Alone in the Dark: Everything We Know

Roughly thirty years after releasing the original, THQ Nordic has finally swept in to reignite the wick for Alone in the Dark. With David Harbour and Jodie Comer in line to bear the torch for series protagonists Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood, the forthcoming reimagining of the cult classic will surely serve as one of the greatest love letters to 90s horror. Or at least, that’s what we’ve cone to expect, anyway.

Fortunately for any avid fans of the IP, THQ Nordic will be bringing the revitalized franchise back to next-gen consoles later this year — which can mean only one thing: Derceto Manor is just about ready to welcome its newest arrivals. Question is, what more do you need to know about it before traipsing down the red carpet? Well, here’s everything we can tell you based on the information provided by both THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive to date. Let’s talk.

What Is Alone in the Dark?

Alone in the Dark is an upcoming third-person horror game by Pieces Interactive, and a reimagining of the cult classic original that graced the MS-DOS back in 1992. Its premise, much like the OG entry, is centered around Louisiana—in a haunted mansion known only as Derceto Manor, to narrow it down. As one of two characters — Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood — you will be tasked with venturing deep inside the once-loved manor in search of an old piano—a keepsake that just so happens to hold the answers to the manor’s former owner’s disappearance. But more on that later.

From what we’ve seen so far, Alone in the Dark will retain the bulk of its original characters, locations, and lore, but essentially remove the sludgy mechanics in favor of something a little more, I don’t know, Resident Evil-ish. Bottom line is, those who can remember the 1992 debut can certainly expect a minor burst of nostalgia to compliment all those fancy new features and gameplay enhancements.

Story

From the looks of the trailer, Alone in the Dark will transport players back to Decerto Manor, a Louisianan estate that, prior to protagonists Edward Cornby, a private detective, and Emily Hartwood, the niece of Decerto’s former owner, arrival, served as the staging grounds for the housekeeper’s suicide. On the hunt for a piano—an important object that supposedly holds the secrets to the keepers’s questionable fate, the two enter the manor, unaware of the horrors that lurk from within.

“Deep in the 1920’s south, Emily Hartwood’s uncle has gone missing,” the blurb opens in part. “Together with private investigator Edward Carnby, she embarks on a journey to Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally ill where something is lurking. You’ll encounter strange residents, nightmarish realms, dangerous monsters and ultimately uncover a plot of rising evil. At the intersection of reality, mystery, and insanity, an adventure waits that will challenge your core beliefs. Who can you trust, what will you believe, and what will you do next?” Spooky stuff!

Gameplay

Unlike the MS-DOS chapter which, admittedly, fostered a rather clunky control system, the reimagined version will feature a modernized over-the-shoulder third-person perspective — one that’ll be highly reminiscent of Capcom’s recently remade Resident Evil series. And with that, you can expect plenty of exploration and fact finding mixed with riveting combat and horrifying encounters. Think Alan Wake blended with The Evil Within, and you’ll no doubt have a rough idea of what we’re getting at.

Like the original, players will have the choice of playing as either Edward or Emily, effectively giving you two separate story arcs and perspectives to experience as you unravel the mysteries within Derceto Manor. So, plenty of bang for your buck, all things considered.

“Enjoy the thrill of desperate survival in a world where reality starts to crumble, evil lurks in every shadow and ammunition is scarce,” the blurb adds. “Immerse yourself in a deep psychological story that goes beyond the realms of the imaginable, by Mikael Hedberg, cult horror writer of SOMA and Amnesia.”

Development

Pieces Interactive first pitched the idea for Alone in the Dark back in 2019, shortly after seeing the global success of Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake. In an attempt to redeem the series’ previous work, Alone in the Dark: Illumination, the team buddied up with Mikael Hedber, who had previously worked on SOMA and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It was only in late 2022, however, that the game received its first proper information spiel, which included a lengthy preview featured during THQ Nordic’s Showcase.

Trailer

David Harbour and Jodie Comer have kindly introduced themselves as the game’s leading heroes—in a rather fleshed out trailer of all things. Need we say more? You can catch a glimpse of what’s to come in the next chapter of the Alone in the Dark series in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Alone in the Dark will be heading to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam on October 25, 2023. Does this mean it’s unlikely to hit ex-gen hardware? At the moment, yes. That said, you never really know in this day and age; a huge helping of traffic could very well nudge it towards a potential Xbox One and PlayStation 4 release. I wouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket just yet, though.

Has Pieces Interactive’s iteration of the 1992 classic caught your eye? If so, then be sure to check in with the team’s official social feed for additional pre-launch updates here. Should anything noteworthy come about in the build-up to its October release, we’ll be sure to let you know all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Alone in the Dark later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.