Had my best friend up from New York this weekend for some gaming. We plowed through Lego Indiana Jones which was just as enjoyable as expected. Really psyched for some Lego Batman later this year.

Also, just for shits and giggles, we fired up Alone in the Dark (the new one), which despite my anticipation earlier this year, I had never gotten around to playing.

The experience was pretty much spot-on for what I had heard about the game. Some really outstanding ideas marred by some poor technical execution. The graphics in the game are fantastic, and they provide some great atmosphere. The game’s use of physics as a gameplay element was very enjoyable, and I absolutely loved the health/injury system.

The first ten minutes of the game were terrible. That whole “blink your eyes” bit almost made me turn off the game before I got to any of the fun stuff. Once you get past it, there’s some good stuff to be played.

The inventory system was fresh and exciting, but still just a little bit too clunky, especially since fumbling around in your jacket didn’t pause the game. But it is definitely an idea on the right track and, as with the rest of the game, I’d love to see it refined in a future title.

The camera and some control issues proved to be the game’s biggest downfall for me. When you’re freaking out because some zombie thing is running after you in the dark, the last thing you want is to be fighting with the controls to get your bearings.

The story didn’t grab me in the slightest, but the gameplay was intriguing enough that I wanted to keep playing, even despite the game’s problems.

At this point most of you have either bought the game or dismissed it, but if you happen to see it on the cheap, or up for rental, it might be worth it to check it out, even if just for the handful of things the game does right.