The critically-acclaimed “Alone in the Dark” computer game series from the early to mid-‘90s single-handedly kick-started what is known today as the ‘survival horror’ genre – video games that evoke fear out of the player by placing them in dark and dangerous locations.

Now, after a six year absence, Infogrames is back again with its fourth chapter in the series, dubbed “Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare” (TNN).

But unlike its predecessors, or the more recently-released games inspired by them (such as “Resident Evil or “Silent Hill”), TNN fails to frighten, and is marred by a few flaws that may frustrate rather than satiate. But let’s first cover the basics…

Gamers can choose to play as Edward Carnby, a brave private investigator with a penchant for the supernatural, or Aline Cedrac, a young archaeologist looking for a set of ancient tablets. Both end up stranded on Shadow Island following a plane crash, and each can call for the other via a two-way radio. The story is actually quite good, but I don’t want to give away any of the narrative details.

Much of the gameplay involves slowly navigating through creepy indoor and outdoor environments with a flashlight and weapons (be it traditional ones such as pistols or shotguns, or fantasy firepower such as the disintegrating ‘Photopulsar’ or the ‘Disc-Launcher’ projectile weapon).

Bizarre creatures lurk in the shadows, drop from the ceiling or appear through a portal, and of course you can run or gun at that time. Tension mounts as the hero (or heroine) must reload or change weapons while being attacked by mutant beasts.

There are some puzzle-solving aspects to TNN, such as picking up objects and using them later to advance throughout the level (such as a key or blueprint), while others must be completed at that time, such as turning levers (e.g. to drain a pool of water), pushing furniture or opening a combination lock (with clues provided earlier by reading journal entries, diaries and the like).

If players assume the role of Carnby, they’ll experience considerably more action than his female counterpart, Aline, whose adventure on this haunted isle requires more brains than brawn.

TNN is played from a third-person perspective and features fairly-detailed 3D characters and 2D backgrounds, but the fact the character’s mouths don’t move during cut-scene sequences (coupled with the often-cheesy dialogue) takes away from the all-important ‘suspension of disbelief’.

What was impressive, however, were the many movie-style camera angles used for dramatic effect and the neat lighting effects such as the way the flashlight illuminates off the shrubbery or the walls of the mansion.

So, why was this game only given a ‘C’ grade? There are a bunch ‘o beefs: there’s control problems/bugs where the player can get stuck in corners and objects or cannot change weapons successfully; there’s repetition in the environments (and lots of backtracking necessary to complete a task); and as a frustrating game design decision, players cannot save the game where they want. Yes, that means sections of the game must be repeated until you find a “Charm of Saving” object, and to make matters worse, even if you save the room you’re in, the actions you’ve already completed have to performed once again when the game is loaded.

“Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare” isn’t a bad game by any means, but it really doesn’t offer anything new or exciting to the ‘survival horror’ genre. It’s also bogged down by these aforementioned shortcomings. While it can be fun at times, those who are familiar with the original ‘Alone’ games will likely be disappointed with this eagerly-anticipated sequel.