Horror video game remakes in 2023 have an incredibly high standard to live up. Capcom delivered a masterpiece with its update of Resident Evil 4 earlier this year. But Pieces Interactive and publisher THQ Nordic have found a way to make their “reimagined” take on the original Alone in the Dark game really shine: they got two big Hollywood stars to get in on the spooky fun. Stranger Things‘ David Harbour and Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer will take gamers back to 1920s Louisiana and Derceto Mansion.
But while we’ll recognize some of the other people we meet there, we’ll still be getting a whole new story.
The official PlayStation Blog has announced the 1992 horror game Alone in the Dark is getting a big modern update. Described as “a faithful love letter for long-term fans” that will also be “an accessible entry point for new players,” the remake will bring to life an original story to a game that helped launch the genre. But it will do so in a way that still incorporates “characters, places and themes from the 90’s original trilogy.”
Writer Mikael Hedberg (Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA) headed up the “reimagined” game’s creative team. Guy Davis, best known for his work with Guillermo Del Toro, provided creature designs. And Doom legend Jason Köhnen provided the game its “eerie and haunting melodies.”
Harbour (Detective Edward Carnby) and Comer (Emily Hartwood) also spoke about joining the franchise in a behind-the-scenes Spotlight video, which also reveals some of the new gameplay, cutscenes, and music fans will encounter.
As for the plot, the game’s official synopsis provides a tease at the tale of terror that awaits:
Discovering that her uncle has gone missing, Emily Hartwood goes looking for him with the help of private investigator Edward Carnby. Arriving at Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally fatigued, they encounter strange residents, portals to nightmarish worlds, dangerous monsters – and ultimately a plot of rising evil and its followers.
The Alone in the Dark remake will arrive on PlayStation 5 in time for Halloween, October 25, 2023. It will also be available on PC and the Xbox Series X/S. If you pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, you’ll get access to bonus content. That will include the Derceto 1992 Costume Pack for both Edward and Emily, the Vintage Horror Filter Pack, and a director’s commentary.
But you don’t have to wait that long—or spend any money—to experience this new/old game. The Prologue to Alone in the Dark is already available for free. Between that and its two stars, that’s a pretty good way to begin clearing a very high bar.
