Survival-horror is a genre we take for granted, but way back in 1992, a little game called Alone in the Dark kicked off the whole idea of an investigative adventure defying limited resources and difficulty. gave us a taste. Now Pieces Interactive is remaking the atmospheric, star-studded classic that promises to bring the classic horror plot to modern audiences. Leading the way is Mikael Hedberg, writer and director of Amnesia and Soma, and between his answers in the press Q&A and those from publisher THQ Nordic, there’s a lot more around Delceto. As we prepare to return to the deeply haunted Louisiana Bayou, things look pretty promising.
The big announcement is that Stranger Things actor David Harbor will play Detective Edward Carnby. It’s a hard-boiled scene to chew on, and it’s the perfect casting for Harbor, who seems genuinely excited to take on the role. Meanwhile, Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer hires Carnby to investigate the fate of her uncle while delving deeper into her family’s secret, the shrouded Heartwood Curse. takes over the role of Emily Hartwood.
Pieces appears to retain many key elements of the early Alone in the Dark games in the remake, especially the series’ classic melee combat. In later survival horrors, getting caught in a monster was a death sentence, but it was a much better choice than wasting precious bullets like slashing through a ghoul with a sword.
The original Alone in the Dark is pretty big. This is one he does not look anything special when you look at it. That’s because so many games since then have done all the exact same things that Alone in the Dark did. A fixed camera for 3D space? How to solve the mystery? The work of All Alone in the Dark. All of this reappeared later in the little game you may have heard of called Resident Evil. So it’s even cooler to see the new Alone in the Dark reference the design work done on the Resident Evil remake while still maintaining its own identity. An over-the-shoulder camera should be a real improvement in both navigating and viewing locations, not to mention fighting monsters.
Being Southern myself, one of the most important parts of Alone in the Dark is the setting. The Louisiana Bayou is iconic for a reason, and Southern Gothic is a genre much older than survival horror. Michael Hedberg has given me a pretty satisfying answer as to whether Alone in the Dark will explore those roots. He noted that expanding the story in the remake gave Peace more room to expand on local historical traditions and tie the story deeper into things like voodoo. He also noted the oppressive atmosphere of the 1986 film Angel Heart. We think this psychological thriller puts him on the right track to good old-fashioned homely horror.
The setting is certainly homegrown to me, but I’m even more pleased to hear the music choices Pieces made. Jazz is a Louisiana staple, but the directors of Alone in the Dark have taken a modern European twist with a metal-infused doom-jazz vibe. Most horror games aren’t going to risk a heavy soundtrack, but Pieces seem to know that no noir, or even horror noir, can be done without a good saxophone. The inclusion of doom jazz legend Jason Koenen is a very strong choice for the aesthetic direction of Alone in the Dark. Few can match the power these weird ambient plucks and pressurized drumrolls can achieve.
All in all, the team and motivation seem well-placed to offer an exciting take on the classic horror game. We look forward to learning more about Alone in the Dark as we get closer to release. And now I’m downloading the free prologue, Grace in the Dark.
