Charmed699: I recently read that the Wii version will have these really special
menus that make you look into your coat for items and the health is how badly
wounded you are. I was wondering if this means that the same will happen on the
other versions too?
Nour Polloni: Yes, the features you're talking about exist in the versions of the game
we're developing, so Xbox 360, PC and PS3. The inventory is in real time in Carnby's
jacket, so he can only carry what you could realistically carry in real life, and you
don't want to spend too long browsing if there's something nasty coming at you fast.
To make sure gameplay stays fast and fluid we added a couple of systems - a quick
draw button lets you pull out or put back the last thing in your inventory and also
scroll through what you've got, then a shortcut system lets you assign favourite
combinations of items to a single button on the pad so a Molotov cocktail is never
more than a button push away, if you've got all the stuff you need in your inventory
already that is.
Dirty Riley: Why does Carnby not use his signature .038 special?
Nour Polloni: In fact Carnby starts the game with nothing and he finds the gun he
uses, and sadly you don't find so many .38 specials lying around New York these
days!
Dirty Riley: As we all know the last we saw of Carnby, he saved Emily Hartwood
from Jed Stone. Will we see Emily Hartwood in the game? If not, will we discover
what happened with her?
Nour Polloni: There are some mysteries we think are best left unexplained! Even if
Emily doesn't make an appearance, there's still a few little touches that will raise a
smile for those who played the first game.
Redtool: Will there be any references to the old parts? If its the same Carnby as the
original, does that mean there are references at AITD2 and 3 as well? (Like I dont
know some offspring of Jed Stone or maybe a return of one eyed jack) or is it just
referring to the first part only?
Nour Polloni: The first game is the only one that we referenced, because that's the
one we all love and that created the legacy of innovation that we're trying to live up to
with our game. The keen eyed player will spot a number of references to that first
game in the new one, but none of the others.
Redtool: In Alone in the dark 4: the new nightmare, a different Carnby was
introduced, apparently having no connection or whatsoever with the original Carnby
in the trilogy, whats the reason the 'old' Carnby was chosen and not this one? Would
have made more sense, as with the timeline and everything. Also on the box art that
Carnby looks more like the one of The New Nightmare. My question is: is the Carnby
of part 4 being entirely left out and should we assume Alone in the Dark 4 never took
place?
Nour Polloni: The new Alone in the Dark is really a new game. It's the spiritual
sequel to the very first one in that we're working to live up to its huge video gaming
legacy by doing something really new and exciting. In homage to the first game we
took the same Edward Carnby (albeit with a radical makeover and some clever new
tricks) and threw him 80 years ahead without ageing a day.
Nwata: Will there be any online features to the game ? DLC, Leaderboards... Co-op?
Nour Polloni: There will be Xbox 360 achievements, but the game doesn't lend itself
to leaderboards, and it's single player. The TV season style format lends itself to the
delivery of new episodes and DLC is something we'll be looking at once the game
launches. There's nothing confirmed yet though.
Nwata: Will the HUD be permanent or pop-in and out?
Nour Polloni: One of the goals of the game was complete immersion, so to help
achieve that we've removed as many menu screens and as much of the HUD as
possible. Damage is on body so no health bar, and you check ammo in your
inventory so no ammo bar either. There's still plenty of guidance if you want it, and
occasional menu screens for certain actions where it was needed, but overall we
want to keep you in the game as much as we possibly can.
NecroViolator: Will there be any Camera Angles, like seeing through the eyes of the
Char...
Nour Polloni: You can switch from first to third person at any point during the
gameplay except for when you're shooting which is done in first person and for
certain other situations where we fix the camera to work best with the context. The
first part of the game you play in first person and you have to blink your eyes
repeatedly to clear blurred vision, so we've really tried to put you in the shoes of
Carnby.
NecroViolator: Will it be any Haunted Mansions ingame ... Love those Mansion
games...he he...
Nour Polloni: There's no haunted mansions this time, but you'll find plenty of great
indoor locations to explore along with the open expanse of the park. If you've ever
heard the legend about the ancient tunnel system beneath Central Park it might give
you a clue in what direction we've expanded the gameplay area to give you even
more dark places to discover...
