Alone in the Dark IBM PC MS-DOS 1992 I-MOTION / Infogrames Original Version

Alone in the Dark IBM PC 1992

I-MOTION / Infogrames of France released Alone in the Dark for IBM PC MS-DOS 3.1 in 1992. Designed by Frédérick Raynal and programmed by Franck De Girolami and Frédérick Raynal, Alone in the Dark is a survival horror graphics adventure game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos of 1928 and Chaosium's tabletop role-playing game, Call of Cthulhu of 1981.

Displaying in 256-color VGA 320x200 Alone in the Dark employs 3D pseudo-texture-mapped actors and objects that are placed on and move over pre-rendered 2D backgrounds.

In Alone in the Dark the player assumes the role of either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood, who are seeking to investigate the haunted Derceto mansion located in Louisiana; not only the mansion but also the catacombs beneath it.

 

Alone in the Dark came out FOUR YEARS BEFORE Capcom's Resident Evil of 1996 on the PlayStation. In terms of software and hardware technical advancements four years is a lifetime in the early 90s, which means that I-MOTION was WAY AHEAD of Capcom. Alone in the Dark was the first 3D adventure game to display actors and objects in full-screen 3D (320x200 active-drawspace).

Alone in the Dark employs nine different viewing angles. Every scene is perspective-correct regardless of angle. The 3D models are low-poly but well-animated.

Alone in the Dark characters can walk and run in eight directions as well as jump, climb and attack. The characters can interact with 3D placeables on the playfield. For example, by pushing a cabinet or a chest across the floor. Characters can open and close doors as well as receptacles such as chests and cabinets. Everything is animated.

Basic attacks include punching and kicking whereas weapons include rifle, revolver, bow, sword and dagger. Items are held in an inventory. Items can be consumed, thrown, picked up and put down. Items can also be broken (f.e., throw a vase against the wall to reveal a key in the vase).

Audio-wise, extensive digitized speech is employed for storytelling purposes and music plays at appropriate moments. In addition, footstep sounds change depending on the surface upon which characters are moving.

Alone in the Dark requires an IBM PC AT i80286 clocked at 16 MHz, 580,000 bytes of free conventional RAM, 128K of EMS RAM and VGA graphics card.

Alone in the Dark was distributed on 5x 5.25" 1.2MB DS HD floppy disks or 4x 3.5" 1.44MB HD diskettes. The hard disk drive install size is 5.5 megs (39 files).

Alone in the Dark Manual: 63 pages.

Alone in the Dark copy protection: 250-page picture-booklet.

cf.

• Chronological List of Graphics Adventure Games IBM PC MS-DOS
• Early 1990s IBM PC Games that made Amiga owners jealous
• 1980s IBM PC Games that made Atari ST and Amiga owners jealous
• History of Computer Games 1976-2024
• History of 1990s Computer Games
• History of Shoot 'em Ups 1976-2000
• Western Computer-game Machines