Alone in the Dark is a psychological, survival-horror game where players investigate the strange happenings of the haunted Derceto Manor, set within a 1920s southern Gothic landscape. Searching for her missing uncle, Emily Hartwood and private investigator Edward Carnby seek to unravel the nightmare surrounding the mysterious Hartwood Family Curse. As a re-imagining of and love letter to primarily the original Alone in the Dark game, it brings the franchise up to date for a modern gaming audience. Yet, it's still a classic ghost story at heart, where players can choose between playing as Edward or Emily's perspective to offer a different take on the narrative.
While it's not necessary to play the original games to play Pieces Interactive's Alone in the Dark re-imagining, new and veteran players alike may be curious to know more about the Hartwood Curse, as it did not play a role in the original game. In a The Best War Games interview, creative director and writer Mikael Hedberg revealed more details about the cryptic curse, as well as the apparition haunting Jeremy Hartwood, known simply as The Dark Man. THQ Nordic producer Andreas Schmiedecker also discussed the story approach to Alone in the Dark as a re-imagining, detailing how this curse weaves directly into that.
Alone in the Dark Monsters Explained
With the iconic title Alone in the Dark getting a remake, many fans will want a refresher as to the sinister monsters within the series.
Alone In The Dark's Hartwood Family Curse And The Dark Man
In 2024's Alone in the Dark, Emily's uncle, Jeremy Hartwood, suffers the Hartwood Family Curse, claiming he is tormented by an ominous figure called The Dark Man. Indeed, Alone in the Dark's Dark Man teaser trailer warns players not to speak his name, stating he's always listening. Alone in the Dark' s trailers don't explicitly detail the exact nature of this curse and its possible connection to The Dark Man, which largely remains a mystery. However, Hedberg went into more detail about the psychological, tormenting nature of the Curse and its effects:
"The Hartwood family suffers from debilitating melancholy, or depression, as we would call it today. It gets worse and worse as they get older until they can’t take it anymore. This depression also comes with a sense of persecution and even being possessed. Jeremy Hartwood is convinced that he is haunted by a presence he calls The Dark Man and that it will eventually break him. Emily is younger than Jeremy and hasn’t really succumbed to the curse yet, but she is certainly worried and who knows what will happen to her in the (maybe near) future."
As a psychological horror game, the Hartwood Family Curse therefore seems to have some links to reality with modern-day understandings of depression. However, it also leans into ideas and horror of what is real and what isn't with its Lovecraftian and supernatural elements, namely around ghost possession and torment. Hedberg's comments suggest the Dark Man could be the source of the Hartwood Curse, at least from Jeremy's perspective.
Avoiding possible spoilers, those familiar with Alone in the Dark's story from the original 1992 game may already be aware of the identity of its primary antagonist. It's possible that The Dark Man is a reimagining of that figure, though it simply haunted the mansion and not the family. Of course, it's best to consider any possibilities about its origins since this is a reimagining, not a remake. Jeremy is dead in the original 1992 game, after all, while he is described as just missing in the upcoming title.
Schmiedecker also had some intriguing things to say that could shed more light on the nature of Alone in the Dark's story overall:
"If you follow the story of our re-imagination closely, you will find numerous callbacks to the original game and their characters, as well as some almost post-modern reflections on the nature of remakes...In that sense, the question of whether history is doomed to repeat itself has been very much on the developers' minds."
Of course, players will have to wait till playing the game to fully unravel its mysteries. However, with Hedberg's writing background in classic survival horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA, Alone in the Dark is bound to have more than a few tricks up its sleeve.
Alone in the Dark
- Released
- March 20, 2024
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.
- Developer(s)
- Pieces Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- THQ Nordic
- Franchise
- Alone in the Dark
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
