Alone in the Dark + Play = Unclean underpants.

In Alone in the Dark, combining items is essential for survival, so what better way to start the review than with a combination that sums the game up perfectly? There aren't necessarily any standout moments that are insanely scary, but the general atmosphere and fast paced action will have even the bravest of gamers, spooked.

Fans of hit TV show, 24 will be instantly familiar with the episodic format that runs throughout. There are 8 episode in total, which each represent an hour in a crazy night of Edward Carnby's life. Upon loading up a saved game, players are even presented with a 'previously on Alone in Dark' re-cap.

Taking control of Edward Carnby, a man suffering from amnesia, players must uncover the truth behind who Edward Carnby really is. Why there are people trying to kill him and why there are demonic creatures destroying New York?

The game plays from a mixture of both third and first person perspectives. Some things can be done in third person mode that can't be done in first and vice versa. This can be a little annoying and awkward at first but you will soon get used to it.

The weaponry is probably the most innovative and imaginable that I have seen in a game to date. Instead of grenades, you can shoot bottles of flammable liquids that you throw. If you want to be extra nasty you could put some double-sided tape on the bottle and attach a pack of bullets. Not only will the home-made bomb now stick to the enemy, but also the explosive force will be phenomenal. You could even stuff bandages in the top to make a Molotov cocktail. There are just so many combinations of items that form weapons, and part of the fun of the game is finding them out.

Graphically, Alone in the Dark absolutely rocks. The textures, the detail and the physics of objects and fire is incredible. It's because of this high level of graphical brilliance along with the diversity and variation of weapons that give the game a slight 'Bioshock' feel. With the physics of fire being as good as it is, Alone in the Dark has done for fire what Bioshock did for water - made it look excellent.

Nothing ever lasts forever, but Alone in the Dark doesn't even last for long. If you wanted to, you could probably sit down and play though it on a quite Sunday.

Are you afraid of the dark? You will be.

SCORE: 8 / 10

9:02am Sunday 27th July 2008

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