as your "favourites". If
you find that there's no light, turn on your flashlight or find sources of
light. Fire's not the only way here, you may be able to find a switch or some
thing to turn on some lights. The other big section, driving, is pretty linear
and easy. Just treat it as GTA. The controls are worse than GTA, yes, but the
premise is the same. Drive to the location you want, avoid any thugs you don't
want to deal with. Read the "Game Basics" chapter for more information on the
game play of Alone in the Dark.
..............................................................................
2.b) Game Controls
..............................................................................
Every game has it's own set of controls, and so does Alone in the Dark. The
controls in this game are pretty complicated as well, so I would recommend
reading this section before playing the game. You can get use to the controls
in around 30 minutes though, as they're layed out comfortable and suitably.
Third Person Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left Thumbstick- Move Edward Carnby.
(Click) Quick 180 degrees turn.
Right Thumbstick- Small camera adjustments (when available).
(With melee weapon in hand) Strike with weapon.
(Click) Look back. (Hold) Keep looking back.
A Button- Interact, pick up weapon/items.
(Hold while moving) Run.
X Button- Jump.
B Button- Drop weapon in hand, drop off ledge/cable (if hanging off one).
Y Button- Switch from this view to first person view.
Left Trigger- Lock-on to enemy (with weapon in hand).
Right Trigger- Toss throwable object/item.
Left Bumper- Cycle through left hand items.
(Hold) Put back left hand item.
Right Bumper- Cycle through right hand items/weapons.
(Hold) Put back right hand item/weapon.
Direction Pad..
Up- (Hold) Show favourites.
Left or Right- Enter Healing Mode.
Down- Open your inventory.
..
Start Button- Pause game, access pause menu and Episode Information screen.
Back Button- Open your PDA.
First Person Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left Thumbstick- Strafe left/right, move forwards/backwards.
Right Thumbstick- Look/turn.
(Click) Blink.
(Hold) Close eyes.
A Button- Interact, pick up items.
(Hold while moving) Run.
X Button- Jump.
B Button- Reload (with gun in hand).
Drop off ledge/cable (if hanging off one).
Y Button- Switch from this view to third person view.
Right Trigger- Fire in-hand weapon.
Left Bumper- Cycle through left hand items.
Right Bumper- Cycle through right hand items.
Direction Pad\\\
Up- (Hold) Show favourites.
Left or Right- Enter Healing Mode.
Down- Open your inventory.
///
Start Button- Pause game, access pause menu and Episode Information screen.
Back Button- Open your PDA.
Driving Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left Thumbstick- Steer Car.
Right Thumbstick- Rotate camera.
(Click) Look back (only in third person view).
A Button- Hand Brake. Interact (when car not started and in first person mode.
X Button- (Together with pressing left with your left thumbstick)
Eject from car.
B Button- (Together with pressing left with your left thumbstick)
Eject from car.
Y Button- Change Camera.
Left Trigger- Brake, Reverse.
Right Trigger- Accelerate.
Left Bumper- Turn on/off headlights.
Start Button- Pause game, access pause menu and Episode Information screen.
Back Button- Open your PDA.
Mischallaneous Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- On a cable or rope
Left Thumbstick- Left or Right: Wall run left or right.
Up or Down: Climb up or down rope/cable.
X Button- Jump off wall (to jump over and avoid certain obstacles).
B Button- Jump off rope (direction determined by left thumbstick direction).
Y Button- Change camera (third person or first person).
Right Bumper- Pull out/put back gun.
Start Button- Pause game, access pause menu and Episode Information screen.
Back Button- Open your PDA.
-- Hanging on a ledge
Left Thumbstick- Left or Right: Shimmy along ledge left or right.
Up or Down: Pull yourself up or drop down.
X Button- Pull yourself up (if there is enough space).
B Button- Drop down from ledge.
Y Button- Change camera (first person or third person).
Start Button- Pause game, access pause menu and Episode Information screen.
Back Button- Open your PDA.
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2.c) Game Interface
..............................................................................
