Info about Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare:

Official game description:
From the moment Edward Carnby and Aline Cedrac set foot on Shadow Island, they are confronted by mysterious, evil creatures intent on thwarting their progress to recover 3 ancient tablets believed to hold the secret key to some incredible menacing phenomena. Danger threatens from every corner. The slightest shadow could be hiding deep secrets, or concealing worse nightmares... Can you see beyond your fear?  
Edward Carnby, the supernatural detective is back! And this time it's for revenge. Carnby's best friend, Charles Fiske has been found dead off a mysterious island off the coast of Maine, Shadow Island. Carnby's investigation quickly leads him to Fred Johnson who informs him of Fiske's search for the three ancient tablets which, when placed in a specific location, will unlock an incredible and dangerous power. Johnson pleads with Carnby to pick up where Fiske left off and reopen the investigation in order to recover the tablets. Carnby accepts the mission to find and destroy the murderer of Fiske and avenge his death.  
The original survival horror franchise continues with a pure blend of intense action and suspenseful adventure. Alone in the Dark immerses the player into a dark and strange atmosphere where conventional rules do not apply. The player must overcome his natural fear of the dark unknown and control Edward Carnby through a deep and highly detailed storyline. Armed with a flashlight and a pistol, Carnby must find the necessary items to survive as well as the clues which will help him escape his ultimate nightmare.
Features
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*   The original survival terror franchise is reborn  
*   Incredibly detailed and realistic environments  
*   Dark atmosphere playing with obscurity and light - use your flashlight as a weapon against creatures from the dark  
*   Influenced by H.P. Lovecraft  
*   A gripping script that goes beyond your imagination.  
*   Over 20 characters, in a chilling atmosphere, deep in cinematographical production and realism.  
*   2 totally different, but equally terrifying adventures, combined in one: Will you be Edward Carnby or Aline Cedrac?

Release date: Oct 29, 2013

Categories: Survival Horror, Puzzle Solving, Atmospheric Horror, Fixed Camera Angles, Tank Controls, Resource Management, Exploration, Narrative-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has significant issues related to controller support and the necessity of using Proton Experimental for proper functionality on the Steam Deck. These issues require additional user intervention and detract from the overall experience. However, some users report positive performance on the Steam Deck without additional configuration.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $1.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users find the game to be a good value when purchased at a significantly reduced price, often mentioning prices around $1 to $2. Additionally, there are indications that even half the price of the current base game price is considered more reasonable. This suggests that the community views the fair price range to be much lower than the current base price, likely due to the game's age and the availability of similar experiences at lower costs.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 5.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes direct mentions of playtime metrics. The first quote explicitly states that the average playtime for each character's storyline is 4-5 hours, which is used for both game completion and story completion. The second quote mentions a solid hour of gameplay, which is indicative of a typical session length. The third quote supports the session length by mentioning a testing period of an hour. The fourth quote suggests that the game is played in short bursts, further supporting the session length.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game initially presents friction due to control and technical issues, but becomes enjoyable once these are resolved and players engage with its unique mechanics.
  - Stance: Fun after technical hurdles
  - Anchor: Resolving technical issues and understanding game mechanics
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Rough PC controls; Technical issues requiring tutorials or patches; Excessive backtracking
  - Unlock drivers: Watching tutorials; Applying patches; Understanding game mechanics
  - Conditions: Playing with improved controls; Resolved technical issues; Engaging with interconnected campaigns
- Player Archetypes:
  - Old-School Horror Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and appreciation for classic survival horror mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys tank controls, fixed camera angles, and interconnected storylines.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: old-school player; survival horror fan
    - Reference games: Resident Evil; Silent Hill
  - Horror Newcomer (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploration of new horror experiences and enjoyment of jumpscares.
    - Playstyle: Open to learning and adapting to classic mechanics, enjoys the thrill of horror.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: newcomer; horror fan
    - Reference games: Alone in the Dark
  - Nostalgic Veteran (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and revisiting childhood memories.
    - Playstyle: Willing to tolerate flaws for the sake of nostalgia, enjoys the classic gameplay and story.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: veteran player; nostalgic gamer
    - Reference games: Alone in the Dark; Resident Evil


