Derceto Manor is the birthplace of theAlone in the Darkfranchise, playing a huge role in the game’s pioneering of the survival horror genre. It was the haunted house setting of the original 1992 game, where players explored its claustrophobic halls as private investigator Edward Carnby or heiress Emily Hartwood. In Pieces Interactive’s 2024Alone in the Darkre-imagining, players return to Derceto Manor in Louisiana to investigate its mysteries, but the story has shifted dramatically. While the developers sought to preserve some of the original feelings and atmosphere of Derceto from the 1992 original game, 2024’sAlone in the Darkis also a re-imagining in terms of setting and place as well as characters and story, featuring various innovations and new features.
As seen inAlone in the Dark’s demo prologue, Derceto’s walls can shift and change in the blink of an eye, leaning into jump-scare moments and turning the environment into something far more sinister as players explore the house to unlock its mysteries. In a Game Rant interview, THQ Nordic producer Andreas Schmiedecker detailed more about Derceto Manor’s puzzles and design, including how the house has evolved from the original in crafting a modern survival horror experience. Schmiedecker also spoke in depth about Derceto’s new features, including how its various modes and options can change how players approach navigation and puzzle-solving.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Alone in the Dark Prologue
Q: In the prologue, we see aQuick-Time Eventagainst a monster. How do you balance QTEs with actively involving players in the action throughout the game?
A: The QTA that was seen in the Prologue is not representative of the gameplay in the full game. There are occasions where the player will need to button mash to escape a monster’s grapple. However, those can be deactivated in the menu. Outside of those moments, there are no QTAs in the game. In general, we feel that the QTA’s work in those specific instances, when the feeling of having to escape a terrible monster grabbing you is enhanced by the physical action of smashing a button. Other than that, they are not really relevant for the gameplay experience we’re trying to provide.
Derceto Manor Design and Puzzles
Q:What can you tell us about Derceto Manor as a place and from a puzzle and design perspective?
A: Preserving that feeling of a “haunted house” was very important for us. Essentially, we wanted the whole house to feel like a puzzle. That meant that the player would be looking for keys, gradually opening up the house step by step, exploring new areas, and meeting new residents. From a puzzle design perspective, we tried to get the player to be sucked deeper and deeper into the house by gradually opening up new areas, unlocking new clues and objects.
It was also important to us that the house felt “grounded”, so every object you’d find would have a reason to be there since it’s connected to the place and the people living there. Navigating around the house is also a challenge since rooms and areas might shift and transform unexpectedly. Also, as the evening inDerceto Manorprogresses, the atmosphere will change to something way more dark and sinister …
Q:How has the Manor evolved from the original title?
A: We tried to keep that special deep southern atmosphere. As you know, one of the key differences from the old game is that it’s not set in your typical Lovecraftian New England setting, but in Louisiana. Our team did lots of research and paid attention to detail to get the period right. Derceto is supposed to feel like a real house and every room there has its purpose.
Alone In The Dark Gameplay Modes and Camera Perspective
Q:Why did you choose an over-the-shoulder camera perspective?
A: We feel this perspective allows the best way to immerse the player into the world while still feeling they play a distinct character. Of course, we also considered sticking to theold-school fixed cameraperspective but ultimately decided to go for over-the-shoulder. However, fans of the fixed camera won’t be completely disappointed when playing through the whole game …
Q: Could you explain the various difficulty modes players can choose, including Old School mode?
A: When starting the game, in addition to choosing the combat difficulty, the player can choose either modern or old-school mode. The old-school mode has most of the help systems that aid you with navigation and puzzling turned off, while they are all activated in modern mode. But for more granularity, you can activate and deactivate them individually, as you prefer.
We are aware that some players just want to decide this once and not bother with it while playing, while others might enjoy getting some help for specific parts of the game (like finding interactive points or where to go), but enjoy figuring out other parts on their own (like finding clues in texts). Therefore, all the systems can be activated or deactivated individually. Those systems are:
Alone In The Dark 2024 Vs. The Original Trilogy
Q: What are some new elements players of the original might expect to see?
A: When developing the game we took most of our cues from the 1992 original and tried to preserve as much as possible while still making it a modern experience. This modernization goes hand in hand with, for instance, anover-the-shoulder cameraand a control scheme that has become standard.
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. What, for instance, changes if Jeremy, the character that kickstarts the story with his letter, didn’t kill himself (as he did in the original) but instead sought therapy? In that sense, the question of whether history is doomed to repeat itself has been very much on the developers' minds :)
Q:Alone in the Darkis a long series with six titles prior to this one. Although it’s primarily based on the original game, are there any nods to the sequels in it?
A: We took our cues primarily from the first game and some also from the second and third. Mikael Hedberg goes into more detail about this in his answers. As to the games that came after the original trilogy – they tried different things and exist in their own right, but were not really relevant to our approach in terms of gameplay and story (except for some very, very well-hidden references in some names … 😊
Q: TheAlone in the Darkgamesover the years feature various stories and settings. Looking to the future, is it possible the game might pave the way to otherAlone in the Darkre-imaginings for the franchise?
A: We’re excited to bring backAlone in the Darkwith the attention the franchise deserves and are eager to know what old and new fans think of our attempt. We’re committed to the franchise in the long run and will be happy to explore it further if audience reception stays as positive as we have been experiencing since the announcement.
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Alone in the Dark
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.