Thanks to Eden Game's marvellous screen design, you've got a game with some
reallly nice screen information. Normally in games like this there is some
sort of health bar, health blocks or the like, but there isn't. Something else
represents your health. There is no other icons on screen normally as well,
but there are ways to check your current items and statuses. It's all done
expertly- you're surely going to enjoy the creative interface Alone in the
Dark offers. But first of all, you have to learn it.
++++++
Health
++++++
Your health cannot be seen by you directly, there's no health bar or the like
to be found anywhere. When you recieve damage though, your screen flashes red
and sometimes white to indicate that you have been hit in some way. This might
be an enemy's attack or by environmental damage. Also, as you take more and
more damage your character will start to have more and more scars and cuts.
When your character reaches it's limit and starts to lose too much blood, a
timer with your heart pulse on the bottom left appears. This is the count down
till you die, until you can find a way to heal yourself (read next section).
If you have healing sprays or bandages you can heal your wounds. Check the
basics section for more information.
+++++++++++++++
Countdown Pulse
+++++++++++++++
Your pulse will start to slow after you get hit a little too many times by
enemies. A timer along with your heart's pulse will appear as a red icon at
the bottom left of your screen when you are in this critical condition. The
timer will usually be running down at a reasonable speed, giving you a lot of
chance to heal yourself and stop the timer. If the timer runs out, you simply
die and restart from a checkpoint. A nice touch to the game, really.
+++++++++++++++++
Interacting Icons
+++++++++++++++++
These are context sensitive icons you'll find as you get close to an interact-
able object. An example is when you're near a door, you'll see an icon pop up
on the lower right of the screen with the button A beside it. This simply
means you need to press A to interact with the object, and in this case it's
interacting with the door. How you interact with the environment when you
press A is depended on the icon. There are a variety of different icons with
a meaning behind each. Here are all the icons you'll see and what they mean:
Operate Icon: This icon appears as two cogs next to each other. When this icon
is on your screen, it means that the object you are facing in your view can be
operated. This icon applies to many different environmental objects, with the
most common being doors. Press A to open the door, operate the switch, etc.
Rappel Icon: There are certain ropes and cables that allow you to rappel on.
If you get near one this icon appears- an icon of a hands grabbing a rope. You
can normally just jump on any rope or cable, but if you're close this icon
still appears and you can use the A button to slowly climb onto it.
Maneuverable Object Icon: Some objects cannot be picked up and used as a
weapon, but however can be pulled or pushed on the ground to where you desire.
When near one of these objects, an icon with a figure pushing a table appears.
Press A to place your hands onto the object and then with the left thumbstick
you can maneuver the object.
Melee Weapon Icon: Certain household items, general tools, and weapons can be
picked up and used against the foes in Alone in the Dark. When in close proxi-
mity with these objects, you will find an icon with a figure holding a weapon
appear. An asterix to the top left of the icon also indicates that it is a
weapon. You can then press A to pick the object up, which can then be used. If
there is a flame sign to the upper right of the icon it means that this weapon
or object is flammable. Stick it into fire to ignite it.
Item Icon: Some items can be stored into your inventory and used in various
ways later on. When near these items an icon will appear indicating you can
pick them up. Press A to do so, and those items will be added to your invento-
ry providing you still have space for it. Different items have different icon
pictures of course, so these item icons sum all the different storable item
icons up. Things like this include batteries, sticky tape, and a lighter.
Fire Extinguisher Icon: This means you are in near a fire extinguisher that
can be picked up and used. Press A to pick the extinguisher up. Note that it
can be used to put out flames in first person, and used as a weapon in third
person.
Pull Bodies Icon: A picture of a figure pulling another figure's leg is this
icon. When this icon appears on your screen, the dead person or body in front
of you can be pulled around and repositioned. Press A when this icon is prese-
nt to grab it's legs, and you can then drag the body around.
+++++++++++++++
Targeting Laser
+++++++++++++++
There are shooting sections in the game, though you only have one gun since
this isn't a shooter. However, your pistol is all you need. When using your
pistol you actually have to shoot in first person mode, making this game more
unique than other action games with this mix. The targeting reticle is not a
lame icon though, it's a decent targeting laser. The red spot will shimmer and
gleam around objects, but still provide good aiming before you pull the
trigger. It appears at the center of your screen as a laser red spot.
