Inside ‘Alone in the Dark’: THQ’s Re-Imagining of the ‘90s Lovecraftian Survival Horror Game
Before Resident Evil, there was Alone in the Dark — a Lovecraftian survival horror game from Frédéric Raynal, that relied on fixed, pre-rendered backdrops upon which 3D characters would scurry about. The game design impressed creator Shinji Mikami to adapt it into RE's early model, prior to which it was planned as a first-person shooter. Arriving on the scene in 1992, Alone in the Dark spawned an entire series of compelling titles, before eventually fading into obscurity over the next decade. That is, until Swedish developer Pieces Interactive took it upon itself to dig the franchise back from its haunting grave through a modernised re-imagining — one that ironically now draws inspiration from the recent Resident Evil remakes. It forms a complete circle.
Best described as a love letter to the original, Alone in the Dark — out October 25 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X — brings back lead characters Detective Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood to the moody Derceto Mansion, in response to a disturbing letter from the latter's uncle Jeremy Hartwood. Unlike the original, wherein Jeremy was haunted by the ‘Dark Man' and killed himself, this re-imaging stretches his arc further so he seeks therapy at the countryside hospital, creating a lingering fear of whether history is doomed to repeat itself.
Such minor changes and callbacks are peppered throughout the game, with writer-director Mikael Hedberg likening the development to 'cultivating a seed that was planted 30 years ago'. For the uninitiated, Hedberg also wrote Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the deep-sea horror game Soma, and promises an atmospheric experience that's 'more than just jumpscares'. He believes that the scare merely releases the tension and that the anticipation
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