Pioneering 3d action/adventure game from Infogrames. Featured a polygonal protagonist, nicknamed "Mr. Geometric Man." Based on the works of Lovecraft. Camera changes depending on where you are in the room - this is alternatively stylish (as in a movie) and annoying. Nevertheless, it was one of the first games that truly scared me.

• It spawned a new genre of games: "Survival Horror" (notables include Capcom's Resident Evil and Dino Crisis series)
• Let the player choose a male or female protagonist
• Made use of 3D characters and objects (on nicely hand-drawn backdrops)
• Made use of cinematic techniques ("Chinese" camera angles, etc.) to enhance the game's atmosphere
• Scared the living bejesus outa me (see System Shock 2)

Lineage of the Alone in the Dark Series:

• 1992: Alone in the Dark (PC, 3DO)
• 1994: Alone in the Dark 2 (PC)
• 1995: Alone in the Dark 3 (PC, Mac)
• 1996: Alone in the Dark: One-Eyed Jack's Revenge (PC, Playstation, Sega Saturn)
• 1997: Alone in the Dark Trilogy (PC)
• 2001: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PC, Playstation, Playstation 2, Game Boy Color, DreamCast)

There's a film in production by Artisan/Lions Gate Films as of this writing, based on the Alone In The Dark series of games, directed by Uwe Boll. It stars Christian Slater as Edward Carnby (our hero). There's a graphic novel/comic book available that details Carnby's adventures between Alone In the Dark 3 and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.

Sources:
www.alone-in-the-dark.com
www.lofficier.com
www.justadventure.com
www.gamespot.com