Alone in the Dark’s Combat is “Tough and Intense”, but Exploration and Puzzles Are the Main Focus

The survival horror genre is thriving once again, and THQ Nordic has glimpsed this as the perfect opportunity to revive one of the genre’s earliest hits in Alone in the Dark. The upcoming regimagination of the original game’s story is promising a core survival horror experience that fans of the genre will love, but exactly how is that being translated to the gameplay loop?

Speaking in a recent interview with GamingBolt, THQ Nordic associate producer Andreas Schmiedecker said that Alone in the Dark will strive for “an equal distribution between the classic pillars of survival horor”, those being combat, exploration, puzzles, and story. Among those, however, the game will have “a light tendency towards exploration and puzzles”, and according to Schmiedecker, though combat is “not the main focus of the game”, it will still be “tough and intense”.

Specifically where exploration and puzzles are concerned, Schmeidecker said that objectives will task players with “exploring Derceto, meeting its residents, finding keys and clues, and getting access to previously inaccessible areas”. Meanwhile, those who want the game to pose less of a challenge on that front will be able to get additional help.

“We feel the ‘haunted house’ aspect is a core pillar of what makes Alone in the Dark interesting and special,” Schmeidecker said. “Therefore, exploring Derceto, meeting its residents, finding keys and clues and getting access to previously inaccessible areas will play a substantial role in the experience. Going into exploration and various puzzles without any aid will require some patience as well as a willingness to do non-linear thinking and finding your own path through the mansion. Many players will enjoy this; however we don’t want this to be a limit for players who enjoy going through the game a bit faster. This is why we are offering additional help with puzzles and navigation – they will affect how much information you will find on your map, how many hints you get for a puzzle and how easy it will be to find interaction points.”

During the interview, Schmeidecker also told GamingBolt that each of Alone in the Dark’s two protagonists will have a 6-10 hour campaign, and that the game will feature a 60 FPS Performance Mode at launch. The producer also said that THQ Nordic is “committed” to the Alone in the Dark franchise “in the long run” and will consider sequels depending on how well the upcoming revival is received.

Alone in the Dark launches on October 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Stay tuned for our full interview with Schmeidecker.