Video Games
‘Alone in the Dark’ Remake Developer Pieces Interactive Shut Down
The current precariousness of the video games industry took another hit today. Weeks after Embracer Group revealed that Pieces Interactive’s remake of Alone in the Dark had “performed below management expectations”, it’s now being reported that the developer has been shut down by Embracer Group. Pieces Interactive had posted to the main page of their website and on the studio’s social media accounts the caption “Pieces Interactive: 2007–2024. Thanks for playing with us.”
Per Game Developer, former Pieces Interactive character artist Gustav Pethrus confirmed via LinkedIn that the company was indeed closing.
The closure of Pieces Interactive follows the layoffs done earlier in the year at the developer by Embracer Group, which was part of a major restructuring by the company. Borderlands developer Gearbox Interactive and Evil Dead: The Game developer Saber Interactive had been sold off back in March, while Eidos Montreal (which Embracer had acquired back in May 2022) had its in-development Deus Ex game cancelled.
Prior to the layoffs, the situation for Pieces Interactive had been made more complicated due to the weak commercial response and mixed critical reception to the Alone in the Dark remake. Despite being rough around the edges, we found that the game was still a worthwhile playthrough.
Alone in the Dark is available on PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.
The long-awaited release of BlameTech’s first-person psychological horror game No Return is finally here. Or would be, as the review process for the final build is taking its time. Regardless, originally targeting a Fall 2022 release, No Return will be available soon on Steam, bringing with it a focus on elements of Chinese folklore to its story of family tragedy.
Touted as a “mind-shattering journey” that fuses fantasy with reality and taking inspiration from Silent Hill, No Return casts you as the protagonist. You return home one day to discover their once-familiar environment transformed into a “labyrinth of chilling echoes.” As you navigate this unsettling setting, fragmented memories surface, unveiling hidden tragedies and dark family secrets.
Gameplay in No Return has you navigating through your home, encountering strange puzzles that must be solved in order to progress through the hallways. The puzzles themselves blend traditional Chinese culture and folklore, “creating a distinctive Eastern horror atmosphere.”
The entire experience is wrapped up in a dreamcore surrealist aesthetic, where the immersive nature of the game, coupled with its high-quality environments and sound effects, makes it seem like you’re in a dream, but from one you can’t awaken.
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