Even though it leaked ahead of time, one of the biggest surprises at the THQ Nordic Showcase was the reveal of the Alone in the Dark re-imagining. THQ Nordic announced Alone in the Dark with a creepy trailer that showcased a gameplay style reminiscent of the Resident Evil remakes, with characters, locations, and more confirmed to be returning from the original. The trailer gave many the impression that this new Alone in the Dark would be a remake, but it's technically an original story that uses elements of the 90s trilogy.
This was confirmed by THQ Nordic in a PlayStation Blog post that went into more detail regarding the new Alone in the Dark game. As confirmed by THQ Nordic, the Alone in the Dark story is being penned by Mikael Hedberg, a writer who helped write the story for classic horror game Amnesia: The Dark Descent and more recently, SOMA. The new Alone in the Dark is set in the 1920s, with players visiting a new take on the Derceto Mansion from the original game, as well the surrounding areas.
Like in the original game, the new Alone in the Dark will star two main playable characters: Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby. However, the monsters they encounter will be much different than fans remember. While THQ Nordic has said there will be some "nods" to the monsters featured in the original Alone in the Dark, the enemies are otherwise brand-new creations, dreamed up by Guillermo del Toro collaborator Guy Davis.
So while Alone in the Dark is not a remake, it should still be familiar to fans of the original game. It's a modern retelling with both the story and gameplay, the latter of which is being dramatically altered. It's been 30 years since the original Alone in the Dark launched, so it makes sense that this new game is going to be significantly different, employing an over-the-shoulder camera and gameplay style that seemingly mimics games like the Resident Evil 2 remake.
It's fitting that the new Alone in the Dark seems to be taking inspiration from the Resident Evil remakes, as the original Alone in the Dark game actually inspired by Resident Evil. In fact, the original Alone in the Dark is arguably the first example of a survival horror game, with many elements from it borrowed in Resident Evil 1.
Not much has been shown so far, but it looks like the new Alone in the Dark should appeal to fans of the games. It seems to be taking most of its inspiration from the first Alone in the Dark, but it will be interesting to see how elements from Alone in the Dark 2 and 3 are blended into the experience as well.
Alone in the Dark is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Source: PlayStation Blog
