Edward Carnby

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Edward Carnby is a fictional detective from the Alone in the Dark series of survival horror games, that were popular a few years before the release of the classic Capcom game Resident Evil, which further populised the "survival horror" genre.

[edit] Classic

In the original game, released in 1992, players are giving the option to play either Edward Carnby or a lady named Emily Hartwood as they explore a haunted house called Derceto, after Emily's uncle commited suicide there. However, neither character is more unique than the other and there is no redeeming qualities or alternative endings.

Players begin in the attic and must fend off against zombies and other assorted creatures. However, certain enemies must be avoided altogether in order to prevent death.

In the end, Carnby and Emily survive their night in Derceto by exploring all the rooms and finding their way out of a dark labyrinth. Following this, Carnby is re-packaged with a new look and giving a gimmick known as the "Supernatural Private Eye" where he is later assigned to rescue a kidnapped child named Grace Saunders, after she is taken hostage by the infamous pirate, One Eyed Jack.

Edward's friend Ted Stryker was killed by an evil clown doll while trying to save Grace at One Eyed Jack's heavily guarded mansion, and it is up to Carnby to continue the investigation, in which he risks his own life to rescue Grace and defeat One Eyed Jack.

In the last of the original trilogy, Carnby enters the Mohave Desert based ghost town Slaughter Gulch to investigate the disappearance of a film crew. His close friend Emily Hartwood was a member of the film crew, so this sparked some intent on Carnby's behalf, as he usually demands a lot of money for such investigations.

At one point during the investigation, Carnby is turned into a mountain lion and must fulfil a small task before he can become human again. In the end, Carnby saves Emily and they make a lucky escape from Slaughter Gulch.

[edit] Modern

The next Alone in the Dark game, released in 2001, re-debuted Edward Carnby as a somewhat sarcastic and darker character, while maintaining his "Supernatural Private Eye" gimmick in a modernised version of Alone in the Dark, which plays more like a Silent Hill or Resident Evil game, with similar controls, camera angles and situations.

The story involved Carnby reluctantly teaming up with a woman named Aline Cedrac to investigate the death of his good friend Charles Fiske on Shadow Island. But they soon encounter "Creatures of Darkness" and the crazed Morton family, after they are forced to parachute from their plane onto the island. After a run in with an indian called Edenshaw, Carnby and Aline defeat the Mortons and prevent the apocalypse.

Now Edward Carnby is working in New York City, and will return for Alone in the Dark: Near Death Investigation.

[edit] Misc Info

The only Alone in the Dark game that does not feature Edward Carnby is Jack in the Dark, which instead features Grace Saunders. The game is incredibly short and not very well known.

Carnby's trademark includes drinking from a flask with his 'C' initial, and he usually has a .38 Special as a starter weapon.

In 2005, Christian Slater portrayed Edward Carnby in a movie loosely based on the games. However, the movie was not a commercial success, as it was directed by Uwe Boll.

Christian Slater is rumoured to reprise the role in a sequel, which imdb.com has listed for 2009.