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Retro-Review: The Revenge of Shinobi [Genesis]

Developer: SEGA of Japan
Publisher: SEGA of America
Released: 1989
Completed: February 23, 2020

I have no shame in admitting that while I love video games, I am far from an expert at them.  I've always been a casual player, in the sense that I usually won't crank the difficulty up or spend hours, days, even weeks or months to "git gud."  I don't mind a challenging game, as long as the challenge is fair.

The Revenge of Shinobi nails that delicate balance between challenging and "OK, this is just stupid."  It requires precise platforming, some memorization, and ninja-like reflexes to best its bosses, but it's all very doable and made easier by the game's generous nature.  Sure, for an extra challenge you can limit the amount of shurikens (which are actually kunai, but whatever) our hero Joe Musashi can hold, but if you just want to go through the game spraying stars everywhere, just go to the options menu.  Yes, you'll still die a lot, but there are at least two places in the game where you can farm extra lives to your heart's content.  There are even multiple endings to incentivize skillful play, but they don't hinge upon what options you pick like so many games of the era do.

The Revenge of Shinobi is, obviously, a sequel to SEGA's arcade smash Shinobi, built exclusively for the Genesis.  The 16-bit hardware does wonders for the presentation, featuring excellent layered backgrounds, large sprites, though the animation is a little simplistic, and a soundtrack by none other than Yuzo Koshiro (of Streets of Rage fame).  In fact, you may notice some of the sound effects in Revenge of Shinobi were reused in Streets of Rage.

As far as sequels go, Revenge is a great blueprint.  Gone are the hostages that need rescuing so the game can focus more on its death-defying platforming and ninja combat.  Joe still has access to several forms of ninja magic that grant him defensive or offensive buffs, and in one case sacrifices a life to severely damage all enemies.  Sadly, the arcade original's bonus stages where you'd chuck shuriken at hordes of enemies in first person did not make the transition, but the game makes up for it with its excellent level design.

Also unlike the arcade ancestor, Joe has a health bar this time around.  This goes a long way to keeping the game fair, and indeed plays into the strategy of using ninja magic at times.  If you're about to bite it anyway, why not use that spell that sacrifices your life and take some enemy ninjas with you?  Instant death is still abundant in the form of pits, which is where the memorization comes in, but the beauty of this game is that it's so well made, you can theoretically beat it with pure skill instead of trial and error deaths.  It's not easy, mind you, but it's possible. 

As a result, deaths rarely feel unfair.  There are a few blind jumps, but you're given enough control over your character that you can steer him towards a safe landing.  The critical double-jump move can be a little finicky at times, which will likely be the biggest source of frustration for most players, but there's nothing along the lines of Ninja Gaiden's infamously cheap enemy placement.

For collectors, it's worth noting there are multiple revisions of the cartridge with some interesting differences.  Unfortunately, it's nigh impossible to tell which revision you've got until you reach that stage in the game.  You see, back in the 80s, nobody paid much attention to things like intellectual property rights.  Consequently, Spider-Man, Batman, Godzilla, Rambo, and The Terminator all make appearances in the earliest revision of the game.  Their graphics were later changed to be less infringing, but the original versions are still out in the wild.  My copy appears to be 1.01, where Batman was changed to a winged devil and Rambo's hair was removed to look less like Sly Stallone, but Spidey and Godzilla remain intact.

However you play it, The Revenge of Shinobi is a damn fine ninja game that does what any good sequel should do.  It improves upon the predecessor (though I admit I miss the bonus stages), and doesn't tarnish the original's reputation.  It's challenging, but also forgiving if you have no qualms about spending a little time to rack up extra lives, and it's so good it may actually be worth your time to "git gud."

The Revenge of Shinobi was completed on a real Genesis with the infinite shuriken cheat.

 

Retro-Review: Rygar [NES]

Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Released: 1987
Completed: February 23, 2020

The NES is full of hidden gems.  I don't like to use that phrase often, because if you say it five times Metal Jesus will appear, but it's hard to describe games like Rygar otherwise.  Following the trend of revamping arcade games to be completely different experiences on the NES, Rygar took what was a fairly straightforward and moderately enjoyable side-scroller and turned it into an early example of non-linear genre-blending adventure.

