Alone in the Dark spotlight: A classic horror tale, retold in a modern way

Alone in the Dark, launched in 1992, was one of the first survival horror titles to enthrall gaming enthusiasts from all over the world. Understandably, it fostered many sequels. Fast forward to 2023, the title is getting a major reboot as a modern-day retelling of the beloved classic. Developed by Pieces Interactive and published by THQ Nordic, the reboot will become available later this year.

Remakes of major horror titles like Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 dropped in early 2023, and the trend continued with Alone in the Dark. It seems that we have a theme going!

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Alone in the Dark is a mix of jazz and jumpscares

In Alone in the Dark, you will be able to play as one of two characters — Detective Edward Carnby (David Harbour) and Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer). The renowned Hollywood stars will no doubt make these characters highly enjoyable.

The story is set in 1924. Emily Hartwood employs Detective Edward Carnby to help her figure out what happened to her uncle Jeremy Hartwood. The duo then travels to the Derceto mansion where all hell breaks loose. During their investigation into Jeremy's fate, they come across the Hartwood curse. Given the way the game is designed, even the Derceto Mansion can be considered a character in Alone in the Dark.

In a dev Q&A session with Sportskeeda, Andreas Schmiedecker, Associate Producer at THQ Nordic, stated that the story in Alone in the Dark is rather unique and explores much more than what the 1992 title included. He added that players who've played the original game will find a lot of hints and references. However, even those who haven't will be able to enjoy the storyline as a brand new adventure.

The title has multiple endings, but most of them won't be accessible for the very first playthrough. Since there are two playable characters, the NPC interactions will vary based on the player's choice.

For any survival horror game, the soundtrack is crucial as it contributes to the spooky ambience. The Alone in the Dark soundtrack was created by Árni Bergur Zoëga, based on songs composed by Doom Jazz legend Jason Köhnen. The background score intensifies the eerie feeling of being haunted, which pervades the game.

The gameplay and the mechanics are quite similar to those of most horror survival games. Ammo economy is something players have to take into account as they progress, so melee combat is the way to go in certain situations. When in the higher difficulty tiers, they will have to make each and every bullet count.

A prologue to the story, called Grace in the Dark, is available to play across all major platforms for free at the moment. According to Andreas Schmiedecker, it acts as a teaser and will introduce players to the major characters in the game as well as the overall setting. However, it does not include any major storyline details, so those who jump into the main game directly won't be missing anything important.

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From what's been revealed so far, Alone in the Dark seems like a title worth playing. It is set to go live on October 25 on all major platforms.