We already knew from the Embracer Group’s latest financial report that the Alone in the Dark reboot and the new Outcast game didn’t do very well commercially.
Unfortunately, Alone in the Dark developer Pieces Interactive has now been shut down by Embracer. The news came directly from the Swedish studio, which posted just a farewell image on Twitter/X. No other communication is currently available from either the developer or publisher.
Pieces Interactive was founded in 2007. The studio previously helped Arrowhead Game Studios with Magicka 2 and its DLCs. In 2017, they were acquired by Embracer. Their first projects under the umbrella were two Titan Quest expansions: Ragnarök and Atlantis.
Clearly, the Alone in the Dark reboot was supposed to be their big break, but despite high-profile actors like David Harbour and Jodie Comer, it didn’t work out. That doesn’t mean you should avoid playing the horror game if you’ve been on the fence; Nathan Birch quite enjoyed it, rating the game 7 out of 10 in Wccftech’s review.
Despite my complaints, I have to admit, I still enjoyed this new Alone in the Dark overall. Maybe I’m just a sucker for that old-school survival horror feel, or maybe Alone in the Dark’s faults just didn’t sink in too deeply as no one section of the game sticks around all that long. Your first time through the game will take around 7 or 8 hours, although multiple playthroughs are encouraged in a number of ways. As mentioned, Edward and Emily’s stories aren’t that different, but a variety of collectibles, secrets, and unlockable endings will keep some happily in the dark for a while, although others may feel the urge to flick on the light switch before they collect everything.
Unfortunately, this is just the latest of several closures at Embracer, including Volition, Campfire Cabal, and Free Radical Design, as well as many other layoffs that were part of the group’s restructuring plan.