Going back and playing this in 2020 really makes you realize how ahead of its time it was.  Other than Nintendo's own Metroid, very few action games offered a large world to explore in a relatively open fashion.  Like Metroid, parts of the world are inaccessible until you obtain certain items, but you can technically explore the bulk of it, backtrack through areas, and uncover its secrets at your own pace.  Not only that, Rygar even offers some overhead areas to break up the left-to-right scrolling.

There are some very light RPG elements thrown into the mix.  As you discover more of the world and are bestowed items from NPCs, you'll grow in power.  One could argue the Metroidvania genre could just as easily be called Metrygar, but I guess that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily.  Don't get me wrong; in no way is Rygar a better game than Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - the other half of the Metroidvania equation - but it's clearly cut from the same cloth.  You level up your health and defense by killing enemies, and there are a handful of magic spells to use, in addition to items like the grappling hook that allow you to reach new areas.

The game has a pleasant visual presentation.  When you first start off, it's hard not to be impressed by the beautiful red sky and mountainous region you'll find yourself in.  As you advance and enemies spawn, sprite flicker and slowdown become increasingly prevalent, however.  Rygar's enemies will respawn infinitely, which is good in that you'll need to slay lots of them to level up, but it definitely takes its toll on the NES hardware. 

Throughout your adventure, you'll visit a fairly standard selection of levels, including the obligatory ice level, grassy plains, and the sky temple.  The areas are nice enough to look at, and I always liked the design of the enemies, but as a second generation NES game it's not going to blow you away. 

The music, on the other hand, ranks among some of my favorite soundtracks the NES had to offer.  Right from the get-go, you're treated to some fantastic chiptune music.  The punchy sound of enemies exploding is also incredibly satisfying.

Rygar's controls are the last piece of the puzzle, and there's little to complain about.  You're given a fair amount of control during your jumps, and Rygar himself moves at a decent clip, about on par with Castlevania's Simon Belmont.  There's not much here other than jump and attack, but I'm always amazed by how badly some developers managed to screw that up, so Tecmo still deserves credit for getting it right.

If there's any negatives it's that the game becomes laughably easy once you're fully powered up.  Admittedly, that can take a while if you're playing the game straight and not simply farming enemies early on to breeze through the rest of it. 

The bigger complaint is that there's no password or battery backup, so you must complete this one in a single sitting.  It's not a long game if you know what you're doing or using a walkthrough, but if you don't you could be wandering aimlessly for ages.  The game offers "clues," but like many vintage N#ES games they're often mistranslated gibberish that are more detrimental than helpful.  It's not Simon's Quest bad, but you're more likely to stumble upon the right path than to discern it from the game's clues.

At the end of the day, Rygar is still a fun adventure with excellent music, and solid gameplay.  Like so many NES ports, I enjoy it significantly more than the arcade original, and much credit should be given to Tecmo for giving the game legs for the home market.  In a market crowded with side-scrollers, Rygar stands out once you actually sit down to play it.  It can still be obtained cheaply, so if you're just starting your NES collection, this is an easy recommendation.

Rygar was completed on a real NES with no cheats.

Retro-Review: Double Dragon II: The Revenge [NES]

Developer: Technos Japan
Publisher: Acclaim
Released: 1990
Completed: February 18, 2020

What a difference a few years can make.  The original Double Dragon was a fun, albeit vastly different game on the NES compared to its arcade progenitor.  The same can be said of Double Dragon II, but in the two years since the original port, developers had learned to utilize the hardware much better.  The resulting game is, in my opinion, superior to the original in every way.  In fact, I'd even go so far to say that I enjoy the NES version of DDII more than the arcade original.

As a child, I was so excited for Double Dragon II that I nearly drove my local video rental store employees crazy.  The day it was supposed to come out, I called them every fifteen minutes for about two hours until they finally told me they would set one aside from me - which was not their usual policy - if I would just please stop calling.  True to their word, there was indeed a copy waiting for me when my mom drove me by after work, and I still remember the employee remarking, "So you're the one..."  My excitement was not unfounded because the game is one of the best beat 'em ups the NES has to offer.

There are still limitations, of course.  You can still only have two enemies on screen at once, and they will always be the same two.  This time around, however, two player co-op made the transition!  It might seem silly considering the limited enemies, but DDII is still a challenging game, though sometimes for the wrong reasons. 

The graphics have gotten a nice improvement.  Sprites are larger and more detailed, while the backgrounds are full of color and quite varied.  Sprite flicker is even kept to a minimum.  Enemies have all gotten facelifts, like their arcade counterparts, with Linda now sporting a mohawk, and Williams a Bart Simpson-esque spiky orange 'do. 