++++++++
Area Map
++++++++
The nice area map is actually one of the only things that are on your HUD
(Heads Up Display) when you travel around Central Park. The Area Map allows
you to learn your way around the varied and nice areas, as well as reach
objectives or certain places you want to go. There's a bigger version of the
map in your PDA though. The arrow indicated your position and which way you
are facing, while the blue car-like icons indicate vehicle locations. The
lines drawn on the map are the available paths/roads.
..............................................................................
2.d) The Starting Plot
..............................................................................
Before you really start going into the game and all that, you will probably be
better off if you read this short section. This section very briefly describes
the story that the game starts with, so you know what you're actually playing
with.
Edward Carnby, for some strange and unexplanable reason is almost unconcious.
He's almost fainting when he notices two strange people talking about him. An
old guy calls out his name- Edward, though he does not remember his own name.
Then the boss of the two comes in and ends their fighting. Another dude comes
up to Edward and watches over him. The boss says he wants Edward dead. The
thing is he doesn't even know what he has done.
The dude watching over him takes him up some stairs and through a door or two.
Suddenly, a fissure running through the floor and wall appears. The dude thin-
ks that this is Edward's work, and yells at him. He doesn't get to do anything
to Edward though, as soon the fissure runs below him and something sucks him
down. He dies and everything in Edward's mind is a mess. Walking through a
door, he finds a mirror, sees himself and cannot recall what he used to look
like.
Then it's up to him to search for his past, what the hell is happening in this
world now, and escape all this mess. Bit by bit he'll find out about the
special stone, what the enemies are, who he was and how to end all of this.
And it's up to YOU, will help him do that.
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Chapter 3..... Game Basics
~"Ways of Mastering"
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This chapter covers the entire game's gameplay features. You'll learn about
almost everything, if not all, to do with playing Alone in the Dark. It's
quite a deep game with a lot of interacting and ways of playing, so there's a
lot to learn. On the plus side, if you learn all of this you will be able to
master the game quicker than anyone else. Although this section is recommended
for beginners, average and even expert gamers could improve by reading this
section. You never know- there might be one or two things you failed to reali-
se when you played through the game. You don't have to read all of this part
at once as well- take your time, read certain parts and read other parts later
when you return.
..............................................................................
3.a) Moving Around
..............................................................................
It's pretty hard to maneuver properly in Alone in the Dark at first, but after
around 20-30 minutes of gameplay you'll be fine. However hard people complain
about the pretty steep learning curve it's not actually as bad as it sounds.
Most of the time it's because they haven't read the manual or actually looked
at the controls and how to move around. So in this small section, that's what
I'm going to teach you. You'll find the game much easier to control right off
the bat.
Understand that Alone in the Dark has it's great moments- awesome scripted
scenes, sections where you walk through great environments or brave through
scary places, and also witness many ways of playing the game. Because of such
a wide variety of game play moments the game is often slow in pace. Accept
that, and you'll have a much better time. A lot of times you'll have to move
around looking for ways to progress, often running into puzzles, platforming
sections or just a hard-to-find exit. Don't worry, it can be interesting this
way. Take your time exploring the area, searching for clues and ways of going
on. If you are really stuck for good- know that this game is at least good
enough to make you stuck. Games are not so fun being easy you know.
But how actually do you make your character move around, and how do you make
them effectively do so? First off you need to learn when to use the third
person mode and when to use the first person mode. The third person mode makes
viewing the area around you much faster and makes you able to know if there is
a wall behind you, to the far left and so on. With first person, you can cont-
rol where you look, but your view is much more focused. This means it's harder
to watch your back for obstacles and enemies, but on the plus side you can
focus on certain targets more and look where you want. Learn to change the
view to suit your needs- down a long gloomy corridor? Flip to third person so
you can hold the right thumbstick to view what's behind. Is the camera getting
in the way with the third person down the now too-narrow corridors? Flip to
first person for the straight forward view.
