Jack in the Dark

The Good
Jack in the Dark is a very short game that uses the same polygonal engine as the first three Alone in the Dark games. It is also the only game in the series to not feature Edward Carnby, the spouse tracker turned full-time detective.

Your task in this game is simple; You have to save Father Christmas from the clutches of a gang of nasty toys, the most intimidating of which is a One Eyed Jack jack-in-the-box, that is obviously based on the pirate leader from Alone in the Dark 2.

The game is simplistic enough in that it has no direct fighting. It is essentially about using your thinking cap, and all the answers you require for counteracting the toys can be found in a book behind the counter in the toy shop. That's it. That's all the fun you get in this little unknown adventure.

For a mini game, it is exactly that - a mini game. There is no fighting or pussyfootin' around. I did think the blocky graphics were a big let down. The graphics looked worse than those in Alone in the Dark, and it was all over before I knew it. But for a bonus game, you shouldn't expect much.

I'm actually a fan of the character in this game, and I am known as Grace Saunders on many forums.

The Bad
The graphics are quite poorish, and if Grace was not dressed up as a witch with her broom, you would not think she was supposed to be a witch.

The faces of the toys looked unclear, and the game was incredibly short. It could have benefited from being slightly longer than it was, but it's a good wee game otherwise. For what it was, it went well in the trilogy.

The Bottom Line
Download it if you are a fan. Personally, I'd do it for the nostalgia alone.

The Good
Jack in the Dark is a free mini-adventure so the price is a big plus. The haunted toy store it is set in is very nice with toys springing to life as soon as your back is turned (at first). The puzzles are entertaining and tricky and it's nice to see grace and jack from AitD 2 in slightly different roles.

The Bad
This is, as I said a mini-adventure so it's short. Really short, but for free what did you expect? The music is pretty crappy and some of the puzzles affect other things with no co-herrent link.

The Bottom Line
A fun collection of puzzles featuring AitD2 characters which is worth getting for fans of the Alone series plus it's free so if you can find it, the price is most definately right.