There are some downfalls to the game. The collision detection can be very bad. When you are running around, sometimes you will come to a complete stop without even hitting anything. When going around corners or trying to get past an object, the character tends to run into things that aren't visible. This can get frustrating at times, but you can overcome it by walking in your exact path and not try and quickly corner around objects.
When you are shooting your weapon you have a weapon meter that, when it's full, you can shoot off a round. This feature doesn't work to well if you want to shoot very quickly with your shotgun, rocket launcher, or handgun. When shooting enemies this feature can leave you vulnerable to attacks. With other weapons like the lightning gun or plasma rifle, you don't have to worry about this as they are constant streams of destruction.
There are a few minor graphic glitches in the game that show that the product wasn't polished enough. A few graphic glitches pop-up during gameplay, for example: Carnby disappeared during an in-game movie. I could still hear Carnby speaking, but the character was gone. Small glitches appear after you have just watched an in-game movie while it returns to game. Little bugs like that you will notice but they don't affect the gameplay. There is some slowdown in the game though, but it only happens when there are multiple enemies on-screen.
Being a fan of the genre, there was something that I really didn't like in the game. When you have a key in your inventory and come a door that needs that key, it doesn't automatically use the key in the door. You have to go in your inventory and use the key on the door. This might not sound like a big to deal to many, but it is something that I didn't like in the game.
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Getting that last little gripe out of the way, the character design for the main characters is pretty well done but the monsters and other characters look pretty flat and boring. The zombies just aren't that cool, and the other monsters look almost like aliens or big insects, which would be cool if done right but it wasn't here. If you are expecting characters that are up to the quality of Code Veronica, you will be very disappointed. Also the in-game movies don't look that great. The character's mouths are closed shut when speaking and look very flat. The quality of the intro movie isn't present within the in-game movies.
I enjoyed the first CD of the game, but I didn't get the same enjoyment out of the second disc. I seemed to lose interest during the long stretch of gameplay at the end. The first disc revolves around the haunted house, which is great and I love games that take place in those types of environments, but when you get near the end of the game you suddenly are going through caves and places with lava. This change is scenary didn't do much for me, as it seemed more like something from Tomb Raider, rather than a horror game.
After reading all the bad stuff I found in the game, don't get me wrong Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare is a pretty good game and something that I would recommend any horror fan to play. The game is a good effort by Darkworks and Infogrames, and is well worth the $20. The game does have its downs and leaves room for improvement, but it also has its high points.
Alone In the Dark: The New Nightmare is a great addition to any horror fan's game library, and is a perfect game to pickup for the halloween season.
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