Everything we know about The Devil in Me
Enter the next chapter of The Dark Pictures this month!
Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H. H. Holmes, is a name that elicits feelings of fascination, speculation and abject horror. Described as America’s first serial killer, Holmes was charismatic and terrible. He supposedly killed an untold number of people during his reign of terror in his “Murder Castle.” The building constructed by Holmes during the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, reportedly had a maze of rooms build to facilitate Holmes monstrous appetite for murder, with traps, gas chambers and blocked off exits. Modern “scholars” claim much of this is myth. Whether or not that is true, it is impossible to deny the hold Holmes has as a master of horror. And now, he is the subject of Supermassive’s The Dark Pictures Anthology’s newest entry: The Devil in Me.
Holmes was once quoted as saying “I was born with the devil in me.” It is this idea that stands as the central theme for the first season finale. While he might still be a mystery, everything we know about The Devil in Me is not. Let’s unravel the facts before its release on November 18, 2022.
The ones that came before
Supermassive Games has made a name for themselves in recent years as the studio that blends realism with gruesome horror stories where the outcome of the characters is held in the hands of the player. The formula is both effective and terrifying. After the success of Until Dawn, which starred recognizable faces like Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek and Jordan Fisher as their cast members, Supermassive began an ambitious venture into an episodic series of games, all seemingly unique but interconnected by a strange man called The Curator.
Thus, The Dark Pictures Anthology was born. The idea behind the series is an examination of various horror genres and supernatural elements. The first game Man of Medan, took the realism of modern day pirates and blended it with ghost ship stories. The story was free roaming and told through the eyes of the 5 “main characters.”
Little Hope came out the following year. It transported players into a twisted tale of time travel, dark entities and psychological insanity. Drawing popular names Will Poulter and Ellen David, among others, Little Hope toed a line that still has me questioning the last moments of the game. It pulled its inspirations for one of the darkest periods in American history- the witch trials.
Last year, House of Ashes was released, focusing on something Until Dawn fans were more familiar with- monsters. Also taking some details from a whispered about event in the middle of the Iraq war in 2003, House of Ashes gained some notoriety when Ashely Tisdale was announced as one of the voice actors. Awakening an ancient evil during firefights, soldiers from both sides of the battle lines had to come together for survival.
They sound familiar
The Devil in Me, with its Murder Castle backdrop, looks to put its mark in the Anthology, adding slasher flick elements woven with possible demonic possession. Shadows creep around every corner, haunting cries and screams give way to oddly specifically detailed mannequins. There is danger lurking, but is it real, or a fevered collective dream?
The story, like other entries, focused on five characters. The cast and crew members of the documentary show “Architects of Murder” are realistically designed and beautifully voiced. Jessie Buckley, hailing from HBO’s Chernobyl, plays Kate Wilder, the host of the film series. Her boss, Charles Lonnit, the founder of Lonnit Entertainment and the director of the show is portrayed by Paul Kaye. Players and fans may remember him as Thoros of Myr in Game of Thrones.
Jamie Tiergan, the outspoken and somewhat abrasive chief grip is voiced by Gloria Obianyo. She also played Uriel in Good Omens. Joining her is Erin Keenan, intern with a special flair for sound. Mark Nestor, ex-boyfriend of Kate, is the lighting specialist. Their voice actors have not been named, yet.
No death unturned
The group of five are given what seems to be a generous invitation to an unfinished, but faithful recreation of the Murder Castle hotel built by H. H. Holmes. The World Fair Hotel is remarkable elegant and dingy at the same time. The lobby is brightly lite and lovely, while the hallways show the stress cracks of the building. Peeling wallpaper and faulty wiring add to the creepy ambiance of the death traps the five now find themselves in. It is up to the player to get them out of the hotel alive… or not.
Like the first three entries of the series, Death will definitely be the name of the game. In interviews, the dev team has said the deaths in The Devil in Me are the most gruesome and gory of the franchise so far, inspired by the Saw, Friday the 13th, Halloween franchises and The Shining. Having witnessed how truly imaginatively horrific the other games have been… it is almost hard to imagine.
But we aren’t left in the dark, so to speak. Early demo footage shows the function of premonitions seen in all of The Dark Pictures, Until Dawn and The Quarry are present in The Devil in Me too. Glimpses into what could befall each character if certain steps are taken, could be useful in determining the correct path, depending on who you want to save.
That doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee, though. As any player of Supermassive Games can tell you, one wrong move, wrong line of conversation can spell doom for any or all of the characters. Choices will be presented that build up or tear down relationships, respect and reasoning. Additionally, a new feature- inventory, will allow the player to hold on to some items that are discovered during exploration. These items can be crafted together, broken or even given to another character. This can lead to the difference between life and death.
New interactions
Nervous yet? Well, just wait. Unlike earlier title, where movement was mostly linear free roam with actions like jumping and climbing left to quick time events, The Devil in Me has rewritten the script to allow for more player free roaming interaction. Climbing up ladders, shimming along narrow ledges and balancing across boards allows the character you are controlled to access even more areas that might otherwise be blocked. What happens if you aren’t successful in getting across that rotten board? Guess we’ll find out.
Each character is important to the story. They will all be playable at different times during the story as the events of the night unfold. And they all have something unique to them. For example, Kate has a pencil and pad of paper, which will come in handy when she needs to decipher a code or take an imprint of a hidden message. Erin, as the sound intern, has a special microphone that picks up sounds and conversations clearly that we would miss. Loss of these specialties through the character’s death can impact future parts of the story.
Man behind the curtain
Details on the villain(s) are slim pickings so far. We do know that there is what could be a specter of H. H. Holmes lurking around the hotel, and possibly committing the murders of not only our cast, but construction workers and others unlucky enough to come to the hotel. Granthem Du’Met is our mysterious benefactor who extended the invitation. He appears to leave the island right after the group arrives, a discovery found when he’s absent to dinner. I say appears because it is entirely possible, he is still there. Although, whether he’s alive, pulling the string, possessed or dead isn’t clear.
If you’re afraid to play alone, don’t. The Devil in Me will include both online multiplayer, and offline “pass the pad” couch co-op with up to five players. You’ll have plenty of quality time as the game clocks in at around 7 hours, making it the longest Dark Pictures game so far.
Stay tuned
As this is the first season finale of the Dark Pictures, we anticipate there still be questions without answers until later games. We are aware of at least six potential titles, including a VR spin-off – The Dark Pictures: Switchback, set to come out in 2023.
The Devil in Me is available for pre-order in three formats: Digital Standard Edition, Physical Standard Edition and Animatronic Collector’s Edition. The ACE, in addition to the full game, included a physical animatronic bust of Manny Sherman, printed post card, map and business card. Standard Editions retail for $39.99 USD. The Collector’s Edition price is $89.99 USD. It launches on November 18, 2022, on PC, Playstation 4/5 and Xbox One/ Series X/S.
We will continue to update this article until release date. Follow us for our full review and stream on Mega Visions Twitch channel, coming soon!