The tunes that will grace your ears while you punch and kick your way through the game are even better.  Like the original NES game, Double Dragon II has a killer soundtrack that eclipses even the arcade version for me.

It was not without its problems, however.  For some unfathomable reason, Tradewest decided to retain everyone's least favorite part from the first NES game - the platforming.  In fact, they doubled down and included an obnoxious series of rooms with Mega Man-like disappearing platforms.  That's fine for Mega Man, but it doesn't work for Double Dragon.  The spotty collision detection often results in instant death as you fall through a platform it looks like you landed on perfectly to the spikes below. 

The other sticking point for a lot of people is the revamped control scheme.  Instead of having dedicated punch and kick buttons, Double Dragon II opts for left and right attack buttons, similar to Tradewest's earlier hit Renegade.  There are advantages and disadvantages to this system, as your kicks will always aim in the direction opposite you're facing, giving you a chance to defend yourself from behind, but it can be tricky for some to grapple with because the buttons change function depending on which way you're facing.  Ergo, if Billy is facing left, the B button is punch and A is kick, but when he's facing right, they're reversed.  You get used to it pretty quickly, but to this day I still see people complaining about it.

A few new moves were added to the arsenal as well, but they can be very difficult to pull off.  The flying knee strike can be devastating and send enemies flying off screen, but requires precise timing that's tough to pin down.  The hurricane kick makes a welcome return, but there seems to be no consistent way to pull it off.  The easiest of the new power moves is the kneeling uppercut, and even that requires some precise timing, though it seems more forgiving than the knee strike, and its limited reach makes it just as dangerous to attempt if you whiff it. 

Apart from the ill-advised platforming though, none of these things detract from the game in any significant way.  They take some getting used to, but it's a much better system than the level-up mechanics of the first NES title that saw your moves severely hampered until late in the campaign. 

Whereas the arcade version of Double Dragon II felt like a level hack, Double Dragon II on the NES outshines its forebear in every way.  It looks and sounds better, there's two player co-op, there's new moves, and it's just overall more fun to play.  Tradewest went the extra mile to rebuild Double Dragon II from the ground up, improving (mostly) on the flaws of the original.  The result is one of the best beat 'em ups of the 8-bit generation.

Double Dragon II was completed on a real NES with no cheats.

Retro-Review: Double Dragon [NES]

Developer: Technos Japan
Publisher: Tradewest
Released: 1988
Completed: February 16, 2020

Double Dragon was, and still is, one of my favorite arcade games.  My local arcade had a cabinet, and even after more advanced games like Final Fight and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out, I still found my way to ol' DD.  That's not to say I didn't love the games that came after it, but I always found it funny that most of them didn't have nearly the number of moves the grandfather of the genre had.  The punchy sound effects and killer music heightened an already great gaming experience.

I couldn't wait for the NES port when it was announced.  I knew it wouldn't look as good, but the thrill of having Double Dragon at home would outweigh the depreciation in graphics quality.  Then I got my hands on it...

Double Dragon NES is not a bad game, it's just not the arcade classic.  It's its own thing.  There are gameplay elements not found in the arcade original, for better or worse, but the transition from coin-op to console came with some major caveats.

For a game called Double Dragon, you would expect there to be a two-player mode, at the bare minimum.  Two player simultaneous play was one of the highlights of the arcade version, but it's eliminated here.  Instead, there's asynchronous multiplayer, where both players play as Billy and take turns upon the other's death.  To attempt to make up for the lack of co-op, an exclusive battle mode was added that allows two players to duke it out using one of six characters, but even this is not without problems.  Both players will always be the same character, so if you were expecting to pit enemy fighters like Williams, Linda, or Roper against Abobo, think again. 

The Vs. mode feels like a booby prize for the lack of cooperative play, but that's not why anyone bought this port.  We wanted the thug-bustin' beat 'em up action of the arcade original, and we kinda-sorta got it.

NES Double Dragon makes several key changes to the arcade original.  The bevy of moves at your disposal in the coin-op are all here, and there's even a new one in the ability to straddle prone opponents and pummel them while they lay defenseless.  The problem is you have to earn each move through a poorly conceived experience system.  You begin the game with only the basic punch and kick - not even the jump-kick.  Each enemy you hit awards points, and every 1,000 points earns you a new experience level, indicated by a series of hearts under your life bar.  Punches earn the most points, but come with the added risk of trading blows with your enemies, sapping your precious lifebar.  There is a glitch in the game's second level that allows you to earn points by beating up an invisible enemy that never dies, but if you want to go about it the honest way, you'll be 3/4 of the way through the game by the time you unlock the deadly elbow smash. 

