Alone In The Dark Q&A

It's been seven years since the last Alone In The Dark flopped on PlayStation2. Seven years in which Silent Hill 3, Resident Evil 4 and even the likes of Condemned have raised the bar for survival horror.

Seven years is a long time, an eternity in the fast evolving world of videogames, so how does Alone In The Dark plan to reclaim its title as the horror game to be seen playing? We talked to Nour Polloni, Alone In The Dark producer, about the enemies you'll be facing, how it will go about scaring you, how you can protect yourself and if Uwe Boll had been in touch with the team... also check out the brand new screens and video!

We know that Alone In The Dark focuses on Central Park and its dark mysteries... but what exactly is the main threat to Edward Carnby?

At the start of the game Carnby finds himself in the hands of a group of men who plainly plan to kill him. Their threat pales next to the danger that's tearing the city apart however. This violent entity unwittingly frees Carnby from his captors, but after that it's gloves off and Carnby has his work cut out just to stay alive.

Where does the plot fit into the overall timeline of the Alone In The Dark series?

The very first Alone in the Dark is our inspiration and the only game in the series we're making any reference to, so while we don't consider this game a direct sequel to that game, it's that same 1920's same Edward Carnby (albeit without moustache) but plunged 80 years into the future without having aged a day.

There's an enemy the like of which you haven't seen before in a game. It can appear anywhere, at any time. You might hear it coming, but you'll have to move fast to get out of its way. And if you don't, you'd better have something to hang on to.

Apart from Edward Carnby, what can you tell us about the other characters in Alone In The Dark?

The story starts with Carnby held captive by a group of men, led by an unpleasant character called Mr Crowley who clearly wants him dead. Carnby breaks free of his captors as New York and the building he's in starts to tear itself apart around them.

Sarah is someone you meet in the early stages of the story who has a key role to play, then there's Theo who becomes somewhat of a mysterious mentor - he knows much more about Carnby and what's going on than he is able to explain, but what he does say helps Carnby find the right path to follow.

Silent Hill is famous for its psychological horror while Resident Evil has been more about jump scares - how would you describe the scares in Alone In The Dark?

For us the idea of suggested fear is more interesting, so we build tension by having the player worry about what's behind the next door or hiding in a dark corner. Immersion is key to making fear or any other emotion effective. A sense of unease and tension is created in a number of ways, using lighting, cameras, sound design etc. The music is also a vital part of creating atmosphere and tension.

We have a brilliant, haunting score written by Oliver Deriviere with dynamic music which responds intelligently to the gameplay, and a theme which will stay with you long after you've left the game. He recorded an award winning Bulgarian choir called The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices who sing in their own language about what's happening to New York and Carnby. Some bilingual fans have already posted translations on some online threads which can give you an interesting perspective on the game. Music is key, but in fact sometimes a cleverly placed silence is just as effective.