“Pieces Interactive released over ten titles on PC, Console and Mobile since 2007, both our own concepts such as Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Leviathan Warships, Robo Surf, and Kill to Collect, as well as work for hire titles such as Magicka 2 and several DLCs for Magicka,” the website reads. “Our client list includes Paradox Interactive, Koei Tecmo, Arrowhead Game Studios, Koch Media, and RaceRoom Entertainment.

“In 2017, Pieces Interactive were acquired by Embracer Group after working with the expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Ragnarök, and third expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Atlantis.

“Our last release was the reimagining of Alone in the Dark.”

Embracer Group, parent company of Alone in the Dark publisher THQ Nordic, revealed in May that the game had performed below management expectations where its sales were concerned. The game was also met with lukewarm reception from critics and audiences at best. Read our review through here. What this means for the troubled franchise’s future remains to be seen, but signs aren’t pointing to a healthy one, to say the least- at least not in the immediate future.

Pieces Interactive is one of several studios to have been shuttered by Embracer Group over the last year, including Saints Row developer Volition and TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design.

While it didn’t provide further details, Kotaku’s Ethan Gach reported in April that the studio was laying off staff after the title’s release. Embracer didn’t officially confirm the layoffs.

Alone in the Dark is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. As a reboot of the classic 90s survival horror title, which influenced franchises like Resident Evil, it features actors David Harbour and Jodie Comer playing Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood, respectively. The duo investigate the mysterious disappearance of Emily’s uncle in Derceto Manor and quickly run afoul of many horrors.

Check out our review of the reboot here. We scored it a 6 out of 10 due to the problematic writing, unpolished combat, technical issues, etc. An update went live in March to balance the shotgun, improve level streaming and fix numerous crashes.

The game has also seen relatively positive reception from its player base. On Steam, for example, the game is sitting at an aggregate of Mostly Positive reviews, with 79 percent of the reviews the game got in the last month being positive.

Alone in the Dark was released back in March, and puts players in the shoes of either Emily Hartwood or Edward Carnby. The duo arrive at an asylum known as the Derceto Manor in search of Emily’s uncle, and what follows is an eldritch mystery that combines puzzles, exploration, and combat.

The game has also been getting updates since its release, with one releasing at the end of March bringing along some rebalancing for the shotgun. For more details on the game, check out our review. Alone in the Dark is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Level streaming is improved, while lighting has been tweaked in “several areas.” There are several crash fixes, several relating to memory on the Xbox. Crashes related to autosaves in the Cemetery when loading save files from earlier versions, transitioning to Chapter 3 or even when opening the Conservatory’s door have also been fixed.

It’s a pretty hefty amount, especially considering the various delays that the survival horror title (which makes you wonder how much worse it would have been without the same). Check out the full update notes below for more details. You can also read our review – we awarded it a 6 out of 10, praising the atmosphere, level design and puzzles but criticizing the writing, combat and technical issues.

Alone in the Dark Patch (2024/03/28)

Changes

• Shotgun balancing.

Optimization:

• Level streaming improvements.
• Lighting tweaks in several areas.

Bugs fixed:

• Several fixes of memory related crashes on Xbox.
• Fixed crash related to autosaves in the Cemetery.
• Fixed crash related to loading saved game files from earlier versions of the game.
• Fixed crash when entering Cemetery through the basement door/passage.
• Fixed crash during the transition to Chapter 3.
• Fixed crash when opening the door to the Conservatory.
• Fixed crash in the Gallatin Street showroom.
• The number of chambered bullets after loading a save should now be correct.
• DLCs are no longer available if disabled in Steam.
• Fixed issue where the puzzle HUD remained on screen after exiting a puzzle.
• Changes to keybindings are now persistent.
• Fixed issues with PC getting stuck on objects in Gallatin Street.
• Fixed several instances of flickering HLODs.
• Players can no longer access the cheat on the circuit breaker puzzle.
• General fixes related to sounds breaking and becoming distorted.
• Fixed issue with PC being blocked after the Crypt anomaly in Derceto.
• Fixed issue with PC being pushed into the wall in the Crypt anomaly in Derceto.
• Fixed menu issues on UWS monitors.
• Fixed save issues related to the zipline cutscene on Oil Rig.
• PC should no longer get stuck by the destructible gate on the Oil Rig level.
• Stopped being able to backtrack on the burning Oil Rig level and get blocked.
• Removed broken reset button in the X-Ray puzzle.
• Removed blocker between flooded morgue and Dr. Gray’s apartment when playing as Emily.
• Removed floating crucifix in War Photo.
• Fixed problem with PC getting stuck when traversing below the fallen pillar leading to the first puzzle in Desert Standing Stones.
• Fixed issues with sound delays after loading a save.
• Fixed issue where Batiste’s Keys were missing from inventory in Chapter 2.
• Fixed collision issues on breakable chairs.
• Fixed save issues related to objectives updates in AW4.● Fixed screen freeze issues when picking up the Furniture Key.
• Players can now remap the opportunity action on keyboard.
• Fixed issues where throwing items breaks interactions.
• Players can no longer be blocked by missing a puzzle piece in the attic.
• Fixed issues where PC spawned outside of playable area after loading saved game.
• Fixed save issue where player could get stuck in basement after loading saved game.
• “You can’t keep me out” achievement can now be completed.

