10 Insanely Cool Video Game Mechanics You Forgot About
9. Alone In The Dark (2008) - Fire
The 2008 reboot of the classic survivor horror series, Alone In The Dark known for being the worst in the franchise thanks to its sloppy dialogue, atrocious driving segments, and mishmash of overly ambitious ideas. Despite its numerous missteps, however, this game had a handful of genuinely incredible mechanics.
Items were stored in protagonist Edward Carnby’s jacket and could be accessed in real time, the camera could be switched between first- and third-person perspectives, and players could skip levels from the main menu. There was even a blinking mechanic which become useful for solving puzzles.
The highlight of this game, though, was its impressive fire system.
Not only did flames spread realistically between flammable objects (and look good doing so), but fire was likewise integral to combat given that it was the only way to defeat enemies for good. Alongside using burning furniture as melee weapons, Edward could also craft Molotov cocktails and explosives, use a lighter to turn a spray into a flamethrower, and douse bullets in flammable liquid to turn them into fire bullets.
There was a surprising level of depth at play which gave players ample room for creative arson. It’s disappointing that the rest of the game wasn’t as good.