Moving Edward Carnby himself is quite an easy task though. Simply use the left
thumbstick to make him walk around. In third person this allows you to turn or
walk anywhere. When in first person mode, use the right thumbstick to turn.
If you need to run, press and hold the A button then move to sprint. Avoid the
tiny areas that looks like you'll get stuck in, and you won't ever find it
hard to maneuver. To latch onto a higher ledge, press X to jump up and catch
the ledge. Same goes with ropes and cables. If you have to walk over narrow
precipieces, take your time and walk slowly. This is all common sense really,
just think about things before you act to avoid having a hard time moving.
The environments are for most of the time large and varied, so you shouldn't
have problems anyhow, assuming you listen to my suggestions.
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3.b) The Camera
..............................................................................
There are actually three types of cameras in this game- third person locked,
third person action, and first person. With third person action, you have the
normal Alone in the Dark and Silent Hill cameras. You move around with a
behind the shoulder view, and occasionally the camera flips to different
angles to make the game more cinematic and cool. This might get confusing a
little bit sometimes, but in general this camera is good and offers some very
nice angles when playing through. Third person locked is the camera mode that
takes effect when you are holding a melee weapon or you've locked onto an
enemy. Your character from here never turns and faces the screen, your camera
is stuck to viewing Edward's back. This makes the combat much more focused and
easy to aim. When you lock on, your sights never leave the enemy. For first
person cameras I think it's straightforward. With this camera mode you look
around yourself with the right thumbstick and walk/strafe with the left. This
camera is the best for examining items and areas.
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3.c) Third Person - First Person
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One of the excellent things Alone in the Dark accomplishes is a fluent transi-
tion between first and third person views. In games that uses Alone in the
Dark's camera such as the silent hill games, suffer the problem of not being
able to focus on certain areas of the environment. This is because there is
no option to rotate the camera around your character, with camera angles
altering as you move through the environment. However with Alone in the Dark
you can enjoy the cool camera angles while flipping to first person mode when
you need to look at things up close and personal. This way no one can really
complain about camera- there's both types for people to choose.
The third person view is actually the classic and main camera used for this
game. This game makes the camera seem like it's from a movie rather than a
game. The angle of the camera changes as you enter different rooms or search
in different areas. Sometimes the camera doesn't change much but it often
does. When it doesn't, it's the normal behind-the-shoulder view. Your game
should be viewed in third person for 75% of the time, since platforming,
fighting, and solving puzzles are easier this way. You also get to see more
of the awesome environment. If you're in first person mode, press the Y button
to switch back to the third person view. Note on how the camera will switch to
third person whenever you pick up a melee weapon.
The first person mode is a very welcomed camera view. You can finally accurat-
ely look at items of interest and examine certain environments you otherwise
cannot have done as well with the third person view. If you happen to like
first person games or shooters, you'll love the view here. You'll be able to
see the various items and tools Edward holds up with his hands, including
flashlights, explosive bottles and even fire extinguishers (which can be used
in first person mode). The camera also changes to first person automatically
whenever you open containers such as cabinets, so you can look around for
items to pick up. You should return to third person when you finish looking
through though. To switch to first person view, press the Y button while in
third person mode.
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3.d) Platforming
..............................................................................
Believe it or not, Alone in the Dark includes more elements to it's game play
than combat, exploring and puzzles. It's also a survival game, where you try
combine things up and search for goodies to keep you alive, but on top of that
it also has quite a few platforming areas. These areas are fun, natural, and
fits extremely well with the other parts of the game. If you gave someone this
game and only let them play a certain platforming area, they will think this
is that type of adventure game. The platforming done in Alone in the Dark does
need some practice to get use to though, so read this section to learn all
about it.
