Alone in the Dark Requires Multiple Playthroughs for Secret Ending, Certain Cutscenes

Pieces Interactive has big ambitions for Alone in the Dark, the reimagining of the classic survival horror title by the same name, originally released in 1992. Like the original, the new Alone in the Dark promises a terrifying mystery set in a severely haunted Lovecraftian estate. But to experience everything the game has to offer, players must explore Derceto Manor twice at least. Protagonists Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood both bring unique perspectives to the central mystery, as well as their own secrets.

Motivating players to invest time in multiple playthroughs can be challenging for any genre, as the developer must reward gamers with fresh material that is not merely more of the same, but experiences that allow players to appreciate the entire title in a new light. Game Rant recently spoke with THQ Nordic producer Andreas Schmiedecker and Pieces Interactive’s creative director and Alone in the Dark writer, Mikael Hedberg, about enriching replayability with character-specific scenes, secrets, and endings.

Rewarding Multiple Playthroughs in Alone in the Dark

Subsequent playthrough bonus features and New Game Plus modes are becoming increasingly popular additions to games. But in Alone in the Dark‘s story, Pieces Interactive aims to tell a single narrative with two characters whose whole is greater than the sum of its halves. That means story rewards for completing both, as well as individual perspectives within those playthroughs. As explained by Schmiedecker,

“The main incentive will be to play through both campaigns and experience the story from Emily’s and Edward’s perspective. They both feature unique cutscenes and levels and together form a whole story. Additionally, players will only be able to find all collectibles (“Lagniappes” as we call them) on multiple playthroughs.”

It doesn’t end there, just like Alone in the Dark doesn’t just end with two playthroughs. Schmiedecker would also explain that there “might be secret endings and cutscenes only to be found by the most attentive players after multiple playthroughs.” How that works out exactly remains to be seen, but fans will want to check every nook and cranny of Derceto Manor come release. It’s not just the ending or cutscenes, though, as each character also has unique dreamscapes to explore and content unique to them.

Multiple Alone in the Dark Protagonists

Hedberg stated “I love playing games twice,” especially when a title offers players experiences from different character’s perspectives. In the earliest phases of development, Edward Carnby was pictured as the primary protagonist. But in 1992’s Alone in the Dark, Carnby shared the spotlight with Emily Hartwood, a heroine who falls to the side in the series’ subsequent entries. This is something Hedberg changed when he stepped in, something the whole crew at Pieces Interactive welcomed wholeheartedly, and made sure both protagonists

Emily’s role as Jeremy Hartwood’s niece brings emotional stakes to the story. In many ways, she is the impetus for the entire narrative, as she hires Carnby to help her investigate Derceto Manor after receiving her uncle’s letter. And since Emily bears the Hartwood family name, she introduces the opportunity for Pieces Interactive to play with her personal relationship to the Hartwood Curse.

Edward brings his own baggage to Derceto, with Hedberg describing him as a traditional detective out of a film noir. Rather than an action hero—an archetype that has become increasingly popular in survival horror games—Edward is scholarly, shopworn, and world-weary. This important distinction between the adventurous gunslinger and the introspective detective will set the tone for horror in Alone in the Dark, which aims to be as much about cerebral, psychological horror as much as immediate, jump-scare terror. Apart from their professional relationship, it remains to be seen how Edward and Emily’s stories will intersect and inform each other, but their unique motivations and personal backgrounds should go a long way to help make their campaigns feel meaningfully distinct.