Let’s find out how Alone in the Dark: Pieces Interactive reinvented the historical horror series

Loneliness in the Dark, fear, is always in the title and is the greatest terror a person can feel: being alone, in the dark. Perhaps looking back at the first episode of 1992, the fear fades a bit due to the outdated graphics, but there’s no doubt that the series that Infogrames has created has always been supplemented with very specific columns. And getting them back on their feet 30 years later, development studio Pieces Interactivenow part of the THQ Nordic family.

With development starting in 2019, the Alone in the Dark saga will return next year with a soft reboot, reimagining and reimagining the classic developed by Frédérick Raynal. We were able to attend the presentation of this new horror during Gamescom 2022 in Cologne and we will tell you all about it in this episode.A preview of Alone in the Dark.

History and characters

There History Alone in the Dark largely follows the first episode, but with some licenses the Pieces Interactive team has decided to give it away. Players will return to Villa Derceto, which is presented to us in the game as a mental hospital for wealthy people, instead of being a magnificent private residence.

Here the stories of the two will intertwine heroes, Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood will find themselves investigating a crime that has taken place within these walls. The developer describes the atmosphere lurking in and around Derceto as intense: the game is actually set in 1920s Louisiana, a land of swamps and swamps, murky waters and creeping dangers… and we’re not. talk about crocodiles!

At the start of the adventure, the player will be able to decide whether to impersonate Carnby or Hartwood: the adventure will be the same for both characters and present certain fixed points in the narrative that will not be affected by any parameters. There vote However, the character of the protagonist will affect the player’s experience, as non-player characters will react differently depending on who they are facing. After all, the intentions that drive Carnby and Hartwood to Derceto are different: the first is a private detective hired to do a job, while Emily wants to know what happened to her uncle at any cost. Choosing one or the other will unlock unique lines of dialogue and other small details about their background.

During the presentation, the developers confirmed to us that it is recommended to play the adventure with the following to get a precise picture of the events in Alone in the Dark. both heroes, because some events become more understandable after both characters’ perspectives are explored. In any case, the adventure remains complete and understandable even if played only once, and is also accessible to anyone who has never tried an episode of the Alone in the Dark saga.

cosmic horror

Pieces describes Alone in the Dark as an epic love letter that sticks to the series’ pillars. But what are these columns? before everythingexploration will be freerespecially when compared to the past. The new episode of Alone in the Dark is structured as a classic third-person adventure with free movement of the character and camera. This will allow players to explore Derceto and its surroundings more easily; if not understood, the adventure will take us not only inside but also to the areas adjacent to the psychiatric hospital.

Updating the discovery system to the present clearly improves the work done on history and setting. The developers have described Alone in the Dark as Lovcraftian in the broadest sense of the term when it comes to it. cosmic or Lovcraftian horrorIt is easy to think of the myths of the ancients and all the long series of cliches and narrative topoi that characterize the literary production of the author from God.

As noted, the meaning of Lovcraftiano, in the example of Alone in the Dark, must be taken from a distance, that is, a fear of lack of knowledge of what surrounds us, that deep discomfort from the unknown and incomprehensible.

All very noble intentions, because we really appreciate that Pieces Interactive wanted to focus on one more horror. psychological and less easy, more tension and less fear, so to speak. How can this be achieved? Mikael Hedberg, former developer of Frictional Games who worked on Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA, bears the burden if you have the game’s director and writer Mikael Hedberg on your shoulders. It’s certainly an important pedigree, but that’s not enough to make Alone in the Dark a complete gaming experience.

Puzzle and combat system

In addition to the strong narrative and horror element, the game is completed with an important detail. puzzle pane. The goal of the development team was to create a series of puzzles that are not only challenging but well integrated into the game environment. Therefore, the puzzles we will solve will not be abstract, but rooted in the place and situation proposed to the player. Finally, battle systemis not the focus of experience that the developers are willing to point out. Let’s be a little disrespectful, the wording of the developers gives us confidence: even though we are fully aware that Alone in the Dark has a long time to go to release, of all the episodes shown, the fighting episodes still seemed to us the most visible. immature; we are talking about a shooting system that actually looks very simple and is not very satisfying.

Therefore, the Alone in the Dark experience will therefore have a strong focus on all the elements that tend to create a force. atmosphere It’s no coincidence that within the game and Pieces Interactive surrounds itself with excellent experts. Notable people include film industry veteran Monster designer Guy Davis, who has had several close ties to Guillermo del Toro, and internationally acclaimed musician Jason Kohnen, who helped the team compose the music for the game. .