There are many ways to allow you to platform and reach certain areas of any
room or location. First off, you can simply jump across/over or onto some
thing. When jumping up so that your arms can reach a ledge above, you will
automatically grab onto the ledge. You can then press X to pull yourself up to
reach that area. If you press B, you will drop down instead. Also know that
jumping is easier in either camera views depending on the situation. Sometimes
it's easier with the third person view, others with the first person view. If
you want to aim the jump better you should use the first person view, but if
you want to get off a better jump right off the ledge you should use the third
person view. Heavy tables and objects can sometimes be pulled next to a higher
ledge so that you can climb onto it then jump up to grab the ledge. You can
also use ropes and cables to help you platform. If you see a cable jump or
press A near it to grab onto it. Then you can climb to or near to where you
want and swing and press B to jump off to another area. So platforming is
simple, but still watch out with your aim when jumping and dropping off ledges
as it will often result in accidental deaths. Use the two different camera
views to make sure you are aiming right for maximum accuracy before attempting
a jump.
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3.e) Climbing Ropes & Cables
..............................................................................
Climbing ropes and cables can actually be fun in Alone in the Dark. Most of
the times you can pull of cull maneuvers like jump off the wall to avoid obje-
cts or pull out your gun to take out some enemies will hanging off a cable up
a cliff. It's actually easy to pull of these moves though, as you're about to
learn.
As you can see from the 'game controls' section of the 'getting started'
chapter, grabbing onto a cable and performing moves on it is simple and easy
to get use to. When you find a rope or cable, you can just walk up to it and
when the icon appears, press A to latch onto it. Cables at a distance can also
be used by jumping onto them with the X button. To climb up or down a cable
just press up or down on the left thumbstick.
You can also turn around to face different directions if you're hanging with
nothing beside you. To do this, press left or right on the left thumbstick. If
there'a a wall or big enough structure beside you though, you can walk run
across the structure/wall to the left or right by using the left thumbstick.
To jump off the rope or just let go, press the B button. When you have a
structure or wall you can put your feet on, you can also press the X button to
jump off the wall while holding the cable/rope to avoid certain obstacles.
Note: You can view climbing, jumping onto and jumping off cables/ropes in
first person as well. However the camera often changes back into third person
when you jump off or on, so you have to change it yourself with the Y button.
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3.f) PDA
..............................................................................
The PDA is a phone and a handy machine that shows you the area map, messages,
your contacts or the settings for your PDA. You don't get it until around 2-3
hours into the game, but you'll have it for the remainder of the game (around
6-10 hours, depending on how you play) and it will help dearly. Not only does
it show you the entire map of Central Park, it also provides invaluable messa-
ges sent by various people which fills in a lot of the back story and gives
hints and tips.
There are five main sections to your PDA phone, they are explained below.
Map: This shows the entire Central Park map which you can interact with by
zooming in or out. You can also pan the map to view other areas of
Central Park closer, as you won't be able to see the whole map if you
zoom in close. This is a valuable tool that allows you to pla your route
to certain areas and it also allows you to decide where you want to go
explore.
Messages: Sometimes when people don't call you they will message you instead.
The story is already great with all the cutscenes and conversations
happening here and there, but the messages allow you a chance to
dwelve even deeper into the story and learn more about it. Many text
messages are also hints and helpers with different parts of game
play mechanics. Be sure to read them.
Phone: Your phone not only allows you to dial to anyone out there which you
need to get to (although many random numbers lead to "the line is busy"
you can still reach some people). There are certain sections of the
game where you need to call someone, and you can do so by entering the
numbers on the number circle then selecting the phone icon, or just
press Y to go see your contacts and call them from there directly. I
really thinks this adds to the depth of the game, and really makes
Alone in the Dark even more unique.
Parameters: These are your PDA settings which you can adjust to your liking.
There is four options in total- To change your ringing sound, your
received message alert, if you can see your mini-map or not, and
if the map rotates or not. With these options you can make your
experience suit you a little better. Make sure you check the
options out and see which options fit to your own personal liking.
Contacts: Anyone that calls you (anyone new) will be saved as your personal
contacts found on this page. You can then select any one of your
contacts to call them directly without the need of dialing their
phone numbers. Yet another nice touch by Eden Games.
Objectives: Not a part of your PDA that you can select, it can be seen as soon
as you look at the phone. It's to the left side of the screen
where there's a clear title reading "Objectives". Below this title
you'll receive all your current goals and things to do. Remember
that although you don't get freedom all the time, you'll get some
now and then so go off exploring- don't always follow your current
objective. And when there is an objective you can do it your way.