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Classic survival horror experience (weight 0.51): The game is highly praised for being a classic survival horror experience, reminiscent of early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games. It is recommended for fans of horror games and is considered one of the best in the genre.
- Atmospheric and immersive (weight 0.5): The game is noted for its mysterious and immersive atmosphere, which includes visual aesthetics and an atmospheric soundtrack. This creates a unique and engaging experience for players.
- Interesting story and characters (weight 0.3): The game features an interesting story with deep lore and background. The characters are well-developed and add to the overall narrative structure.
- Nostalgic experience (weight 0.24): Many players find the game to be a nostalgic experience, bringing back memories of classic horror games. It is enjoyed as a piece of nostalgia and a throwback to old-school horror.
- Engaging gameplay (weight 0.22): The gameplay is generally well-received, with players finding it enjoyable and cool. The game includes a good mix of shooting, puzzles, and adventure elements.
- Scary and terrifying (weight 0.22): The game is noted for its ability to create fear and unease, with guaranteed scares and jump scares. It is considered genuinely frightening and leaves a lasting sensory memory.
- Challenging puzzles (weight 0.18): The game features a variety of puzzles that are challenging and require players to think critically. These puzzles are manageable but add depth to the gameplay.
- Inspired by Resident Evil (weight 0.17): The game is inspired by the Resident Evil series and offers a unique take on the formula. It is compared to Resident Evil and Silent Hill, making it a good choice for fans of those games.
- High replayability (weight 0.12): The game offers high replayability with a long gameplay structure and interconnected campaigns. This provides players with a lot of content to explore.
- Good variety of weapons (weight 0.07): The game offers a good variety of powerful weapons, adding to the gameplay experience and providing players with different options for combat.
- Controller support (weight 0.07): The game supports gamepad controllers, making it accessible and playable with different input devices.
- Movement and aiming mechanics (weight 0.07): The game allows for movement while aiming and shooting, adding to the gameplay mechanics and providing a more dynamic experience.

Common complaints:
- Resolution and display problems (weight 0.42): The game suffers from poor resolution support, with many players noting that it only supports low resolutions and has various display issues.
- Poor control scheme (weight 0.4): The game has a control scheme that is widely criticized for being awkward, complicated, and poorly compatible with controllers. Many players find the controls rough and difficult to use.
- Game crashes and softlocks (weight 0.29): The game is prone to crashing and softlocks, with players experiencing bugs that prevent story progression and cause the game to become unplayable.
- Cutscene and video issues (weight 0.22): Players report problems with cutscenes, including black screens and FMV cutscenes not working, as well as general video display issues.
- Disappointing soundtrack (weight 0.17): The music and sound in the game are described as unmemorable, uninspired, and of poor quality, detracting from the overall experience.
- Lack of graphics options (weight 0.15): The game lacks graphics and video configuration options, which limits players' ability to customize their visual experience.
- Language limitations (weight 0.15): The game is only available in English, which limits accessibility for non-English speaking players.
- Navigation and map issues (weight 0.13): Players report significant problems with map navigation, including unclear navigation and map display bugs, making it difficult to progress.
- Poor level design (weight 0.13): Players have criticized the game for its poor level design choices and obscure puzzles, making it difficult to enjoy and progress.
- Outdated gameplay elements (weight 0.12): The game is considered outdated in many aspects, including graphics and gameplay mechanics, compared to modern options.
- Collision detection problems (weight 0.1): Players have noted issues with hit detection and wall collision, making the gameplay experience frustrating and awkward.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.08): The game suffers from optimization and performance issues, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Monotonous combat (weight 0.07): The combat in the game is described as simple and monotonous, lacking depth and variety.
- Item collection bugs (weight 0.07): Players have reported bugs related to item collection and pickup, which can hinder progression and enjoyment.
- Menu and interface problems (weight 0.07): Players have reported issues with the game's menus, including unreadable menus and title menu problems.
- Lack of weapons (weight 0.07): The game has been criticized for its lack of weapons, particularly melee weapons, limiting combat options.