Due to the NES controller's two button layout, changes to the control scheme were a requirement.  One button punches, the other kicks, and pressing both together performs a jump/jump kick.  As new moves are unlocked, they're added to your repertoire, and most are handled automatically via contextual cues.  For instance, pressing punch with your back to an advancing enemy will perform the elbow smash, and the game does an excellent job of knowing when you intend to punch forward or throw them bows behind you.  Like the arcade version, the elbow is the game's easy mode and once unlocked, you can breeze through practically every battle with it.

This is made even easier by the fact that there are only ever two enemies on screen at any given time, and they are always the same.  The arcade's cast is all here, with the exception of Jeff, the palette swap of the Lee brothers, and an all-new enemy, Chin, was added in his place.  They all look shorter, particularly Abobo, who towers over the player in the arcade version but is short and stocky here, and the game has a decidedly more anime-inspired look than the more realistic aesthetic of the original.  The variety doesn't matter, though, because you'll only ever take on two of the same type at a time.  I guess the other Black Warriors are all patiently waiting for their turn just off-screen. 

Now all this may come off as me disliking the game, but that's not so.  I can acknowledge the game's many flaws, some of which I'm even leaving out because they ultimately don't impact gameplay, and still have a fondness for it.  I do enjoy NES Double Dragon for what it is.  The core gameplay loop of beating up enemies is still fun, even in smaller numbers, and there are even some new stages added to the NES version - some of which even require platforming, which we could arguably do without. 

The graphics may have taken a big hit, but they're not unpleasant.  They're colorful, and the characters are all easily distinguishable.  Interestingly, the Vs. mode graphics are improved even further, featuring much larger, more detailed sprites and more animation than in the base game.  It actually resembles a more traditional 1-on-1 fighting game. 

One thing that could be an improvement is the sound.  The sound effects aren't as good, and lack the small voice samples of the arcade (I miss Abobo/Bolo going "wehhhhhhhh!" as they throw you over their heads), but the music sounds phenomenal.  The melodies are true to the source material, but I find it more pleasing than the already stellar arcade soundtrack.  There's even some new tunes to complement the new areas, and they fit right in.  Double Dragon easily has one of my favorite soundtracks of the NES era, right up there with the Castlevania and Contra titles. 

There's no denying Double Dragon was disappointing in all it lacked from its arcade counterpart, but taken as more of an adaptation than a direct port, it's still a fun game.  Think of it as based on the arcade version.  The basics are all there, but the execution is different - almost like a cover tune.  The original song may be the better version, but a band can often put a unique spin on it and make it their own.  That's how I see Double Dragon on the NES - a unique, if flawed, experience that won't replace the coin-op, but complements it in its own way.

Double Dragon was completed on a real NES with no cheats.

Retro-Review: DOOM [Xbox One]

Developer: id Software
Publisher: Bethesda (2019)
Rated: M for Mature
Released: 1993 (Original)/2019 (Port)
Completed: February 9, 2020

I'm a sucker for a good value proposition.  Despite owning DOOM on half a dozen consoles already, including the original PC releases, when I saw that the 2016 soft reboot was repackaged as the Slayer Edition, complete with digital codes for fresh new ports of DOOM, DOOM II, and DOOM 3, on Xbox One, I couldn't resist. 

When they were first released, these latest ports received quite the thrashing.  First for requiring the player to sign in to Bethesda.net, which was an ill-advised attempt at DRM, then for a multitude of technical issues.  Music played at the wrong pace, the original lighting was broken, sound effects were missing... It reeked of a quick cash-grab, and was not befitting of a bonafide classic that defined a genre.

After several patches, however, the recent ports of classic DOOM have become one of my favorite ways to play them.  Nothing will beat the PC versions, or their many source-ports and mods, but fans and newcomers alike should definitely give these a second look now that Nerve Software, who developed these latest ports, has ironed out the technical problems and eliminated the DRM.  You can still choose to sign in to Bethesda.net, and doing so will even grant you some cool additions like level packs including Sigil, the megawad created by DOOM co-designer John Romero, but it's not a requirement.

