Alone in the Dark: Illumination is an Unreal Engine 4-powered third-person, class-based shooter set within the universe of Atari's survival horror franchise. In a twist for the franchise, the latest game in the series focuses more on action that every before; taking its cues from horde-based survival shooters like Left 4 Dead.
In a behind-closed-doors demo during PAX Prime 2014, developer Pure FPS walked us through a short section of the game that featured a hunter-class outfitted with a machine gun and dual pistols fighting off waves of attacking enemies.
Unlike 2008's Alone in the Dark which told a very deliberate story through cutscenes and dialog, Pure FPS tells us that the narrative in Illumination is more meta. Players learn about the world through their progression and interaction, similar to the Left 4 Dead universe. Players, for example, will be introduced to each class member as part of the game's narrative progression.
Illumination begins with the hunter who soon discovered the minions of Cthulhu have kidnapped a witch – the second class member. This continues until all four classes, which also includes a priest and engineer, are saved/unlocked for single-player use.
Enemy locations and even layouts are randomized, Pure FPS says. Doors that are open during one playthrough may be locked in subsequent runs. Later levels in the game could see even greater changes in layout every time players step into a match. Levels are completed by venturing from the beginning of the map to a preset end. At the end of the map, a room similar to Left 4 Dead's safe house becomes the goal; however, In Illumination, safe house doors are large mechanically-operated vaults that take time to open and result in players making a "last stand" as they await their haven to become accessible.
Although the game is billed as a co-op shooter on its website, the online component may not be ready when the game launches later this year. Marroquin says if co-op isn't ready, it would be added to the game after launch.
[Image: Atari]
