Key Highlights:
- David Harbour portrays Edward Carnby, while Jodie Comer plays Emily Hartwood.
- Both protagonists experience the same central mystery from different perspectives, with character-specific reactions and story moments.
- A free prologue starring Grace Saunders was released alongside the May 2023 announcement, although the full game’s original October 25 release date was later changed.
THQ Nordic confirmed David Harbour and Jodie Comer as the two principal stars of Alone in the Dark during its May 2023 Spotlight presentation.
Harbour portrays private investigator Edward Carnby, while Comer plays Emily Hartwood, whose missing uncle Jeremy provides the reason for travelling to Derceto Manor.
The performances went beyond voice acting. Both actors provided their likenesses and performances for the characters, allowing Pieces Interactive to build Edward and Emily around recognisable versions of Harbour and Comer.
The project also marked the first videogame role for both actors.
Choosing between Edward and Emily does not replace the game’s central storyline with an entirely different campaign. Instead, each character interprets the events around Derceto differently.
Characters can react differently to Edward and Emily, while certain cutscenes and story moments also change depending on the selected protagonist.
THQ Nordic also released a free playable prologue alongside the casting announcement.
Rather than allowing players to control Edward or Emily, the prologue follows 11-year-old Grace Saunders as she attempts to deliver the letter that eventually brings Emily to Derceto Manor.
Grace is not a completely new character created for the re-imagining. She previously appeared in Alone in the Dark 2 and starred in Jack in the Dark, a short promotional game released ahead of the sequel.
Using Grace for the new prologue therefore gave Pieces Interactive a way to preview its version of Derceto while making a direct connection to the older Alone in the Dark games.
The prologue was designed as a separate introduction rather than a section taken directly from Edward or Emily’s main adventure, allowing players to see the setting without spoiling the central story.
When the cast and prologue were announced in May 2023, Alone in the Dark was scheduled to launch on October 25, 2023.
That date subsequently changed.
THQ Nordic first delayed Alone in the Dark to January 16, 2024, moving the survival horror game away from an unusually crowded October release schedule.
A second delay followed in December 2023. THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive moved the game to March 20, citing the development team’s wellbeing over the Christmas period and a desire to avoid crunch.
Alone in the Dark ultimately launched on March 20, 2024 for Windows PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Although Alone in the Dark was frequently described as a remake or reboot before release, THQ Nordic’s own description is more precise: the 2024 game is a re-imagining of the original game.
Pieces Interactive retained characters, locations and themes from the original trilogy while creating a new story around them.
Derceto remains central to the experience, while Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood return as the playable protagonists. The new interpretation places them in 1920s Louisiana and combines survival horror with Southern Gothic and noir influences.
Creative director and writer Mikael Hedberg, previously known for his work on SOMA and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, led the narrative direction. Creature designs were contributed by Guy Davis, while Jason Köhnen helped establish the game’s unusual Doom Jazz musical identity.
The result was intended to recognise the series’ survival-horror origins without simply recreating the 1992 game scene for scene.
