Summary
TheResident Evilfranchise is often very closely linked with the early days of the survival horror genre, but while 1996’sResident Evildefinitely helped to popularize the genre, it didn’t invent it. The survival horror genre is believed to have officially been born with the release of 1989’sSweet Home, aJapanese horror movietie-in game that saw players try to make their way through a haunted house with very limited ammunition and health.Sweet Homewas a major inspiration for the firstResident Evil, but it wasn’t the only one, withAlone in the Darkalso being at the forefront of Shinji Mikami’s mind.
Released in 1992,Alone in the Darkis widely considered to be one of the first truly cinematic survival horror games, featuring a fixed camera angle, limited resources, and a supernatural, Lovecraftian narrative. It may not have held up as well asResident Evil, butAlone in the Darkis still an important survival horror milestone. In just a few weeks it’s getting the remake that it rightfully deserves, packed with new features that should help modernize this cult classic.
Every Major Feature Currently Confirmed for Alone in the Dark 2024
Alone in the Dark Remakes a Survival Horror Pioneer
Some of the most important features ofAlone in the Dark2024 are those related to remaking a 1992 classic. In the originalAlone in the Dark, players controlled either Detective Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood as they tried to escapethe haunted Derceto Manor. Gameplay in the original 1992Alone in the Darksaw players control their character from a fixed camera angle as they solved various puzzles, and either defeated or avoided various supernatural threats.
A complete ground-up remake,Alone in the Dark2024 is takinga page out ofResident Evil’s playbookand completely reinventing the original’s gameplay while retaining a lot of what made the original so special, at least based on what fans have seen so far. Rather than a fixed perspective,Alone in the Dark2024 will have an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, and more of an emphasis will be placed on combat, though environmental puzzles will also apparently still play a major role.
Alone in the Dark Is Doubling Down on Atmosphere
One of the biggest strengths of the originalAlone in the Darkwas its eerieLovecraftian atmosphere. While that atmosphere is somewhat lost due to the game’s dated visuals,Alone in the Dark2024 promises to offer a modernized version of that same atmosphere, achieved by using modern-day technical features like realistic lighting and greatly improved graphics. According toAlone in the Dark2024’s Steam page, the remake is trying to emphasize the original’s psychological horror and capture an undeniable sense of dread.
Alone in the Dark Features a Star-Studded Cast
Front and center of all the game’s marketing,Alone in the Dark2024 is set to feature a star-studded cast, with Jodie Comer and David Harbour playing the game’s two lead roles.Comer will be playing Emily Hartwood and Harbour will be playing Edward Carnby, both of whom are tasked with investigating the disappearance of Jeremy Hartwood, a story that borrows a lot of elements from the original 1992 game, but apparently won’t remake its narrative one-for-one.
On top of Jodie Comer and David Harbour, Mikael Hedberg joins theAlone in the Darkteam as the game’s primary writer. Having already written for games likeAmnesiaandSoma, Hedberg has proven that he has a knack for the psychological horror genre and hopefully his writing can help breathe new life into this dormant franchise.
Alone in the Dark
WHERE TO PLAY
Alone in the Dark weaves a chilling tapestry of psychological horror and Southern Gothic charm, reimagining the iconic game that set the benchmark for the genre. We invite you to join us on a journey into madness, where each encounter could be your last. With each step you take closer to unravelling Derceto’s mystery, the eyes that watch from the darkness grow hungrier.Every bullet means the difference between survival and an unthinkable end. The next door you unlock could lead to a nightmarish realm offering nothing but slashing claws, grasping tentacles, and frayed sanity. Journey to interbellum Louisiana, where an era of decadence hides a darker tale - of escape from past traumas and an intolerant society, into the waiting grasp of something darker, something that has patiently lurked for impossible eons.This is Alone in the Dark as you’ve never seen it - a skillfully-woven narrative of Southern Gothic elegance and eldritch madness that pays homage to its legendary origins while taking the next step forward in survival horror storytelling.