Capcom’s open world action RPG was “narrowly ahead” of Princess Peach: Showtime!, which slotted in at No. 3, while another new release, Rise of the Ronin, entered the charts at No. 5. Meanwhile, THQ Nordic’s Alone in the Dark reboot came in at No. 6.

Interestingly, as per Dring, owing to the significantly higher share of physical sales that Nintendo Switch games usually see in the UK, Princess Peach: Showtime! has had a “weak launch”, with sales lower than what the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake managed upon its release last month. Even though Dragon’s Dogma 2 is only “narrowly” ahead of Princess Peach in the physical charts, when accounting for digital sales (data for which will arrive later in the week), it’s likely to have had a much better launch.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown re-entered the charts at No. 10, a whopping 693 percent increase in sales from last week, courtesy of Amazon’s Spring Sale.

Rise of Ronin is at No.5, while Alone in the Dark is the final new release in the charts at No.6. Amazon Spring Sale sends games up the charts, including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown at No.10 (+693% week-on-week). Best to wait on digital to draw conclusions

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) March 25, 2024

In the UK, Switch games are much more skewed towards the physical market, vs Xbox and PlayStation. Much more. Dragon's Dogma could be 80 – 90% digital, whereas Princess Peach — based on third-party Switch sales — could be 70 – 80% physical.

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) March 25, 2024

Alone in the Dark sees players playing as either Emily Hartwood or Edward Carnby (played by Jodie Comer and David Harbour respectively), who arrive at the asylum known as Derceto Manor in search of the former’s missing uncle, only to find themselves caught in a horrifying, eldritch mystery. Combining puzzles, exploration, and combat, Alone in the Dark adopts a third-person approach and gameplay structure similar to the Resident Evil series.

In our review of the game, we gave it a score of 6/10, saying, “There are bright spots here that genre veterans can and likely will latch on to, but Alone in the Dark feels a bit too rough and unpolished in areas that are too critical to the experience to ever be able to truly meet its full potential.” Read the full review through here.

Alone in the Dark is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out its PC requirements through here.

And now we have Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic’s new reboot, an expanded reimagining of the very first game in the series that homes in on the core tenets of survival horror (well, most of them, anyway), with the aim to deliver a game built around exploration, puzzles, combat, and atmosphere in a market that is hungry for such games, as the success of Resident Evil in recent years has proven beyond doubt. And while the new Alone in the Dark isn’t quite the spectacular success that some of its contemporary peers have become, even with its fair share of rough edges, it’s at least worth a look for survival horror fans.

"While the new Alone in the Dark isn’t quite the spectacular success that some of its contemporary peers have become, even with its fair share of rough edges, it’s worth a look for survival horror fans."

Several key elements from the original 1992 game return in this reboot, though quite a bit has been changed as well, from major new characters to alterations to the lore and backstory to even the core premise. The game begins with co-protagonists Edward Carnby, a private investigator, and Emily Hartwood, who has hired him, driving down to Derceto Manor. An old structure with a long and complicated history, it now functions as an asylum for the insane, with Emily’s uncle, Jeremy Hartwood, being one of several patients. Now, Emily is here to check up on her uncle with Edward as her backup after having received a concerning letter from him- though quickly upon their arrival, they learn that Jeremy has gone missing, and that things within Derceto are not at all what they seem.

There are things about Alone in the Dark’s setup, narrative, and storytelling that work quite well, even if there are also a few that don’t. The brightest highlight in the former group is Derceto Manor itself, which serves as an excellent setting. Particularly from a narrative standpoint, learning the gruesome history of the manor and all the changes it has gone through over the years is one of the stronger parts of the experience. The things that you learn about Derceto’s past are roped into the central narrative and its mysteries in some intriguing ways, lending it quite a bit of added weight.