Gameplay feedback:
- Classic survival horror elements (weight 0.33): The game features classic survival horror elements such as fixed camera angles and tank controls, reminiscent of older games in the genre.
- Challenging and varied puzzles (weight 0.29): Players encounter a variety of puzzles that are challenging and require solving to progress. These puzzles are a significant part of the gameplay.
- Dual protagonists with intertwined stories (weight 0.28): The game features two protagonists with different campaigns and intertwined stories, offering varied gameplay experiences.
- Resource management (weight 0.15): The game includes a resource management system where players have limited ammunition and resources, adding to the challenge and strategy.
- Exploration and backtracking (weight 0.15): The game encourages exploration and often requires backtracking to solve puzzles and progress through the story.
- Lighting as a gameplay mechanic (weight 0.15): Lighting plays a crucial role in gameplay, affecting visibility and enemy behavior.
- Enemy respawn mechanics (weight 0.15): Enemies respawn frequently, which can increase the tension and difficulty of the game.
- Frustrating combat mechanics (weight 0.15): Combat in the game can be frustrating due to the mechanics and controls, which some players find difficult to manage.
- Different gameplay styles (weight 0.1): The game offers different gameplay styles depending on the character chosen, adding variety and replayability.
- Lovecraftian horror elements (weight 0.1): The game incorporates Lovecraftian horror elements, adding to its unique atmosphere and story.
- Tension over modern comfort (weight 0.07): The game focuses on creating tension rather than providing modern comforts and ease of play.
- Unique weapons and items (weight 0.07): The game features unique weapons and items that players can use to combat enemies and solve puzzles.
- Replayability value (weight 0.04): The game offers replayability value through different character campaigns and varied gameplay experiences.
- Variety in locations (weight 0.04): The game features a variety of locations to explore, each with its own unique atmosphere and challenges.
- Cinematic cutscenes (weight 0.04): The game includes cinematic cutscenes that enhance the storytelling and immersion.
- Manual save system (weight 0.04): The game uses a manual save system, which can add to the challenge and tension.
- Reading documents for backstories (weight 0.04): Reading documents found throughout the game provides important backstories and context for the characters and plot.

