Alone in the Dark (2024 video game)

Alone in the Dark is a 2024 survival horror video game developed by Pieces Interactive and published by THQ Nordic. It is a reimagining of the original 1992 Alone in the Dark and is the seventh installment in the Alone in the Dark video game series. The game features a single-player narrative set in the 1930s, where players can choose to play as Edward Carnby (David Harbour) or Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer), as they make their way through Derceto Mansion to uncover the mysteries within.

Alone in the Dark was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 20 March 2024. Upon release, the game received mixed reviews from critics and failed to meet the sales expectations of THQ Nordic's parent company Embracer Group, which led to the closure of Pieces Interactive in June 2024.

Synopsis
Alone in the Dark follows Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer) and private investigator Edward Carnby (David Harbour) as they travel to Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally fatigued, to investigate the disappearance of Jeremy Hartwood (Paul Mercier), Emily's uncle. However they will soon stumble upon Eldritch horrors involving hideous monsters, mental environments, cult conspiracies and connections involving a mysterious being known as "The Dark Man".

Gameplay
Alone in the Dark features an "over-the-shoulder" third-person perspective, doing away with the fixed camera angles of the original. This is similar to the Resident Evil franchise, which also chose this mechanic for their recent remakes. Combat is available with a firearm, or melee weapon as shown by the reveal trailer. Players can choose to play as Emily or Edward, both campaigns featuring different cutscenes and levels.

Development
A remake of the original 1992 game Alone in the Dark was in active development by Eden Games after the release of Alone in the Dark: Inferno. But following the liquidation of the studio by Atari in 2013, the game was cancelled.

Three years after the poor reception of Alone in the Dark: Illumination, then-owner Atari SA sold the Alone in the Dark franchise to THQ Nordic in September 2018. Pieces Interactive, which was most known for making Magicka 2, commenced development of the game in late 2019. The game was written by Mikael Hedberg, who had previously worked at Frictional Games on Soma and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Artist Guy Davis, best known for his work with Guillermo del Toro and his own comic series The Marquis, was recruited to design the monsters featured in the game. Series creator Frédérick Raynal gave his blessings to the reimagining saying that Pieces Interactive did a great job preserving the "core feeling" from the original game.

British actress Jodie Comer and American actor David Harbour were recruited for the voice recordings and motion capturing of the faces of the two protagonists Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby.

Release
In August 2022, Alone in the Dark was revealed at THQ Nordic's Showcase. A playable prologue for the game, titled Grace in the Dark, was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 25 May 2023. The full game was originally scheduled to release for those platforms on 25 October 2023, but was delayed a month before release to 16 January 2024 to "avoid competing with" Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2. In December 2023, it was again delayed to 20 March 2024 to "avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays".

Critical reception
Alone in the Dark received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Sales
Alone in the Dark failed to meet the sales expectations of THQ Nordic's parent company Embracer Group, leading Embracer to shut down Pieces Interactive in June 2024.