THQ Nordic has revealed new details for Alone in the Dark, including its release date, story, and casting.
Alone in the Dark will be releasing on October 25, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows via Steam.
We had previously covered, all the way back in August last year, that Alone in the Dark would be coming from THQ Nordic. It will also have an original story from Mikael Hedberg, the writer of horror video games Amnesia and SOMA. THQ also stated that “while presenting a completely original story, we incorporate characters, places, and themes from the 90s original trilogy.” The developer is Pieces Interactive, who had previously made their name on Magicka 2.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, we now also know that Alone in the Dark will be starring David Harbour and Jodie Cormer, playing the protagonists from the classic 1992 game, Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood. This new game also uses the same broad scenario from the original, a Southern gothic horror mystery set in the 1920s.
Frédérick Raynal, who created the 1992 original that kickstarted the franchise, already gave his blessing for a remake of the game, but it seems like Pieces Interactive plans to shake things up a little bit.
There is already a demo out, called Grace in the Dark. Grace Saunders appears in the same doomed Derceto mansion that Edward and Emily will enter. She wanders in the room trying to post a letter. The demo itself seems to be a reference to Jack in the Dark, which was a small promotional game used to promote Alone in the Dark 2. Both of these smaller games do not feature combat, as Grace is a child. But this addition seems to hint that Grace will be joining the narrative one game earlier.
As revealed on PlayStation Blog, there will also definitely be monsters, designed by Guy Davis. Guy is a frequent collaborator of Guillermo Del Toro, and designed creatures for Pacific Rim and The Shape of Water. This is also not Guy’s first foray into video games, as he also designed creatures for Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve, and the cancelled Del Toro project, InSane.
PlayStation Blog also sheds a little more light about the story. Just like the original Alone in the Dark, both private detective Canby and Emily go to Derceto mansion to find out what happened to Emily’s uncle, Jeremy Hartwood. Unlike that game, there will be different story beats for both characters, and players who want the full story will definitely want to experience both sides.
This collection of talent makes this quite an interesting project. Although it isn’t guaranteed to be a success, we will all be looking forward to see how Alone in the Dark will turn out later this year.
