We’re now only a couple of weeks out from the launch of THQ Nordic’s (belated) reboot of Alone in the Dark and, as is to be expected, the publicity machine is going into overdrive. With new trailers dropping at regular intervals, amplified promotion of the game’s deluxe edition, and Creative Director, Mikael Hedberg, making the interview rounds; it feels like the granddaddy of survival horror is rightfully making waves once again.
It’s an overdue comeback for sure — given that it’s been almost 10 years since the franchise’s last installment and even longer since the last good one — yet the pieces do appear to be falling into place. Indeed, there’s ample reason to be getting excited for Edward Carnby’s newest case: from its unique interbellum setting and its playful evocation of film noir tropes; to how it’s combining the very best of horror gaming’s past & present; and, of course, the pair of Hollywood A-listers who are heading up the cast. All signs seem to indicate that this is a remake being done with proper care and that THQ Nordic have total confidence in it.
Speaking of which, in a particularly inventive effort to generate hype, the publisher recently sent us a puzzle box in the mail. If you’ve seen the film Glass Onion, you’ll know roughly what to expect from this sort of thing. Segmented into layers, it required us to solve increasingly challenging riddles in order to reach a hidden secret that was tantalizingly buried beneath all of the detective work.
Among other things, we had to reveal hidden messages that were scrawled down in invisible ink, disassemble an era-appropriate handgun to retrieve the key object that had been smuggled into its grip, examine fingerprints under UV light, and divine the purpose of some freaky-looking tarot cards. It was a ton of fun, with the conundrums always falling on just the right side of difficult and never crossing the line into being plain frustrating. The ingenious ways in which they all interlinked were immediately clear as well, allowing us to get into a dopamine-heavy rhythm of solving one puzzle after another.
They obviously hadn’t spared any expense when it came to production either, as the box itself was lavishly carpentered and the various clue items it contained were all ridiculously ornate and detailed. At one point we even got to rummage through the wallet of original Alone in the Dark protagonist Edward Carnby; studying his PI license and gumshoe badge.
On that note, there were more than a few teases for the upcoming remake scattered throughout this experience. For instance, one layer of the box housed a replica of the ceramic mask worn by the enigmatic Dark Man, while those aforementioned tarot cards depicted assorted characters & locations that we’ll presumably be seeing in the game when it releases on the 20th of March.
You can see it all for yourself by watching the video below! Word of warning though: you’ll need to be patient as we do get outfoxed by a screwdriver towards the middle of the unboxing.
Oh, and make sure to stick around to the end, when we get a mysterious invitation to continue the adventure in London. We can’t wait to find out what’s in store there…
Alone in the Dark arrives on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.