Performance notes:
- Compatibility issues with modern systems (weight 0.4): The game has significant compatibility issues, particularly with modern Windows versions such as Windows 8, 8.1, and 10. Many players report difficulties running the game on these systems without community patches or fixes.
- Poor audio and resolution (weight 0.18): The game has poor sound quality and resolution issues. Some players describe the port as being of low quality, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- Framerate limitations and fluctuations (weight 0.1): Players need to limit the framerate to avoid issues, often capping it at 30-60 FPS. There are also reports of significant FPS fluctuations during gameplay.
- Outdated and complicated controls (weight 0.07): The game's controls are described as outdated and complicated, making it difficult for players to navigate and play the game effectively.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for horror and puzzle fans (weight 0.16): The game is highly recommended for fans of horror, puzzles, and dark storylines. It is particularly suited for those who enjoy survival horror games with engaging plots and challenging puzzles.
- Ideal for retro game enthusiasts (weight 0.13): This game is suggested for fans of retro and classic survival horror games. It appeals to those who appreciate old-school horror game mechanics and aesthetics.
- Play on PlayStation for better experience (weight 0.08): Players are advised to experience the game on PlayStation for an optimal experience. This recommendation is due to potential enhancements or better compatibility on the PlayStation platform.
- Works well on Windows 10 (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for its compatibility with Windows 10, suggesting that it runs smoothly on this operating system without needing patches. It also holds nostalgic value for many players.
- Console versions or emulators recommended (weight 0.07): It is suggested to play the console versions of the game or use emulators for an improved experience, implying that the PC version might have some issues.
- Buy during sales due to technical issues (weight 0.07): It is recommended to buy the game during sales because of potential technical issues, suggesting that the full price might not be justified given these problems.
- Launch options and control changes needed (weight 0.04): Players might need to adjust launch options and controls to have a better experience, indicating some initial setup might be required.
- Only for hardcore players (weight 0.04): This game is recommended only for hardcore players of similar games, indicating a high level of difficulty or niche appeal.
- Worth adding to collection (weight 0.04): The game is considered worth adding to the Alone in the Dark collection, indicating it is a valuable addition for fans of the series.
- Play the 2008 remake instead (weight 0.04): Players are advised to play the 2008 remake of the game instead of the original, indicating that the remake might offer significant improvements or a better overall experience.
- Play the dubbed version (weight 0.04): Players are advised to play the dubbed version of the game, which might offer a better or more authentic experience.
- Stick to Resident Evil and Silent Hill (weight 0.04): Players are recommended to stick to Resident Evil and Silent Hill games instead, suggesting that those series might offer a better experience.
- Often on sale on Humble Bundle (weight 0.04): The game is frequently available at a discount on Humble Bundle, making it an affordable option for those interested in trying it out.
- Recommend playing as Edward Carnby (weight 0.03): Players are recommended to play as Edward Carnby, suggesting that this character might offer a better or more enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Dreamcast version recommended (weight 0.03): The Dreamcast version of the game is recommended, indicating that this version might provide the best experience or have fewer issues.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.29): Players experience nostalgia due to references to classic games and old-school gameplay styles reminiscent of the PlayStation 1 era. Memories of playing the game as children, the game's cult status, and comparisons to other classic survival horror games like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark also contribute to this feeling.
- Frustration (weight 0.28): Frustration stems from various technical issues such as poor PC ports, compatibility problems with modern systems like Windows 10 and 11, and numerous bugs. Players also report difficulties with controls, gameplay mechanics, and issues with cutscenes and sound, making the game challenging to enjoy.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment is primarily caused by the game's lack of updates and improvements, especially in the Steam version. Technical issues, poor sound quality, and incompatibility with modern systems also contribute to this sentiment. Additionally, the lack of community support and obvious plot points add to the disappointment.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement is generated by the game's immersive and terrifying atmosphere, interesting plot, and characters. Recommendations for fans of old-school horror games and the variety in locations and character-specific gameplay also contribute to this feeling.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment comes from the game's immersive atmosphere, good puzzles, and characters. Despite some flaws, players find the game to be a solid survival horror experience, especially for fans of classic horror games.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction is derived from the game working well on various systems, including Windows 10, with some easy fixes. Players also express satisfaction in finally completing the game and resolving technical issues.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy is experienced through the game's great horror atmosphere and engaging storyline. Players find the game to be a great horror experience even after many years.
- Praise (weight 0.02): Praise is given to the game's atmosphere, storytelling, and innovative mechanics. The Brazilian dubbing and different paths for each character are also highlighted as positive aspects.
- Criticism (weight 0.02): Criticism is directed at the game's story, pacing, controls, and some design choices. Outdated graphics and comparisons to other games like Silent Hill 1 also contribute to this sentiment.
- Fear (weight 0.02): Fear is elicited by the game's horror and shock elements, including mentions of tension and screamers. The scary and atmospheric nature of the game contributes to this emotion.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is expressed for the future revival of the series and the potential for a remake. Players hope that the source code of the game is not lost and that the IP owner will do something with it.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from questions about how to set the game to fullscreen and difficulties understanding the story due to the lack of cutscenes.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is felt for the game's artistic qualities and its potential for success. Players appreciate the game's unique aspects and artistic merits.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is expressed over the uncertain future of the franchise. Players are saddened by the lack of updates and the potential end of the series.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is felt when the game works fine on Windows 10 without the need for patching. Players are pleasantly surprised by the game's compatibility with modern systems.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from specific in-game events, such as a character recovering an item, and the game functioning normally after fixes. These positive experiences contribute to the overall happiness.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by the game not working on modern systems. Players express frustration and anger due to compatibility issues and technical problems.}