The Alone in the Dark series is being revived with a new entry that reimagines the first game in the series. The original Alone in the Dark from 1992 is often credited with creating the survival horror video game genre, at least for 3D games, with its ground-breaking use of 3D models and static backgrounds resulting in a horror experience that had never been seen before in gaming.
There's no denying that the Alone in the Dark series has seen some bad entries over the years. 2001's Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is considered to be a subpar Resident Evil clone, the 2008 Alone in the Dark game had mixed reviews at launch, leading to Atari threatening to sue outlets over the critical response, and 2015's Alone in the Dark: Illumination was a multiplayer-only title that was savaged by critics, especially for being a name-only sequel. The original Alone in the Dark was important to the horror genre and its name still holds value to those who playing it at launch.
The time has come for the Alone in the Dark series to return. It was announced during the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2022 event that a new entry in the Alone in the Dark series is being developed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game is a third-person survival horror title that acts as a reimagining of the first game, with players able to select either Emily Hartwood or Edward Carnby, as they travel to the Derceto Manor in search of Emily's lost uncle. A trailer for the game can be seen on the official THQ Nordic YouTube channel. Alone in the Dark is being developed by Pieces Interactive, with Mikael Hedburg (SOMA, Amnesia) acting as the writer and narrative director of the game.
Alone In The Dark Is Coming To PS5, PC, & Xbox Series X/S
Alone in the Dark is set in 1920s Louisiana, which means the game has a film noir/jazz music aesthetic, tied into the Lovecraftian horrors that wander the Derceto Manor. The game will embrace the four classic survival horror gameplay elements: Combat, Puzzle, Exploration, and Story, with Emily and Edward's story playing out over two campaigns (similar to Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2) with each runthrough having some unique cutscenes and levels. The story is heavily inspired by the original Alone in the Dark trilogy, while taking things in its own unique direction.
Fans who are attending GamesCom 2022 will have the chance to play the new Alone in the Dark, as there will be a unique playable teaser at the event, starring Grace from Alone in the Dark 2. This will act as a short prologue to the main storyline, and it likely won't involve any combat, considering Grace is a young girl during the events of the story. The Grace teaser might be the last time fans see the game for a while, as the Alone in the Dark revival is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but there is currently no release window for the game, and it seems unlikely to be one of the big 2023 video game releases.
Source: THQ Nordic/YouTube