Another highlight is the eclectic cast of characters you’ll encounter in the manor. There’s a handful of patients and staff to meet in Derceto, each coming with distinct quirks and personalities, and many with their own role to play in the story. I don’t want to oversell things here- that cast of characters definitely feels like a peripheral addition to the main story more often than not, but when they do show up, they usually end up making an impression for some reason or the other.

Unfortunately, the protagonists themselves aren’t quite as strong. Carnby and Emily do, of course, have their own stories and histories, and their own stakes in the larger plot, but both of them are let down by inconsistent writing and surprisingly disappointing performances. With Carnby played by David Harbour and Emily by Jodie Comer, I was expecting the leading duo to be among the game’s biggest strengths, but there were way too many moments throughout my time with the game where their tone or inflection wouldn’t feel right for the situation they were in, or they would be speaking weirdly faster or slower than they should, almost as if the audio had been manipulated to fit pre-animated cutscenes. Both characters also have some clunkily written dialogue, as a result of which their reactions to major revelations or surreal, outlandish sequences often entirely fail to reflect the gravity of what they just witnessed or experienced.

"Derceto Manor serves as an excellent setting. Particularly from a narrative standpoint, learning the gruesome history of the manor and all the changes it has gone through over the years is one of the stronger parts of the experience."

Narratively, then, Alone in the Dark is certainly something of an inconsistent experience- but one area where it impressed me almost without any caveats is the exploration, most of which is done within Derceto. The manor is a sizeable, multi-storied structure that, in true survival horror fashion, is also built like a maze. Throughout the game, you slowly but surely unlock and master the environment, and with plenty of backtracking, unlocking shortcuts, checking your map to see where you should be headed next, and the like, Alone in the Dark hits all the notes you would expect a survival horror game to where exploration is concerned, and hits them quite well.

Aiding the looping, interconnected level design further is the fact that exploration generally feels pretty rewarding. You’re going to be finding ammo and health pickups, key items to solve puzzles, notes to flesh out the backstory and main narrative, and more. Also scattered throughout the game are dozens of collectibles called Lagniappes, objects of all shapes and sizes that come in sets of three. Complete a set, and you’ll unlock all manner of bonuses, ranging from new lore tidbits to in-game items and weapons and more. I always felt motivated to go off the beaten path and explore, and that was thanks in large part to how rewarding finding new Lagniappes and completing sets always feels.

Of course, the puzzles are a big part of Alone in the Dark too (even by survival horror standards), and sure enough, there’s a bevy of them to be found and solved across the entirely of the experience. Anyone who’s familiar with the genre and its usual trappings is going to be in very comfortable territory here, which is to say that though Alone in the Dark’s puzzles aren’t extraordinary or unusual by any means, they are quite consistently solidly designed and engaging. None of them are really head-scratchers, but the majority of them feel quite rewarding. Especially when you’re juggling multiple ongoing puzzles at once and trying to figure out which item you need to take to which room to solve which puzzle, they contribute to the exploration and backtracking significantly. Meanwhile, genre veterans can also choose an “old-school” setting that eliminates a lot of the guidance the game otherwise provides, while other elements such as text highlighting, dynamic objectives, and map guidance can also be toggled on or off individually, for those who want to play this game like a classic, old-school horror game.

"Throughout the game, you slowly but surely unlock and master the environment, and with plenty of backtracking, unlocking shortcuts, checking your map to see where you should be headed next, and the like, Alone in the Dark hits all the notes you would expect a survival horror game to where exploration is concerned, and hits them quite well."

As strong as the puzzles and exploration are, the third major pillar of Alone in the Dark’s gameplay experience – the combat – is considerably weaker. Movement in general feels pretty janky (especially the glacial slow default walk), and during combat, those issues become that much more exacerbated by the need to stay nimble on your feet. It doesn’t help that aiming feels a bit wonky at times as well, and with weapons lacking satisfying feedback, hits not feeling particularly hefty, and enemy animations often being quite jerky, combat ends up feeling like one of the game’s most unpolished aspects. The general lack of any real progression mechanics also hurts the experience, because other than new enemies and weapons, combat remains largely static throughout the game. And thanks to all of the aforementioned issues, the new enemies and weapons don’t spark too much excitement either.