Root Evil Destroyed: To the left hand side of your PDA screen, will be a
number over 100. Once you've burned the first root evil,
this will start appearing becuase it's keeping track of
how many root evil you have destroyed.
Overall this piece of equipment is very valuable, and should not be forgotten
about. Read the messages for the tips, hints, and to fill in the back story.
The objectives help you know what you have to actually DO to progress. The map
gives you a beautiful and accurate map to find best routes in. Use these tools
guys.
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3.g) Melee Combat
..............................................................................
The melee combat needs some getting use to, but once you do it's a great side
of the already awesome game. Alone in the Dark offers a wide range of melee
weapons, as just about any chunck and stick-like thing you can see can be
picked up. And believe it or not, they all have different damage value. For
most of the time the Katana will deal the most damage, while things like a
small wooden stick wouldn't. But there's the other side to consider- if the
weapon can catch fire. If it can, you can light it on fire and normally that
will kill enemies for good and much faster.
To pick up a weapon, walk near one and the melee weapons icon will appear.
Then press A and you will pick the weapon up, dropping any other weapon you
had in hand before (not storable items, temporary items). To use the weapon,
you need to pull and then push the right thumbstick. This is actually a nice
feature, since it really feels like you're using the weapon when doing this.
So pulling the right thumbstick left, and then pushing it right allows you to
strike from left to right, which works vice versa. If you do it from up to
down, you'll strike from above to the ground. It needs some getting use to,
since you'll be forgeting to pull the thumbstick before you push it. But after
you get past that the combat is solid and you'll have fun hacking and bashing
the enemies around.
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3.h) Ranged Combat
..............................................................................
Although you may think there's only the 9mm Pistol, the truth is there's more.
There's the different items you can combine to make flamethrowers, molotov
cocktails, and normal wine, fuel or gas canisters that can be thrown and shot
to explode into flames. These are all ranged weapons. To use flamethrowers,
simply press the left or right triggers (if you make one in the first place).
To toss a bottle, use the left thumbstick to aim at where you want to throw it
and pull R. If you continue to hold L you will make it flow in slow motion,
allowing you to shoot it in mid-air. Also there's another pistol you get later
on- the .44 Magnum that holds more bullets and deals slightly more damage.
With pistols and fire extinguishers, simply use the left thumbstick to move
around, right thumbstick to turn and aim, and pull the right trigger to fire
at enemies, items, locks, or fire (for extinguishers).
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3.i) Interacting
..............................................................................
There are many ways to interact with the environment in Alone in the Dark, you
can set things on fire, pick up many different items, pull and drag bodies
around, try reconnecting switches, entering pass codes, and so on. Interacting
is usually all done with the handy A button.
++++++++++
Containers
++++++++++
Containers can be found everywhere- in sewers, hotels, bathrooms, and more.
To open a container approach one (they are usually cabinets, drawers, or lock-
ers), and when the icon appears press A. You'll open the container and in a
cool camera switch you'll look into the container with the first person view.
You can then examine and pick up any items within these containers, assuming
you still have space in your inventory.
++++++++
Switches
++++++++
Switches for lights, electricity, or gas. Those are just some of the switches
you can find. Normally switches will glow red or green depending on their
status- red for offline, green for online. If it's off, you can turn it on by
trying to connect the electricity. If you let the wires touch though, you will
get a nasty damaging shock. So the objective here is to head up to the switch,
press A to open it up and grab both ends of the wires, and try moving it close
to each other but not touching. When you get close enough, an electricity
charge will appear between the wires and wait there for a few sections. This
isn't that easy as the wires respond too quick to your movements. Hold it t
there and you can turn on whatever switch you were working with.
++++++++++++++++
Icon Interacting
++++++++++++++++
There are a vast variety of icons in the game that suggest something is
interactable, all of which are explained in detail below. (Note that this is
another copy of the one in 'getting started').
Operate Icon: This icon appears as two cogs next to each other. When this icon
is on your screen, it means that the object you are facing in your view can be
operated. This icon applies to many different environmental objects, with the
most common being doors. Press A to open the door, operate the switch, etc.