"Alone in the Dark" is a game that had a lot of hype behind it prior to release, but when it finally landed on the 360, Wii and PS2, it was pretty much broken beyond repair. All of the fundamental elements that make a game enjoyable (outside the storytelling aspects) were left in a perpetual state of disarray. Long story short -- it played like an undercooked beta release. Why Eden Games chose to release the title with its fundamentals fractured so terribly is beyond me.What we've received from Eden Games in "Alone in the Dark: Inferno" is a greatly improved build that, unfortunately, still suffers from some clunky play mechanics.First, the improvements:01 - For the most part, the player has been given full control over the game's camera, allowing for a 360 degree view of the environment. Occasionally the camera locks itself down, but this is done in moments that require the cinematic effect. For the most part, it works.02 - Edward no longer controls like a tank. This change was pretty much a given when the camera was freed up.03 - The inventory system is less convoluted. The order in which you combine items is no longer dead set, and its easier to navigate in general.04 - The driving mechanics have been tweaked. Now one of the game's most exciting levels (the final stage in episode 2) is a lot more fun and a lot less frustrating. The cars no longer handle like boats.05 - A "hint" system is integrated into the early stages to help orientate the player (this may have been in the 360 version, but I certainly don't remember it, particularly during the first driving level).06 - The storyline is pretty much identical between builds, but there's been a fundamental change made surrounding a quest that in the initial build involves a LOT of painful backtracking. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling things, but this change helps the flow of the game immensely.07 - A new level has been added mid-way through the game.Now the problems:01 - Despite the tweaked control scheme, Edward is still a bit difficult to control. There are times where I'll want him to walk one direction, and he'll sort of wander in a slightly different direction. This was particularly annoying in the later half of episode 1.02 - It's easy enough moving him around in first person view, but the controls are never as sensitive as one would like in first person, and getting into a gun fight can be really irritating, particularly if you're used to the precision aiming in games like "Resistance".03 - There is no 5.1 surround support in this game, which is sort of a letdown. It's the only game I own that lacks 5.1. There are also no subtitles, which just feels lazy. One of the people in my house is deaf in one ear and partially relies on subtitles to convey the story. This is probably the only PS3 game I own that lacks subtitle support.04 - Using melee weapons is problematic. It's a good idea for a combat system, but it's implemented poorly. It reminds me a little bit of that PS2 Jet Li game, but less refined.There are a lot of big ideas in "Alone in the Dark: Inferno". It's a very ambitious game, and I think that's one of the problems. I get the feeling that this title was just slightly outside the capability of Eden Games. They couldn't quite pull it all together into a cohesive experience.Having said that, the game features an exciting episodic presentation and a wonderful musical score that utilizes the award-winning female choir known as The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices. The voice acting is solid (the guy who plays Max Payne voices Edward Carnby) and there are some excellent set pieces that really get the blood pumping.If you can look past the slightly awkward control scheme and the occasional graphical oddity, I would suggest picking the game up. The price has already dropped quite a bit (I picked the game up brand new for $29.99 at a local Game Stop) so now's the time.