Alone in the Dark also makes the very curious decision to almost entirely separate its sections that are focused from puzzles and exploration from the ones that are focused on combat. Your time in the game will be pretty evenly split between Derceto and a number of otherworldly locations that you’ll be transported to from time to time. When in the manor, though there are some brief, scripted sequences where the environments suddenly change and distort, largely, there’s no combat whatsoever, which means there is almost no sense of real danger or tension to keep you on the edge of your toes.

Sure, the manor is an atmospheric place, but there’s only so far the atmosphere can take you when you know for a fact that you’re not going to be in any actual danger while you’re still in Derceto. Even in other locations, in fact, “danger” is a strong word to use, because this is a pretty easy game, even on the default difficulty. Enemies go down pretty easily, their hits don’t usually do too much damage, ammo and health are found in abundance, and there isn’t even any inventory management to take care of, which means there’s no real challenge or bite to the majority of the experience. As such, whether you’re in combat or out of it, even though Alone in the Dark does feel suitably atmospheric, very rarely does it manage to elicit genuine scares.

"As strong as the puzzles and exploration are, the third major pillar of Alone in the Dark’s gameplay experience – the combat – is considerably weaker."

On the technical front, it’s also an inconsistent experience. Visually, Alone in the Dark looks good enough. No, you’re not going to find the ultra-high production values and the obsessive level of fidelity and attention to detail of something like Resident Evil or Dead Space here, but the game can look impressive in its own right every so often- even if it does have a few rough edges, from lip syncing issues to the occasional visual bug during both cutscenes and gameplay. Those rough edges are much more prominent on the audio side of things, however, with issues such as poor mixing or borked effects when you’re in confined spaces (among others) being quite noticeable.

Alone in the Dark isn’t the home run that many would have hoped the franchise would finally get at a time when the survival horror genre is doing better than it ever has. From rough combat and a lack of actual scares to storytelling issues and more, the game has several flaws that aren’t insignificant in the slightest even when viewed on their own, and put together, they only serve to hurt the experience that much more. At the same time, however, this isn’t a game without its redeeming qualities. Whether it’s Derceto Manor’s level design, the exploration, or the puzzles, Alone in the Dark succeeds in a lot of ways that will please fans of the genre. Though those strengths aren’t quite strong enough to make up for the game’s deficiencies in other areas, they do still make for a game that survival horror aficionados will likely get a fair bit of enjoyment out of.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

On the Low preset at 1080p/30 FPS, PC players will require an Intel Core i3-8300 or an AMD Ryzen 3 3100, 8 GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 570. The High preset at 1080p/60 FPS requires a Core i5-12400 or a Ryzen 7 3700X, 16 GB of RAM and an RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5700 XT.

For 1440p/60 FPS and Epic present, a Core i7-12700F or a Ryzen 7 5700X, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6700 XT. Finally, to play at 4K/60 FPS on Epic settings, you’ll need a Core i5-13600KF or a Ryzen 5 7600, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 4070 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XT.

Alone in the Dark launches on March 20th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. It will require at least two playthroughs, one with each character, to understand the story. Check out our interview for more details.

No one knows what lurks at the heart of Derceto Manor… But we do know what you need to face it. Check out the system requirements for #AloneInTheDark on PC below. pic.twitter.com/VCDeN7EtFL

— Alone in the Dark (@AITDGame) March 18, 2024

Ahead of the game’s launch, Pieces Interactive has shared an FAQ on Steam, revealing new details about the survival horror title, through which we also know what to expect from the game in terms of its runtime.

According to the developer, a single, rushed playthrough of Alone in the Dark can be completed in about eight hours, but you’re going to have to finish the game twice – once with each protagonist – to experience its full story.

“If you rush through the main story, a playthrough will take approximately 8 hours, but keep in mind that you will need at least two playthroughs to get the whole story (one as Edward, one as Emily),” Pieces Interactive writes.

Last year, THQ Nordic’s Andreas Schmiedecker – associate producer on Alone in the Dark – told GamingBolt that each protagonist’s campaign will be roughly 6-10 hours long.

Elsewhere in the FAQ, the developer also offers assurances that unlike its demo, Alone in the Dark isn’t just going to be a “walking sim”, and will feature “a mix of exploration/dialogue, puzzle solving, and combat.”

Alone in the Dark will launch on March 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Aside from the horrors that await in the mansion, players will also encounter its different residents. Depending on the chosen protagonist, their reactions are different. Each has exclusive levels and different perspectives on the story, so it’s worth playing the game again as another character for the complete narrative.

Alone in the Dark is available on March 20th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our interview with THQ Nordic associate producer Andreas Schmiedecker for more details. You can also check out some more gameplay here or find out how to use character models from the 1992 classic here.