I feel like describing the game is a little redundant at this point.  If you haven't played OG DOOM by now, you just have to.  That's all there is to it.  You run around levels, shoot monsters, and find keycards.  It's simple, but what makes it such a classic are the incredible level designs and thrilling combat.  Few games can match the sheer intensity of DOOM's frenetic combat, especially on higher difficulty settings when even more monsters are packed into the levels.

Rather than spend time telling you about the game itself, let's focus on the quality of this port.  As I said, Nerve Software has really done a nice job fixing it up.  The convenience of having DOOM installed on my Xbox One hard drive for whenever the urge to play it hits is great, and now it's a much better representation of the game. 

It's not a 1:1 port.  Graphics are clearly higher resolution than the original games, and they have added a proper 4:3 mode instead of the stretched 16:10 of the original release.  For those of us who are not horrible monsters and prefer our old games to display in their original aspect ratios, this is much appreciated.  The game also now runs at 60 FPS, instead of the original release's 35.  While this is technically not how the original game ran, it's a much closer approximation of how it appeared to your eyes than the first release, which felt slow and juddery. 

The lighting has also been fixed and now works as it did in the originals.  That means you will enter rooms that are completely pitch black at times, illuminated only temporarily by a pulsating light source.  Lighting was one of the most critical parts of the DOOM experience.  It's what made the game truly scary in 1993, so it's great they took the time to fix it here.

Sound has also gotten a huge boost.  Music not only plays back at the correct speed, it's been completely re-recorded from an actual Roland SC-55 sound module.  What that means, kids, is they hooked up an old piece of equipment from the 90s and recorded the game's audio from it.  You see, back in the day, nothing was standardized and the quality of the sound and music in your PC games was dependent on what hardware you had.  I'll always love the old SoundBlaster tunes, but I must admit the Roland MIDI soundtrack is a big step up in terms of quality and instrumentation.  It sounds like there were even some additional surround effects added to the mix in these ports.  It's not true surround sound, but it gives the illusion of it as it engages the rear speakers, which is a nice touch and adds to the immersion.

There are even some tweaks to the control scheme.  You can now use the d-pad to select certain weapons, though the ability for the user to decide which ones would have been nice.  Swapping weapons the original way now brings up an overlay, making it easier and faster to find the gun you want.  There are no additional traversal options, however, so don't expect to be able to jump like you can in some of the PC source ports such as zDoom.  The goal was the keep the experience as vanilla as possible, so there's no looking up or down either.

The biggest addition are the mods.  Currently there are only a small handful, which include the two Final DOOM wads, and John Romero's Sigil for the original game, but Bethesda promises more will be added.  Again, the PC original has over 20 years of fan-made content and some truly crazy stuff - such as a Castlevania mod - but this is a nice (and free) bonus when they could have done nothing at all.

I played through all four of the episodes in the base game, which includes Thy Flesh Consumed.  This episode was added for the Ultimate DOOM retail release, and is sort of a "Master Levels" episode.  It's notably harder than the original three episodes, even if playing on the same difficulty all throughout, and often features frustrating level designs with tiny walkways it's easy to fall off of.  As such, it's easily the weakest of the original four episodes, and it feels at odds with the perfect balance of the other three.

There are various other tweaks, which you can hear all about in this fantastic Digital Foundry video, but suffice it to say the work done to bring these ports up to speed is much appreciated.  Nothing will replace the PC versions, but if you're looking for a quick fix, these have become my preferred way to play.  As a game, DOOM is as addictive as ever.  I often find myself jumping into it while downloading or installing other games on my Xbox One, and before I know it, hours have passed and I've completed the whole game again.  There are even achievements, for those who care about such things.  It's also worth mentioning these are available on the Switch, if you crave DOOM while you're on the toilet or laying in bed.  For the meager asking price of $5, there's really no reason not to buy them. 

DOOM Episodes 1-4 were completed on Xbox One X with no cheats.

A Work of Box Art #4: Alone in the Dark

Resident Evil is generally credited with bringing survival horror into the limelight, but it was Infogrames' Alone in the Dark that pretty much invented the genre as we know it.  There had been horror games before, but the 3D graphics and environments, puzzles, fight-or-flight gameplay, and scarce resources laid the groundwork for Capcom to improve upon.  Make no mistake, the AITD games are deeply flawed.  They're almost impossible to control, and nigh inscrutable for a lot of modern gamers.  Even I find them difficult to play, and I played them when they were groundbreaking new releases. 

