Xbox 360, PS3, PC; £35-£50. Age 15+

Sixteen years ago the original version of Alone in the Dark inspired a generation of copycat horror games. This new edition is set in modern-day New York and is a tale of evil cults and apocalyptic destruction. You play as a hero with amnesia who must explore, fight and solve puzzles to reveal the hideous truth.

The game is hugely ambitious and its recreation of a rotten Big Apple is admirable. Things kick off engagingly with a dramatic set-piece escape from a burning Manhattan high rise, and the vision of Central Park as an outpost of hell is truly unsettling. Alone in the Dark’s realistic approach to gaming – for example, every door can be bashed open – is also refreshing.

The television-inspired format works well and the game is divided into self-contained episodes, with sections you can skip. The problem is that a twitchy camera and wretched controls make it tempting to skip all too often. Tasks such as battling demonically possessed New Yorkers and hot-wiring cars are nightmarish for all the wrong reasons. Alone in the Dark should have been a stone-cold classic – if only it were more enjoyable to play.