The unannounced fourth entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology series of horror games appears to be called The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me, according to a recent trademark filing. Supermassive Games, the developer of both 2019's The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan and 2020's The Dark Pictures: Little Hope, is currently working to finish the third game in the anthology, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes, which is set to release in October 2021.
Supermassive Games first garnered mainstream success and acclaim back in 2015 with the release of the PlayStation 4 exclusive horror title Until Dawn. The cinematic drama puts the player in control of eight characters trying to survive a series of murderous encounters on a frigid, isolated mountain. Unlike other games in the genre, players have a chance to save anywhere between all or none of the protagonists based on their choices throughout the game. Following the success of Until Dawn, Supermassive partnered with publisher Bandai Namco to produce an anthology series of smaller, streamlined horror games in the same style as Until Dawn. At least eight entries are planned in The Dark Pictures Anthology, with two being released so far.
Though Supermassive as still working on the third entry in the Dark Pictures series, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes, that hasn't stopped the developer from filing a trademark for the anticipated fourth entry. The trademark application - spotted on Justia by Reddit user cloudsheep0 - is for The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me on behalf of Supermassive Games. The logo includes a magnifying glass attached to the bottom of the letter "v" in "Devil." Otherwise, the trademark filing provides no greater insight into the nature of the unannounced game.
Supermassive have trademarked The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me (4th entry in the series) from GamingLeaksAndRumours
With little information available, the title alone still suggests a number of possible scenarios for the fourth Dark Pictures entry. Mention of the devil provides a religious undertone, though whether that's literal or figurative remains to be seen. "The Devil in Me" could imply that the game centers around demonic possession and the expulsion of evil spirits through exorcisms, especially if interpreted in the literal sense. That could make for a compelling horror experience, as players could combat a demonic force that hunts the cast of characters while ultimately trying to possess and turn them against one another.
All of this is simply speculation, however. With the third entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology not set to launch until October, players will have to wait a while before significant context comes to light. The Devil in Me is clearly in the very early stages of development, and the marketing cycle will rightly focus on House of Ashes until its release. That said, if Man of Medan and Little Hope are any indication, players can expect to see the first teaser for The Devil in Me as a post-credits scene in House of Ashes when the game launches on October 22.
Source: cloudsheep0/Reddit, Justia