One thing that has aged much, much better than the games themselves is their stunning packaging.  The original Alone in the Dark trilogy is home to three of the best goddamn pieces of artwork ever commissioned for a video game. 

Just look at that gorgeous thing, and tell me it wouldn't grab your attention on a store shelf if you were a kid in the 90s.  A lone figure stands hesitantly outside of Derceto Mansion, its door ominously cracked as cosmic horrors swirl above.  Interestingly, the protagonist appears to be Emily Hartwood, the niece of the mansion's owner, and not series protagonist Edward Carnby. 

I won't belabor the Lovecraft influences noted on the box, or how poorly the game has aged.  You can read all about it in my review from a few years ago, if you're so inclined.  Instead, we'll move onto the next game in the series.

Different, but equally beautiful, the cover for Alone in the Dark 2 showcases the game's ghostly pirate theme.  Most fans agree the sequels are inferior to the original because of the drastic change in setting.  Personally, I had no problem with them other than the still-clunky gameplay and absurd difficulty.  I attempted to replay AITD2 after I finished my playthrough of the original for my review, but I couldn't get through it.  Despite the graphical upgrade, and one of the best intros ever, I couldn't suffer through it.

Similarly, I've hardly ever played Alone in the Dark 3.  There used to be a store near my house that would rent PC CD-ROM games, and those two days I had it in my possession were mostly spent trying to figure out how to copy the data from the CD (remember, at this time, CD-Rs were not a thing).  As you can tell from the box art, this game has a wild west theme, and that is about the extent of my knowledge.  But how about that box, huh?  I love how the sequel artwork retains elements from the original game, such as the raised lantern, a ghostly visage, and a pathway to the unknown, be it a doorway, a staircase, or in this case, a mine shaft. 

After a seven year hiatus, Alone in the Dark returned.  Ironically, the game that beget Resident Evil borrows liberally from its younger sibling.  The New Nightmare is a reboot that ignores the original canon and takes place in a modern setting.  Similar to Resident Evil 2, there are two protagonists whose paths occasionally intersect, and players will experience different parts of the story depending on who they choose to play as at the start.  It's actually a pretty good game that holds onto many of the Lovecraftian influences from the original while updating the gameplay mechanics. 

But this isn't a review of the game; it's a review of the box art, and well... I don't hate it, but it's nowhere near the masterpieces the original three games bore.  Its status as a reboot is clear to series veterans, featuring Carnby - now wielding a gun instead of a lantern - approaching an obviously evil dwelling.  The mansion looms large in silhouette, with shafts of yellow light punctuating everything.  It's actually quite clever because the game features some really excellent lighting, which has actually become a mechanic this time around.  It lacks the fine details of the original paintings, but it's still very evocative and gives a good sense of what the game is like.

The franchise went dark for another seven years before resurfacing with another soft reboot, simply titled Alone in the Dark.  This new game is both a reboot and a sequel - a requel - to the original trilogy, told in episodic format (similar to the spectacular Alan Wake, which is often reminiscent of AITD itself).  Like the originals, it's flawed, but the PlayStation 3 re-release, subtitled Inferno, fixed many of the issues from the original Xbox 360 version and is generally worth a look given its cheap price on the secondhand market.

The box art, however...

For a game called "Alone in the Dark," there sure is a lot of light.  Carnby stands front and center as a bog standard brooding protagonist, complete with five o'clock shadow and leather jacket.  This highlights pretty much everything I hate about modern game artwork.  It tells you nothing about the game, other than what the protagonist looks like.  Looking at it, one might thing it's some sort of fire-fighting game.  There's no real indication of anything supernatural, and it doesn't stand out among the hordes of other pre-rendered faces on a shelf these days.  The original 360 release was even worse, if you can believe it, as it is zoomed out further, revealing the gun in Carnby's hand.  Yes, another Guy With Gun game cover. 

As a series, Alone in the Dark has always fascinated me.  The games are all far from perfect, but I have a lot of affection for them - at least the ones I've played.  One thing I think we can all agree on is that the box art is pretty phenomenal...except that last one.  The last release in the series was in 2015, again a seven year gap, and was an ill-conceived multiplayer shooter.  Because when you think "ALONE in the Dark," you immediately think multiplayer!  It was critically panned, and worse, it took the place of a canceled 2013 remake of the original game.  Given the seven year cycle between the last three attempts, let's hope THQ Nordic does the series justice in 2022.